Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is undergoing a big transformation this fall. The popular espresso-based drink has a new recipe that will use real pumpkin and no caramel coloring.
The coffee giant, which had previously disclosed nutritional information for the Pumpkin Spice Latte, but wasn’t as forthcoming about the ingredients in the beverage, on Monday shared more details about what goes into the drink. Starbucks (SBUX) shared a full ingredient list to give customers more clarity about how the popular beverage is made.
“After hearing from customers and partners about ingredients, we took another look at this beverage and why we created it so many years ago,” wrote Peter Dukes, director of espresso Americas for Starbucks. The prior version was made with “warm fall spices with delicious flavor of pumpkin pie,” Dukes shared in the post.
The changes were announced by Starbucks’ Twitter (TWTR) handle for the beverage, @TheRealPSL. That handle has nearly 82,000 followers.
There is also a savvy marketing strategy behind the Starbucks announcement that is especially on trend today. People want to know more about what they are eating and drinking, and major food and beverage companies are responding by sharing any major changes to the formulas behind some of the biggest brands. The Pumpkin Spice Latte will remain an indulgent treat even with the additional details about how it is made now public. But Starbucks will likely only gain fans by being more transparent about how the drink is made.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte generates outsized excitement becasue the beverage is Starbucks top-selling seasonal drink of all time. Last year, Starbucks made headlines when it announced it would release the drink earlier than the company had in the past.