Pumpkin Day appears conveniently in time for Halloween carvings and traditional Fall flavorings for foods and drinks. They were first domesticated in Oaxaca, Mexico, which is also the birthplace of Mezcal. 

In the 19th century, Irish imigrants to America replaced their turnips with pumpkins to make jack o’ lanterns that warded off malicious spirits, and they have since been a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin (technically a fruit) also has some great nutritional value, loaded with beta-carotene, potassium, and vitamin C.

Music Du Jour:  Smashing Pumpkins playlist

Films Du Jour: 

• It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
• PumpkinHead

Miscellaneous:

• Award winning pumpkin carvings
• How to grow a pumpkin patch
• Pumpkin recipes that are NOT pie
• Pumpkin decor ideas
• Pumpkin pie syrup to add to coffee (or sparkling water for an Italian soda):
• The Story of the Jack O’ Lantern (Stingy Jack)

Cocktail Du Jour – Pumpkin Mezcal Margarita

This recipe is from JIMMY at the James in New York via thrillist.com:

• 5 oz Mezcal
• 2 Bar Spoons Pumpkin Butter
• 5 oz cinnamon syrup
• 5 oz lime juice

Wet the rim of a rocks glass with a lime wedge, then roll the rim in salt. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with an orange wheel.

Mocktail Du Jour – Pumpkin Old Fashioned Mocktail

• 2 oz Japanese Barley Tea
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• 5 tablespoon maple syrup
• 25 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (purchased or homemade)
• 25 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Brew a cup of tea and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 15 seconds and strain into a short glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and an orange peel

Beer Du Jour

Pumpkin beers

Wine Du Jour

Wines perfect for pumpkin pie

Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.

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Photo attributions: “Pumpkin Patch 100_9300” by Kam’s World is licensed under CC BY 2.0