♫♪♪It’s the most wonderful tiiiiiiime of the yearrrrrrr♫♪♪ (say/sing 27 per cent of people, anyway).
Ah, yes. A chill in the air. Cool winds from the north. Furnaces kicking in. Soon, the threat of frost.
But it isn’t hints of eggnog and peppermint thrilling our senses at Edmonton cafes and stores, leading some to break out in song (mostly in their heads). At least not yet.
Pumpkin spice is back again for another season. It has its mass-market popularity roots with one of the most recognizable American brands today, Starbucks, which introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte to the world in 2003 and never looked back.
The Seattle-based international coffee chain has since expanded its product offering related to the mixture of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove.
More on that below.
The phenomenon has gone way beyond ‘Buckies,’ though. Way, way, way beyond.
Every multinational chain, it seems — from restaurants to food-product giants — as …