The Rise of Pumpkin Spice

Real estate - now, pumpkin spice flavored! Not really, but it could be pumpkin spice scented via candles and air fresheners (though we don’t recommend it). Fall has become pumpkin spice season and these days it seems to be showing up in everything. With so many pumpkin spice options, we had to ask ourselves, how did pumpkin spice get so popular?

In 2004, coffee brand, Starbucks, premiered the pumpkin spice latte in their stores. That year, sales grew by 11%, much attributed to the new drink. It was so popular that they have continued to offer it every year since with earlier and earlier start dates. In fact, 2018 is the earliest that the pumpkin spice latte was made available, back on August 28. 

The pumpkin spice latte has become a hit around the world and is currently available in 50 countries. The pumpkin spice latte even has it’s own twitter channel. In 2014 @theRealPSL debuted on Twitter and now has 110,000 followers.

Starbucks didn’t even create the first pumpkin spice beverage. It had been offered for years at other small coffee shops. But their particular blend and marketing power definitely contributed to the pumpkin spice craze. Numerous other companies took notice and have attempted to harness the revenue-generating popularity of pumpkin spice as it has proliferated in consumer goods. Nielsen data shows pumpkin-flavored food, personal and household goods have gone up almost 80 percent since 2011 in pumpkin-flavored sales.

We can thank the spice company McCormick for making pumpkin spice its own singular spice. In 1934 McCormick offered the pumpkin spice blend as a shortcut to flavoring the pumpkin pie desserts that are ubiquitous with Thanksgiving. Funny thing is, pumpkin spice doesn’t even have pumpkin in it! 

According to BettyCrocker.com you can make your own pumpkin spice with:

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

When trends get this big, detractors and trend weary consumers soon follow. There are plenty of rants and memes by people who have grown to disdain pumpkin spice season. But the popularity of the flavor has grown to encompass many different brands, foods, beverages and other items.

For a list of pumpkin spice flavored items and where to find them in the St. Louis area CLICK HERE. 

Some of our pumpkin spice favorites include: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale, Panera Bread Pumpkin Muffins, and Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. Some other pumpkin spice items we want to try: Williams Sonoma Pumpkin Spice Hand Soap, Kahlua Pumpkin Spice Liqueur, and Godiva Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles.

Happy pumpkin spice season! What pumpkin spice items will you try?

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The Boehmer Team serves St. Louis and St. Charles County, Missouri with a focus on residential real estate. Our members are experienced in new construction and buying and selling pre-existing homes. We can help you find a reputable mortgage loan officer, repairmen, or other real estate related services. Do you have a real estate questions? Contact us or visit www.TheBoehmerTeam.com.