Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes season is starting earlier than ever this year - but there's a huge catch

Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte season is starting earlier than ever this year.

On Thursday, the coffee giant announced that it would begin selling bottled Pumpkin Spice Lattes in grocery stores later in August. The ready-to-drink latte will be priced at $2.79 for a 14-fluid-ounce bottle - significantly cheaper than the traditional PSL.

Starbucks is also launching Pumpkin Spice-flavored ground coffee, which is available in grocery stores as of Thursday.

The company did not announce when coffee shops would begin selling the traditional Pumpkin Spice Latte, which typically hits menus in early September.

Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte has become synonymous with autumn since 2003, when the chain debuted the drink.

"It's a tradition," Starbucks' coffee education specialist Mackenzie Karr told Business Insider in 2016. "Similar to football around Thanksgiving, or dressing up for Halloween, it's something that people have incorporated into their lifestyles. It's become part of their seasonal routine."