As one of the 4 great American presidents appearing on Mount Rushmore, Thomas Jefferson and his numerous well-known accomplishments serve as the inspiration for the name of several of our delicious fresh roasted coffees, such as our Louisiana Purchase French Vanilla flavored coffee and our Decaf-laration of Independence Decaf Roast.
However, our Thomas Jefferson's Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee is inspired by one of his lesser-known hobbies: growing pumpkins.
Jefferson grew several species of Cucurbita (a genus that includes pumpkins, squash, and gourds) at his Monticello estate in Virginia, and his writings are filled of references to it. In 1774, he grew "Zucche bianche" and "Zucche nere," which he referred to as white and black pumpkins.
In addition to pumpkins, Jefferson grew around 500 different types of vegetables, herbs, and fruits in his garden, including winter melons, broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant. Many of these same species of plants are still grown at Monticello today.