This Girl On TikTok's Dad Is The Actual Creator Of The Pumpkin Spice Latte
If you love the PSL, rejoice! I may have found your king.
When you think fall, you think leaves of a different color, a brisk September breeze and...Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
It's fall y'all.
And if your answer didn't include the latter, I don't believe you.
I don't even like PSLs and I still can't help but associate them with all things fall.
In the past 17 years, PSLs have become synonymous with the fall season and a defining symbol of fall culture.
Pretty sure Starbucks started offering these in like August.
But if you've ever wondered where the famous flavor actually comes from, this teen on TikTok has the answer.
The year was 2003. PSLs were nothing, and then everything.
Skylar Dukes posted a TikTok last week saying, "you may have a normal dad but mine invented the Pumpkin Spice Latte."
@skylar.dukes except he says he “helped make it w a team” #psl #pumpkinspicelatte @starbucks #fyp
♬ original sound - Chelsea Annabelle
She made sure to back up his claim by showing all of his awards and certifications on the wall.
And then she panned the camera to a surprised-looking dad— aka the famed inventor himself, Peter Dukes.
There he is. The man, the myth, the legend... Mr. Peter Dukes.
The face of success, folks.
If I invented a world-renowned drink that brings in billions of dollars a year, I'd be smiling too.
Turns out, Skylar's dad did indeed invent the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
He invented the famous drink with the help of a team and focus group in 2003. After the success of other holiday favorite drinks like the Eggnog Latte and Peppermint Mocha, Starbucks was looking for a new beverage to add to the fall espresso lineup. And after taste-testing pumpkin pie followed by a sip of espresso, the idea for a PSL was born!
If you look closely, you can see his Starbucks certification on the wall.
I guess Skylar herself isn't a die-hard PSL lover though, because a few days after her initial video outing her dad, she posted this one of her taste-testing the famous drink with her sister.
@skylar.dukes Reply to @user17482359 no we don’t😔 but we’re supporting sbux so it’s ok @starbucks #psl #pumpkinspicelatte #fyp
♬ PSL - Reggie San Miguel
"It's been so long since me and my sis have had it."
Alas, you can't win them all. But I'd say Peter is doing alright.
