Talking PSL With the Saxbys Product Development Team

Our resident flavor creators & taste testers, Lori Kuserk and Andrew Rosenbach of the Saxbys Product Development Team, took a break from working out recipes to chat with us about Pumpkin Spice season — including why they had to bring back our all-natural Pumpkin Spice Latte, what inspired them to concoct a 100% natural Pumpkin Spice Smoothie, and what Little Baby’s ice cream flavor would taste best with our house-made sauce (and they even took the time whip up a PSL for us on the spot). Check it out!

Thanks for bringing Saxbys all-natural Pumpkin Spice Latte back for another year! Did the recipe change at all from last fall?
Nope. Saxbys Director of Training, Michelle Nur-Chowdhury, actually came up with the all-natural recipe last year before we joined the team (she’s the brains behind our Cold Brew, too). We both tested out the recipe again this year and decided it was perfect as is — it’s made with real pumpkin, tastes just like pumpkin pie, and guests loved it last year. There was no reason to change it!

One thing is certainly different from last year…we now have an all-natural Pumpkin Spice Smoothie too. How did you come up with this drink?
We love fall flavors, but it’s always tricky to say goodbye to summer. We were inspired to create something that would help our guests transition into pumpkin spice season.

What’s the biggest challenge of working with 100% natural ingredients?
The biggest challenge — but also a lot of fun — is selecting the ingredients. We have to do a lot of research (and taste-testing) to make sure every ingredient adds the right flavor and creates a good consistency.

The house-made Pumpkin Spice Sauce is the main ingredient in our Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Spice Smoothie, Pumpkin Spice Chai…is there anything else you want to try it with next?

Andrew: Pumpkin Spice Body Scrub.

Lori: I’d like to expand the sauce for more edible uses — like a bakery topping or a salad and sandwich dressing.

Or ice cream! What flavor do you think the Pumpkin Spice Sauce would pair best with? 

Lori: This question may require a trip to Little Baby’s Ice Cream in Fishtown! I’d love it with their Speculoos flavor, which tastes like a spicy shortbread cookie.

Andrew: I’d like it with Little Baby’s Yards Brown Butter Brawler. 

What fall activity gets you in the pumpkin spice mood?

Lori: Pumpkin picking and hayrides.

Andrew: Playing football on a crisp autumn morning.

What song makes the perfect soundtrack for sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte? What about the Smoothie?
The Pumpkin Spice Smoothie goes great with Two Door Cinema Club’s “Changing the Seasons.”The Pumpkin Spice Latte is velvety and smooth so we’ll go with D’Angelo’s “Lady.”