Pumpkin treats offer a smashing good time
Whether you’re a coffee lover or craft beer aficionado, there’s plenty of pumpkin-flavored fun brewing in Williamsburg. From breads to lattes and stouts to ales – with some seasonal treats for four-legged friends, too – options abound for the chillier months ahead.
Hot or iced, spice is nice
Don’t feel guilty about indulging at Aromas – part of the proceeds from each white chocolate pumpkin mocha go to a charity that supports families who need help with their medical bills. Warm up with two shots of espresso, steamed milk, white chocolate, and a few pumps of pumpkin spice syrup, all topped with whipped cream and garnished with cinnamon and fall sprinkles. You can also sip it iced, but make sure to pair whichever you choose with an iced and spiced pumpkin cake from pastry chef Dominique Lindsay. Her kitchen is also whipping up seasonal specials including pumpkin pie with spiced cream dolloped on top, and a cheery gourd-shaped espresso torte for the dessert lovers who prefer to indulge their chocoholic. (Desserts can also be ordered whole for the holidays.)
Iced coffee fans, take note: Just because the mercury has dipped doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite treat at Column 15 Roastery. Smoked pumpkin, pumpkin fudge, and pumpkin pie-spiced coffees can also be served as iced lattes, nitro cold-brew lattes, or hot cappuccino form. Or, concoct your own taste-bud-tempting combo from the Roastery’s extensive list of flavor selections (more than three dozen!) including lemon, lychee, root beer, rose, and watermelon.
Forget the Boston Tea Party – coffee kicks up the history lessons at the historic Cole Digges House (c.1726), home to Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters and Petite Cafe. Tinged with notes of nutmeg and brown sugar, their seasonal pumpkin spice coffee is reminiscent of an autumnal pie. Mobjack has sweet treats in spades, too, with pumpkin muffins and breads, made fresh daily. Mobjack is the only business certified to offer guided tours of Yorktown Battlefield and the Colonial National Historic Park with a professional historian, so treat yourself to a pumpkin chai latte to power up and learn more about Historic Yorktown.
Three cheers for pumpkin beers
Dessert comes in liquid form at Alewerks Brewing Company, whose legion of fans describe the Pumpkin Ale as “pie in a bottle.” Squash is roasted on-site with spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger for the limited-edition brew, which has also inspired a number of variations since it was launched a dozen years ago. Three imperial pumpkin beers (ale aged in bourbon, rum, or apple-brandy barrels), along with a newer pumpkin latte flavor are perfect on their own, or great paired with a hearty seasonal smorgasbord.
Treat your best friend
There’s no reason why Fido can’t get in on the fun at The Hound’s Tale Corner BARkery, where tails wag with delight after sampling fall treats like cookies flavored like “Grandma’s oatmeal,” and, of course, pumpkin pie. The hand-crafted goodies, made fresh locally, are enough to make even the most active pooch and their owner sit and stay for a bite at this dog-friendly bar, eatery, and boutique in the heart of downtown Williamsburg.