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Seasonal autumn beverage launches and consumer reception
Overview
In August 2026, major food and beverage brands launched seasonal autumn menus. In Mexico, Starbucks released its Pumpkin Spice lineup and named Christian Alexis Ortiz Hernández as its Barista Champion 2026. In the United States, McDonald’s introduced a seasonal McCafé lineup featuring apple pie and caramel flavors, such as the Apple Pie Caramel Latte and Frappé, as an alternative to traditional pumpkin spice. These offerings received significant negative feedback on social media, with some customers describing the taste as being reminiscent of ‘drinking a candle’ due to artificial scents. Starbucks also announced the return of its seasonal autumn menu, headlined by the Pumpkin Spice Latte and including new items like the Maple Pecan Macchiato and Iced Apple Crumble Matcha Latte. In Romania, the seasonal range was scheduled for release on September 1. Retailers like Target and Starbucks have been launching these autumn-themed products as early as mid-August, despite summer temperatures persisting in regions such as Lisbon and Southern California. Nespresso expanded its seasonal market with a 2026 autumn coffee collection, and the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo launched a menu featuring domestic pumpkin and seasonal fruits. By early September, McDonald’s confirmed it has removed its Pumpkin Spice Latte from its seasonal menu for 2026, ending a tradition held since 2013. The company is pivoting toward flavors like caramel, apple, and cinnamon, specifically utilizing a Caramel Apple Pie flavor. Industry data from Datassential suggests this move aligns with shifting consumer preferences, noting a 99% increase in sales of Apple Pie flavors and a 49% increase in Caramel Apple sales compared to the previous year, while pumpkin spice latte sales grew by only 37%. Emerging trends also show increased interest in banana latte syrup, blueberry coffee, and marshmallow cold foam.
Entities
Starbucks · McDonald’s · McDonald's · Salem the Cat · Target
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nespresso has released its 2026 autumn coffee collection.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Pumpkin Spice Cake flavor features pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom over a South American Arabica base.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Maple Pecan flavor combines maple syrup and pecan notes with an Arabica blend from Latin America and Africa.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A new flavor, Cinnamon Apple Crisp, uses 100% Arabica beans from Brazil.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Cinnamon Apple Crisp flavor is available exclusively for Vertuo machines.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Vertuo sleeves are priced at £8.50 per 10 pods, while Original sleeves are £5.50 per 10 pods.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The collection includes a Gingerbread flavor for the Vertuo system.
Timeline
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[BUSINESS] 2 sourcesStarbucks launches Black Cat Frappuccino with Archie Comics promotion
Starbucks has launched its seasonal Black Cat Frappuccino, promoted by Archie Comics' Salem the Cat, featuring a chocolatey flavor profile and limited-time availability.
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[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesStarbucks Japan launches Halloween Blackberry Yogurt Frappuccino
Starbucks Japan has launched its Halloween Blackberry Yogurt Frappuccino, featuring edible chocolate cat ears in either black or white varieties.
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[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesStarbucks announces 2026 Halloween and holiday collections
Starbucks is rolling out 2026 seasonal collections, featuring a cat-themed Halloween menu in Japan and various holiday collectibles, including a Disney-themed ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ collaboration.
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[BUSINESS] 12 sourcesStarbucks launches seasonal Halloween and Peanuts collections
Starbucks is launching seasonal autumn and Halloween menus, including a Peanuts-themed collection and new Halloween-inspired drinks like the Black Cat Frappuccino in the US.
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[BUSINESS] 6 sourcesMcDonald’s replaces pumpkin spice latte with caramel apple flavor
McDonald’s is replacing the pumpkin spice latte with Caramel Apple Pie this fall, reflecting a broader consumer shift toward apple-based and unconventional seasonal coffee flavors.
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[CULTURE] 2 sourcesStarbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo launches autumn menu
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo has introduced a new autumn menu featuring seasonal ingredients like pumpkin, pear, and grape.
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[CULTURE] 3 sourcesStarbucks and Target launch autumn seasonal products early
Retailers like Starbucks and Target are launching autumn-themed products and pumpkin spice menus as early as August, despite summer temperatures and the meteorological start of fall in late September.
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[BUSINESS] 4 sourcesMcDonald’s replaces Pumpkin Spice Latte with Caramel Apple Pie
McDonald’s is replacing its long-standing seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte with a new Caramel Apple Pie beverage for the 2026 autumn season in the United States.
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[BUSINESS] 5 sourcesNespresso launches 2026 autumn coffee collection
Nespresso has released its 2026 autumn coffee collection, featuring Pumpkin Spice Cake, Maple Pecan, and a new Cinnamon Apple Crisp flavor.
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[BUSINESS] 10 sourcesStarbucks and coffee retailers launch seasonal autumn menus
Coffee retailers are launching autumn menus, headlined by the return of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte alongside rising competition from apple-flavored seasonal drinks.
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[BUSINESS] 3 sourcesMcDonald's Caramel Apple Pie coffee receives negative social media reviews
McDonald's new seasonal Caramel Apple Pie beverages, specifically the iced coffee, are facing heavy criticism from customers online who have described the flavor as tasting like “drinking a candle.”
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[CULTURE] 16 sourcesStarbucks and McDonald's launch seasonal autumn menus
Starbucks Mexico names a new Barista Champion and launches Pumpkin Spice 2026, while McDonald's introduces apple pie-flavored coffee for the autumn season.
Sources
ad-hoc-news.de · attractionsmagazine.com · bkreader.com · chocolateuniversityonline.com · devbhoomimedia.com · dominomagazin.com · eldiariony.com · elektro.at · elle.cz · emprefinanzas.com.mx · epochtimes.com · evoke.ie · excelsior.com.mx · feminity.zoznam.sk · foodbeast.com · foodblogalliance.com · foothilldragonpress.org · frugalmomguide.com · hellomagazine.com · hexham-courant.co.uk · iheartdogs.com · impactoinformativo.com.ar · independent.co.uk · instyle.mx · iowastatedaily.com · it-boltwise.de · jw-webmagazine.com · kaffeeverband.at · kaszaper.hu · kesq.com · keyt.com · kobe-journal.com · krdo.com · kvia.com · limite42.com · localnews8.com · mag.sapo.pt · medianet.at · merca20.com · milehighonthecheap.com · moda.cz · myfoxatlanta.com · news.mynavi.jp · piratesandprincesses.net · prozeny.cz · radiodoktoren.dk · reporteplatense.com.ar · rocketnews24.com
This summary has been updated 10 times: see revision history