Colorado welcomes fall with open arms; we greet the aspen leaves changing colors and the crisp fall air, with a promise of snow soon to come. Another welcome change with the season is our beloved coffee house menus bringing back a well-loved favorite: Pumpkin Spice.
On September 2nd, 2026, the Wolf Cafe welcomed back a beloved fall staple before Starbucks could: Pumpkin Spice. After interviewing the Wolf Cafe’s Assistant Manager Madison Hutsels, we learned that this has been a fall tradition since the cafe opened. While the Wolf Cafe didn’t invent Pumpkin Spice, it has embraced its delicious blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. This season, the Wolf Cafe released it several weeks early due to student demand. In an interview, Jarred, a student here at FRCC, said he didn’t know Wolf Cafe was already offering pumpkin spice and had gone to Dutch Bros for his fix.
Starbucks first brought this flavor blend to popularity in 2003, but it has far outgrown the reach of the Siren’s hand. Before Starbucks brought prebottled Pumpkin Spice to the scene, it had a history that predated the coffee chain. Thompson and Taylor Co, a spice and flavoring manufacturer based in Chicago, released a Pumpkin Spice mix in 1933. This original blend had nine different spices, whereas the current popular blend has four.
After Thompson and Taylor Co., McCormick took their own spin on Pumpkin Spice with their Bee Brand Pumpkin Spice and gingerbread spice mix, first manufactured in 1935. After these introductions, Pumpkin Spice was mainly limited to pastries in fall and winter until Starbucks saw an opportunity it couldn’t pass up in 2003.
At our own Wolf Cafe, we can expect Pumpkin Spice to remain through the fall season and return each Fall. We can also expect a surprise selection of limited seasonal drinks at the end of September featuring a Floating Pumpkin drink. The Floating Pumpkin offers a delicious blend of Pumpkin spice, white mocha, and toasted marshmallow, and is topped with whipped cream. Jarred shared with us, after learning about the drinks coming in late September, specifically the Falling Pumpkin, that he was eagerly awaiting their release.
All Photos Taken By: Alex Ziemek
