Every year, the arrival of fall brings with it a flood of social media posts heralding the return of "pumpkin spice season" with carefully composed and filtered images of latte art, takeaway cups, and favorite mugs filled with the seasonal favorite.
Tea Forté is pleased to announce the return of its Pumpkin Spice tea blend of organic black tea leaves, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and a hint of licorice to round out a smooth finish. This limited edition blend hews more authentically to the iconic coffeehouse version that caused the pumpkin spice phenomenon.
Enjoying a warm Pumpkin Spice latte in a double-walled glass.
WHY IS PUMPKIN SPICE SO POPULAR?
As we created our Pumpkin Spice blend, we learned why this particular flavor profile is so widely embraced that it shows up in everything from coffee and tea to scented candles, lotions and lip balms.
The first commercially-available blend of "pumpkin pie spice," as it's called on the package, came onto the market in the 1930s, and has now been used annually in pumpkin pie recipes for nearly a century.
In the US, the seasonal ritual of making and enjoying pumpkin pie has become a tradition spanning many generations, and it's usually associated with warm memories of time spent with loved ones, tucked away together from the cold outdoors.
We look forward to the feeling of coziness represented by those spices, and we call them "pumpkin spice" when we use them in teas and coffees, even though there's no pumpkin present.
This, psychologists say, is a perfect example of something called "associative memory." That's what behavioral medicine calls our ability to learn and form a memory around the relationship between two separate things -- i.e., why we might associate pumpkin pie with Thanksgiving (or with autumn in general), when pumpkins are in season and people make pie with them. Further, it's why we might associate spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and allspice with pumpkin pie, even though those spices may also be used in other dishes.
Pumpkin Spice pairs perfectly with our signature porcelain Café Cup.
HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE RECIPES AND RITUALS
Of course, another obvious reason people love the PSL is because it tastes good. Autumn spices blend well together and please the palate, which is why we incorporate them into pies and baked goods for the special gatherings we host this time of year. These ingredients mingle perfectly in warm beverages that feel good in our hands and taste good on our tongues, and the seasonal ritual continues in a cup. The transformative power of a mug of Pumpkin Spice tea can take us to the coffeehouse around the corner or a cabin in the woods without ever leaving the comfort and safety of home.
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE HOT LATTE
A warming and comforting fall latte you can make at home. Black tea, cinnamon, ginger, and clove blended with warm milk and a touch of sugar transport the senses to a cabin in the woods or a cafe on the corner as the seasons shift and the autumn leaves fall.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tea Forté Pumpkin Spice Pyramid Infuser
- 4 oz boiling water
- 1/4 tsp Amber Tea Sugar, or to taste
- 4 oz heated milk with froth
- whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon sticks for garnish
Directions:
- Unwrap infuser and place in a mug. Pour the boiling water over the infuser and steep for 4-5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 tsp of Amber sugar and stir well until dissolved.
- Top with heated milk and froth. Garnish with whipped cream, a dash of pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon sticks. Curl up and enjoy!
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE ICED LATTE
Prefer your pumpkin over ice? This recipe offers up a frothy and refreshingly cool treat for warmer days.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tea Forté Pumpkin Spice Pyramid Infuser
- 5 oz boiling water
- 5 oz milk of choice
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 3 ice cubes
- Optional garnish: whipped cream and ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Unwrap pyramid infuser and place into a mug. Pour the boiling water over the infuser and steep for 5 minutes. After steeping, discard the infuser and place the steeped tea liquid into the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
- Once chilled, pour into a blender with the milk, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, fresh ginger and ice cubes. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth and frothy.
- Pour into a serving glass and garnish with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Excited to take your first sip of Tea Forté's organic Pumpkin Spice? Find it here and raise a cup to the changing seasons.
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Cocktails & Mocktails
Pumpkin Spice Manhattan
Tea Varieties
The Best Tea Blends for Fall
