READY OR NOT , pumpkin spice season is here , and seems to start earlier each year . In fact , restaurant software and payments provider SpotOn reports that from July 1 to Aug . 7 , its independent restaurant clients added more than 602 pumpkin items to their point-of-sale menus .
Starbucks released its popular Pumpkin Spice Latte ( PSL ) seasonal on Aug . 24 . We can thank the specialty fall beverage , which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year , for starting and fueling the nation ’ s pumpkin spice obsession .
Pumpkin has even been finding its way into cocktails in recent years . Did you know you could make a Pumpkin Pie Martini with a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree and just a few other ingredients ? See the fall recipes on page 6 for more .
Not a fan of pumpkin spice ? Apple is another fall flavor that we ’ re obsessed with , and a number of the featured recipes incorporate cider . And if you want to know more about hard cider , take a deep dive on page 10 .
Autumn is also beer season , and we ’ ve got some great burger and craft beer pairing ideas on page 13 . For some Halloween fun , check out the Black Lagoon Halloween pop-up bars highlighted on page 12 . You ’ ll also find a few drink recipes to whip up for your own frightnight festivities .
Wine lovers have plenty of food for thought in this issue , from ratings and reviews on South American wines ( page 14 ) to how we sort wine grapes into flavor families ( page 9 ). And if you feel intimidated at the thought of working with a sommelier in a restaurant , see our tips on page 11 .
The most important tip when enlisting the help of a somm : Remember that they are here to help you , not to upsell you or make you feel bad about what you like or don ’ t know .
As Michael Myers , lead sommelier at Counter restaurant in Charlotte , NC , notes : “ The sommelier ’ s number-one priority is making sure you are going to try a wine that you absolutely love .”
Cheers !
Melissa Dowling Editor
PUMPKIN IT UP !
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ! Email your comments to mdowling @ epgacceleration . com
BRAND ACCELERATION
Fall 2023 Vol . 4 No . 3
EDITOR Melissa Dowling
763-383-4442 mdowling @ epgacceleration . com
MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Swartz 763-383-4447 kswartz @ epgacceleration . com
ASSOCIATE MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Nicole Siewert nsiewert @ epgacceleration . com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Marnie Old
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS DIRECTOR Debbie Rittenberg
763-383-4455 drittenberg @ epgacceleration . com
MARKETING AND ENGAGEMENT SALES MANAGER Jamie Boldt
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LIST RENTAL Joanne Juda-Prainito jjuda-prainito @ epgacceleration . com 763-383-4401
REPRINTS Bernadette Wohlman bwohlman @ epgacceleration . com 763-383-4464
Cheers @ Home ® is published by EPG Brand Acceleration
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Cheers @ Home is published four times per year ( Spring , Summer , Fall , Winter ) by EPG Brand Acceleration ,
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Reproduction without the express written consent of the publisher is prohibited . EPG Brand Acceleration , publishes Cheers , Beverage Dynamics , StateWays , Wine & Spirits Industry Marketing , Handbook Advance , Liquor Handbook ,
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