Monday, September 2, 2013

Avoid the Pumpkin Spice Shortage in Canada

Every year there's some new coverage about how there's a Pumpkin Spice shortage, with coffee shops and online retailers running out of the much-loved fall flavour because of the spike in demand. It shouldn't be questionable to anyone why there's a huge demand, the spicy, warming flavour of pumpkin spice is ingrained in the memory of nearly all Canadians thanks for national coffee shops like Starbucks.

There are of course some tutorials online for making your own pumpkin spice simple syrup with ingredients like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and pumpkin puree. That may be attractive to some of the do-it-yourself crowd, but it takes trial and error to get the flavour just right and may end up costing more in the form of unusable syrup.

pumpkin spice syrup
Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup
The much simpler solution is to purchase the syrups online and have them delivered right to your door in Canada. By purchasing from a Canadian company directly, you avoid the expensive tariffs and duties that you would get from ordering from the U.S. It's never too early - as soon as September rolls around it makes sense to grab a couple bottles, which also make a delicious gift for anniversaries and birthdays.

Having the syrup at home is a great way to save money on expensive cafe pumpkin spice lattes, while allowing you to indulge more often. Heavier milk and even cream tends to bring out the subtle nuances of this complex drink, allowing you to enjoy every little bit of the flavour that has been carefully crafted over the years.

If Lattes aren't your thing, you could always check out Pumpkin Spice Flavoured Coffee - quick and easy to brew in a conventional coffee maker, or Keurig with a My-K-Cup attachment.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

- 1 ounce Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- 6 ounces Steamed Milk
- 2 Shots Espresso (or 4 ounces strong coffee)

Simply mix the syrup in with the milk and steam them together, then drop in the espresso or coffee! You can optionally top with whipped cream and some spices.