Hit or miss: Seasonal drink divides nation
Senior Sara Nikias, said “I like it. I drink a ton of coffee, so anything seasonal I am there for.”
Pumpkin spice lattes are back in season and continue to spark controversy across the media.
After 20 years of being a menu item, some claim they are burnt out on the drink and it is decreasing in popularity. The Chanticleer asked students to voice their opinions on an Instagram poll to help establish a campus-wide perspective at Coastal Carolina University.
Since Starbucks released the drink in 2003, it has quickly become the
most popular seasonal drink for coffee drinkers. People associate the cinnamon and pumpkin flavoring drink to the holidays: picking pumpkins, hayrides, corn mazes and more. Although people may enjoy the drink for its holiday aspects, CCU students voiced a variety of differing opinions.
Results showed students judged more on taste than the holiday aesthetic or limited availability.
Over half of the respondents who drink pumpkin spice lattes primarily enjoy it for the taste. Another 38% of survey participants chose seasonal drinks to kick off the holiday, and the remainder of students enjoy it for its exclusivity or for an unspecified reason.
Opinions regarding pumpkin spice were evenly divided on the topic, as
they remained neck and neck for the entirety of the survey and for the results. According to the survey, those who support pumpkin spice won with 52%, while 48% of the campus believed the drink is not worth the hype.
Outside of the survey, three Coastal Carolina students at local coffee shops shared their opinion on the matter.
Out of those who drink pumpkin spice lattes, a whopping 58% of respondents prefer ordering them from Starbucks. 31% preferred the Dunkin’ variation, 9% for C3 Coffee Bar, and the remaining 2% preferred it from Port City Java. Regardless of if you view it as a hit or a miss, pumpkin spice lattes has an undeniable hold on coffee traditions during autumn.
