Elevate Your Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte With These 5 Ordering Tips

As summer heat transitions to crisp nights, and the green we see on the trees begins to fade to yellow, red, and brown, if you listen, you can hear it: the sound of a barista unpacking pumpkin spice sauce. While Starbucks has fun seasonal drinks all year round, like summertime's visually striking new Blue Coconut line, we all collectively hold our breath for a certain gourd. Fortunately, the fall-themed menu drops on Tuesday, August 25 this year, so get your cozy sweaters and flannel pajamas ready. Along with returning favorites like pecan and new additions like banana bread-inspired drinks and a cider-chai hybrid the coffee chain is calling Chaider, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is clearly the headliner in the hearts (and mouths) of customers. And if you're looking to kick it up a notch or two, you've come to the right place.

PSLs can be easily customized, like all of Starbucks' many drinks, so if you're looking for the pumpkin spice with something a little extra, don't hesitate to ask — whether it's extra sauce, added spices, or getting creative with other syrups. And remember: If one of these PSL upgrades catches your eye, you shouldn't wait too long to place an order because before you know it, the winter lineup will be rolling out.

Pumpkin spice captures the essence of the fall gourd, but if what you're really craving is pumpkin pie, you can turn your latte into just that in liquid form. Start by requesting an additional pump of the pumpkin spice sauce, and then a shot of the white mocha sauce, too. Those two flavors will mingle and create a flavor worthy of any autumnal pie. And then, to top it all off, ask for one or two shakes of nutmeg, which is an essential pie spice that adds warmth and earthiness, either directly into the latte or on the whipped cream.

Warm milk is a peace-inducing nighttime drink that can soothe young and old alike to sleep. And while the addition of caffeine from the espresso in your latte might make rest the last thing on your mind, you can nonetheless amp up the comfort factor of your PSL by (kindly) asking the helpful baristas to add cinnamon and nutmeg seasoning directly into the milk before they steam it. This will ensure that your beverage is loaded with warm spices in every sip. Talk about a hug in a mug.

For some, Starbucks drinks can taste a little bit too sweet, and if you find yourself feeling that kinda way, you might have steered clear of the PSL in the past. Well, you don't have to any longer because there's a flavor upgrade just for you. What you'll do is halve the pumpkin spice sauce (so if you're getting a grande, you'll switch it from four to two, and a venti will take it down to two or three, versus five for the hot version), add a few pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup, and switch to no whipped cream. Combine it with the previous tip of steaming in your spices, and you'll still get that robust pie-like taste.

Perhaps you just like pumpkin spice, but you're not over the moon about it, and you find the PSL from Starbucks to be too pumpkin-y for your tastes. One way to give it a flavor boost — and make it more suitable for your drinking pleasure — is to balance out the pumpkin sauce with equal amounts of brown sugar syrup. So whatever your PSL's size (and temperature as venti cold lattes get one more pump of sauce than the hot), tell the barista you want the same amount of the syrup, or add that amount in the app. To keep it from being extra sweet, you can also go half-and-half — so, in a grande, two pumps of each, rather than four of both (which is what you will get if you just ask to add the syrup to your drink).

You know what makes everything better? Chocolate. Whether it's a bad day or a boring cake mix, adding chocolate to the mix instantly gives everything a boost, and your pumpkin spice latte is no different. For an easy enhancement, just have the baristas add a pump or two of mocha sauce to your drink (or manually add them in the app if you like to order ahead). The rich, luxurious chocolate pairs wonderfully with the zesty, spiced warmth of the latte.