This hue is inspired by the warm orange-brown tone of pumpkin spice, the autumnal blend that flavors everything from pies to lattes. Its color comes from earthy spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove—ground together into a powder that evokes the look and scent of fall baking. Commercial pumpkin spice blends were first marketed in the 1930s by companies like McCormick, but the mix rose to modern fame through coffee culture. Independent shops were serving pumpkin spice lattes as early as 1996, yet it was Starbucks’ 2003 launch that propelled the drink into a seasonal phenomenon. Today, pumpkin spice is more than flavor; it’s shorthand for autumn itself.