Utahns pound pumpkin spice lattes amid shifting Mormon norms
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Utah — UTAH! — is ordering more pumpkin spice lattes than almost any other state, according to new DoorDash data.
Why it matters: Utah is widely known for culturally eschewing coffee in accordance with the teachings of Mormonism, the state's dominant religion.
By the numbers: Utahns ordered more PSLs per capita than residents of all but three states from Aug. 1 to Dec. 1, 2024, per DoorDash data shared with Axios.
- The state even beat out coffee-loving Washington, where the beloved autumnal drink was born.
- Alaska, Montana and Oregon were the only states to guzzle more pumpkin spice.
The big picture: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Mormon sects abide by the Word of Wisdom, a dietary code that instructs: "Hot drinks are not for the body or belly."
Catch up quick: Believers have long debated which beverages the passage prohibits, with some citing church warnings against habit-forming substances to include caffeine.
- Cocoa and herbal teas are broadly considered acceptable, and leaders have issued relaxed guidance on soda.
- But even the most liberal interpretations typically forbid coffee and teas brewed from the tea plant, camellia sinensis.
Between the lines: The rise of the mighty PSL in Utah comes amid a cultural shift in how rigidly some believers view rules and norms that have long served as identity markers that distinguish the faith's insiders from outsiders.
- Influencers and celebrities from model Nara Smith to the cast of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" have placed themselves on a spectrum of orthodoxy that includes bare shoulders and chai breves.
Case in point: "People love to speculate whether I'm 'still Mormon,'" violinist and "America's Got Talent" star Lindsey Stirling wrote on an Instagram video in which she sips an iced latte. "On paper it may seem like I'm not anymore because I actively support the LGBTQ+ community, I wear sleeveless shirts sometimes and now 'SHE DRINKS COFFEE!'"
- "For waaaay too long I defined my connection to God by a huge list of rules," she wrote. "...I don't let shame govern me anymore and surprisingly, I've felt God's love more than ever."
The bottom line: It may not matter what the Word of Wisdom literally says or how faith leaders interpret it if members increasingly set their own limits.