Black & Gold Quarterly (BGQ) October 2021

The Monarch of Fall

by Eliana Hermel staff writer

Since 2003, the fall season in America has been swept up by anything and everything pumpkin spice Graphics: S. Goodwin

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hether you love it or hate it, the pumpkin spice season is a well-known phenomenon that has affected America for years. As corporations advertise fall and its companions every year, pumpkin spice has managed to take America by storm. Because autumn is upon us, I thought it would be proper to talk about the question behind every single fall-themed item: Why is pumpkin spice one of the most beloved seasonal flavors the world has ever seen?

When you think of pumpkin spice, one of the many things that comes to mind is Starbucks. In fact, it’s probably the first. Even those who haven’t experienced these fall-themed drinks usually know what they are or have at least heard of people gushing over their popular flavor. Many people have been flocking to coffee shops and stores to get a taste of pumpkin spice and other fun fall flavors for about a month now. Similarly to Starbucks, other coffee shops in the Traverse City area have recently brought back their pumpkin spice drinks for the fall season, including Biggby Coffee.

How often does a customer come in asking for a fall-themed treat? “Every 20 minutes,” according to Biggby Coffee employee Allison Bazuin.

Whether it be pumpkin spice lattes, their pumpkin muffins, or even their caramel apple cider, every 28 // BGQ // October 2021

20 minutes a customer comes in with a thirst (or hunger) for the taste of fall. “It’s in demand all year round, and some places are starting to do it all year round now. In high demand, especially, [are] our pumpkin muffins. We go through like, a box a day. And then they’re sold out. Then people are super upset that we don’t have them,” Bazuin explains. The community has spoken through their actions; they are starving for fall.

Many people seem to have a special place in their hearts specifically dedicated to fall-themed treats. Bazuin adds, “we have this one regular who comes in when [pumpkin spice is] in season three times a day to get it.” Three times a day!

Someone who is that enthusiastic about a seasonal spice must have a reason.

So the real question is, why? Why do all these people spend the time and money on something so temporary? Bazuin hypothesizes that “most people would say it’s more of associating it with fall weather, fall time, Thanksgiving, warmness… it’s like nostalgia for most people. And it makes them feel good.” Nostalgia is a yearning you get when you remember something from a good memory, or from a happy moment that can come from anywhere. Nostalgia is something everyone has experienced, and is also something everyone searches for. Nostalgia is to our modern world as