A Hot Take on Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin spice is a fun-filled fall tradition that takes the world by storm as soon as the leaves start turning red and orange. Every fall is accompanied by Instagram stories of pumpkin spice-flavored items from lattes to cookies. Pumpkin spice is in everything at this point—and enough is enough.

The original recipe of “Pumpkin Pie Spice,” created by Amelia Simmons in 1796, was ironically devoid of pumpkin. In fact, it consisted of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Almost a century later, pumpkin spice was combined with coffee, thus creating the pumpkin spice latte that took the world by storm—and continues to fill my Instagram feed.

The first time I tried a pumpkin spice latte, at the behest of one of my friends, I took a sip and immediately spat it out. It was spicy and sweet, and there definitely wasn’t anything vaguely pumpkin about it. My friend was flabbergasted—how could I not like a seasonally appropriate pumpkin spice latte?

I like pumpkin spice in a soap. I like pumpkin spice in a candle. I like whatever they use to make the inside of Target stores smell so good. But, for whatever reason, I can’t stomach it in a coffee. Maybe it's something about the disappointing combination of spices mixed with a bitter liquid that makes me physically gag.

There was, however, one man who could consume mass amounts of pumpkin spice: Mr. Bean.

I had this English teacher in the eighth grade who literally breathed pumpkin spice. Mr. Bean was obsessed—he had pumpkin spice soap, a pumpkin spice latte every morning and regularly gave us pumpkin spice cookies. The man was a pumpkin spice icon, a level to whom pumpkin spice aficionados can only aspire.

But even if no one can truly match Mr. Bean’s pumpkin spice obsession, they certainly are trying.

Go to Voyager Craft Coffee, Mission Bakery or Starbucks, and there the pumpkin spice latte exists in all its unmistakable sickly sweet fragrance. Rather than the crisp air or crackling of colorful leaves, the turn of the season is marked by the distinct pumpkin spice aroma.

I hold no hate towards pumpkin pie—I absolutely love it. But, I can’t help but be underwhelmed by the pumpkin spice craze, especially when it doesn’t even have pumpkin in it.

Pumpkin spice is phenomenal—it reminds us that it's Autumn and sets the cozy atmosphere so indicative of the season. I love that it’s loved so much. But, please, for the love of all that’s good: let’s stop the madness and stop putting it in everything.