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

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

W20 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

Photo: M. Moeggenberg

Graphic: M. Swope

gold was to the panners in the Gold Rush. Instead of being a rare, malleable metal, however, nostalgia is everywhere. From old toys, to smells or even clothing. Could it be that nostalgia is the secret ingredient to pumpkin spice’s success? “It’s not even a spice. It’s more just like an added flavor,” Jacob Snover ‘23 describes. Snover feels that “it’s not pumpkin-y” and it “doesn’t taste like pumpkin at all.” Snover argues that the pumpkin spice trend is nothing more than an overdramatized fad. “People like it for the trend,” he says, “they don’t actually like it.” Bella Mast ‘24 thinks there’s more to the matter, “it’s definitely the trend. If your friend goes and gets one and they say that it’s really good then you’re obviously going to go and get one. But I also think that it wouldn’t have started as a trend if people didn’t actually enjoy it.” Bazuin can see both sides of the pumpkin spice battle: “I feel like there’s the aesthetic of it. It’s trendy. It looks good on camera. But it’s also different [from] a lot of other drinks because there’s the spices in it.” Again, the idea of pumpkin spice and trends are not too far away from each other. It seems that everyone knows of the “pumpkin spice aesthetic.” Despite the stereotype that pumpkin spice is basic (whether true or false), nothing stops people from enjoying its warm flavor. Mast agrees with this sentiment: “it’s a very different taste from anything else. I love that it’s seasonal [and] I think I always tend to like things better when I can’t have them all the time.” Although pumpkin spice might feel to some like a cold wind approaching on the horizon, to others it feels like the sun coming up again. Like the sun, pumpkin spice always returns, no matter the circumstances. This temporary concoction of flavors brings people back to so many places. Nostalgia and fall time are like bread and butter to most people, including myself. Whether it be pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, or something you get to enjoy every year, the urge to “get it before it’s gone” is thrilling. Even if you don’t enjoy the nostalgic buzz of pumpkin spice, there’s always peppermint next season. //

Photo: E. Hermel