Add Baileys To Your Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte For Boozy Coffee

Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte has become a staple of the fall season, and it's officially back in stores for 2023. Blending pumpkin sauce, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a latte, this treat offers a boost of flavor and energy. With hundreds of millions of lattes sold since it first hit stores in 2003, it's hard to imagine anything could make the PSL more popular than it already is. However, there is one way to further liven up this seasonal item: by adding booze.

Blending coffee and alcohol is hardly a new phenomenon, as offerings like Irish coffee, White Russians, and espresso martinis line dining menus all over. Some of the best Baileys cocktails utilize coffee as a base, and brandy, Kahlúa, and amaretto all pair well with the caffeinated beverage. Most Starbucks locations don't sell alcohol, so the coffee behemoth's offerings aren't typically associated with it. VinePair challenges that assumption, presenting ideas for spiking Starbucks beverages, including a Baileys mix that takes its pumpkin coffee to another level.

The only thing better than a pumpkin spice latte is a spiked pumpkin spice latte, and adding liquor to a weekend or evening Starbucks order will enhance its flavor while giving the drinker a slight buzz. VinePair recommends infusing Starbucks' pumpkin spice cold brew with a shot of Baileys. This advice works just as well for a hot or iced PSL. The combination of chocolate and vanilla flavors complements the pumpkin sauce nicely. There's a reason Baileys itself came out with a limited-time pumpkin liqueur, and suggested making a homemade pumpkin spice latte with it.

If you're not a fan of Irish cream, other liqueurs can work with Starbucks' pumpkin coffee as well. Taking a page out of The Pioneer Woman's book, you can use what works for other milk-based pumpkin cocktails: flavored vodka, rum, and coffee liqueur. A single shot will do the trick, turning your fall Starbucks order into an "adult" beverage.