A Terrible Week for Pumpkin Spice
Tariffs are coming for the flavor of fall.
By Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic
Every year, there is a single day when summer turns to fall. In 2025, on the Gregorian calendar, this day is September 22. On the pumpkin-spice calendar, it was Tuesday, when Starbucks reintroduced its legendary latte. (For Dunkin’ loyalists, fall began on August 20.)
Pumpkin spice, as fans and haters alike will tell you, is not simply a flavor. It is a state of mind. You might imagine that, by now, our national appetite would be sated. You would be incorrect. This year, among other innovations, we will be graced with pumpkin-spice-dipped waffle cones, pumpkin-spice protein shakes, and pumpkin-spice spreadable cheese. That there are still products left to pumpkin spice-ify is a testament to human ingenuity. You can already find pumpkin-spice yogurt, pumpkin-spice almonds, pumpkin-spice graham-cracker Goldfish, and pumpkin-spice fig bars. There is pumpkin-spice bacon and pumpkin-spice cottage cheese. For the seed oil–conscious, there is pumpkin-spice avocado oil.
