Celebrate fall with these seasonal pumpkin drinks

Patch Perfect

November 18, 2013

Terri Inefuku,

Halloween may be a distant memory. Pumpkin, however, is not.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, eateries around town are still paying homage to the old gourd. From milkshakes to beer, we sipped our way through several pumpkin drink specials. Check out our roundup and reviews below, then click over to Biting Commentary for some smashing pumpkin-flavored treats.

If you're craving a…

… Coffee
While Starbucks may be the better-known capital of pumpkin spice lattes, we prefer Cafe Central's version (shown above) which features bolder spices and a more pronounced ratio of coffee to milk. Neither one, however, tasted all that pumpkin-y, perhaps because both use flavored syrups instead of real pumpkin. $3.55, 999 Bishop St. [link]

… Milkshake
The Counter's Pumpkin Pie Shake doesn't have any crust in it, but it's the closest we came to the real thing. Our bartender blended pumpkin puree and spices with vanilla ice cream for a thick, creamy concoction that tasted like dessert in a glass. While it doesn't come cheaply, a large glass can easily serve two. $6.50, Kahala Mall. [link]

… Smoothie
Jamba Juice's Pumpkin Smash Smoothie is touted as a creamy drink that blends pumpkin, frozen yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg and soymilk. We detected a definite pumpkin taste and the smoothie was refreshing, though it leans much more toward sweet than spicy. Starting at $4.69, various locations. [link]

… Beer
What do you get when you mix pumpkin and beer? At Pint and Jigger, we sampled Red Hook's Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. More malty than pumpkin-y, the spices make this beer taste like a dark holiday bread. $7.50, 1936 S. King St. [link]

Salt Bar and Kitchen's Pumpkin Spiced Cocktail

… Cocktail
Don't forget Salt Bar & Kitchen's Pumpkin Spiced Cocktail, which we featured last month (along with the recipe!). Lead bartender Michael Sweitzer shakes up fresh pumpkin puree, spices, rum, Benedictine, egg whites and heavy cream for a creamy, spicy drink with kick. $10, 3605 Waialae Ave. [link]