For fans of seasonal beverages The Wall Street Journal sounded the alarm on a potential pumpkin-related crisis: Starbucks around the country appear to be running out of the special sauce that gives Pumpkin Spice Lattes their pumpkin and their spice. That sounds bad. Real bad. Should you start hoarding this very moment?  

The Journal's Lisa Fleisher reports Starbucks customers in search of Pumpkin Spice Lattes have been informed by baristas that stores are out of the key ingredient. In frustration they have left the store feeling "depressed" and have taken to Twitter to air their grievances. Fleisher explains that baristas are essentially turning to black market pumpkin sauce "searching for stashes of the flavored sauce at other stores." Those with a hankering for the pumpkin-y flavor have turned to Starbuck's instant Pumpkin Spice beverage, but that too has been disappearing from shelves, at least according to the Starbucks Gossip blog. 

So what does the company have to say for itself? Starbucks maintains that there is no overall deficiency of the sauce, but Fleisher writes that "they acknowledge shortages at some stores due to infrequent deliveries." A spokeswoman said: "There is an opportunity, in a pumpkin emergency, for them to be able to place an [extra] order." 

Anecdotal evidence featured in the Journal proves that there might indeed be a "pumpkin emergency," but like the bacon shortage scare headline we are sure they'll make more. 

At The Atlantic Wire's local SoHo Starbucks early we were able to purchase a Pumpkin Spice Latte in all of it's orange-y goodness: 

And saw a shelf stocked with the instant version: 

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Esther Zuckerman