SEATTLE, WA - Sixteen years after introducing pumpkin spice consumers, Starbucks is finally bringing a worthy successor to its fall menu: the latke spice latte.
The coffee powerhouse started working on the new brew last year, landing on a drink made with equal parts pureed fried potatoes and frothy sour cream foam, with a dusting of onion flakes. The result is a hearty, pungent reminder that Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, is nigh.
The choice to make the latke spice latte is entirely strategic. Under the auspices of Rabbi Sholmo Berkowitz, Starbucks’ vice president of infused hot beverages and Talmudic law, the rollout of the ‘LSL’ this week catches American Jewry at the time of year when they begin asking, “I wonder when Hanukkah is” and “shit, is it like near Thanksgiving again?”
Roz Brewer, chief operating officer at Starbucks, said at the company’s investor day that specialty drinks drive are the best means to build loyalty with core demographics. “It’s not 2005 anymore, and it’s imperative that we remain relevant to affluent American Jews, particularly women, who have begun to flock to 3rd wave coffee. The LSL is the perfect way to remind them of Hanuka: Going home to gorge on fatty food while your mother yells about how rude the post office is now.