The PSL's Is 20 Years Old — These Memes & Tweets Celebrate The Iconic Drink

The leaves are trading their vibrant green hues for warm yellow tones, picturesque sunsets are illuminating the sky earlier than before, and the air is filled with *checks notes* 80 percent humidity. Yup, that’s the dog days of summer for you. Though the calendar may say it’s still short-shorts season, fans of fall are eagerly counting down the days they can swap their bathing suits for chunky sweaters. For this enthusiastic group, the season officially began on Aug. 24 when the beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte made its triumphant return to Starbucks for its 20th anniversary. Now, they’re letting everyone know how excited they are with some seriously hilarious memes and tweets.

Believe it or not, there was a time when the end of summer was still summer and not just pre-fall. But after Starbucks introduced the PSL to its menu 20 years ago, things were never the same again. According to Starbucks, the drink initially launched as a test in 100 stores in 2003 and was quickly made available nationwide by the next year. The recipe for the fan-favorite sip has only changed once during the course of its 20-year run: in 2015, Starbucks added real pumpkin puree to its pumpkin sauce to enhance its authentic taste. Despite being an instant hit among fans, the company almost removed the pumpkin bev from its yearly rotation in favor of something new, but once social media got a hold of the PSL circa 2006, the drink reached a whole new level of fame.

From romanticizing fall ‘fits on Tumblr to turning the aesthetic into its own meme, Pumpkin Spice Lattes have been influencing cool weather culture for two decades now, and a quick scroll through your timeline will prove its impact has never been bigger. Take a trip down memory lane with these LOL-worthy memes and posts from X.

Christian Girl Autumn starts now.

I can’t explain it, but this image looks exactly like what a Pumpkin Spice Latte tastes like.

The duality of a PSL stan.

This is a hard pill to swallow, TBH.

If loving the PSL is cheugy, then I don’t want to be cool.

OK but where is the petition to make September the official start of spooky season? Because I’m ready.

This person gets it.

Here’s to 20 more.

It feels like autumn kicks off earlier and earlier each year, but given the reaction to the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, fall fanatics wouldn’t have it any other way. Happy birthday, PSL, you autumnal legend.