The pumpkin spice craze began in 2003 with Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. Since then, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves have become a national fall obsession – and Northern Kentucky and The B-Line has embraced it, adding bourbon and more, to the mix.
Ready for your self-guided Pumpkin Spice Meets Bourbon Tour? Here’s how to sip, savor, and celebrate the season.
Pick the Perfect Pumpkin
When you’re out enjoying The B-Line, don’t forget that Northern Kentucky is home to beloved pumpkin patches like Kinman Farm Market in Burlington, Neltner’s Farm in Melbourne, Country Pumpkins in Dry Ridge, and McGlasson Farms in Hebron. Whether you’re after the great pumpkin or just a great photo op, these family farms deliver classic fall fun. Neltner’s even hosts one of the region’s longest-running fall festivals with live music, food, and hayrides.
Pumpkin Spice in Spirited Cocktails and Beer
Northern Kentucky bartenders are blending pumpkin spice into cocktails with flair:
Wiseguy Lounge in Goodfellas: Ray-Chai-Chata – a warm mix of rye, pumpkin purée, chai horchata, and nutmeg.
Second Sight Spirits: Pumpkin Spice Magic, crafted with all-natural ingredients, swirls into spiced rum lattes or floats as cold foam atop iced cocktails.
The Merchants Club: Pumpkin Spice Mule – vodka, pumpkin spice syrup, lemon, and ginger beer finished with a cinnamon stick.
Neeley Family Distillery: Pumpkin Smash made with their Chocolate Truffle Moonshine Cream, and a Pumpkin Spiced Old Fashioned made with NFD Straight Bourbon.
Local breweries and bars add seasonal twists, too: Braxton Brewing Co. features Pumpkin Cold Brew, Autumn Old Fashioned, Pumpkin Pie Mule, and Caramel Apple Sangria, while their seasonal pumpkin ales and porters, along with Wooden Cask Brewing’s Pumpkin Spiced Ale, keep the pumpkin beer tradition alive throughout autumn.
Warm Up by the Fire
Fall evenings are made for firelight and bourbon with friends.
Three Spirits Tavern has a wood-burning fireplace in its covered patio, plus bartenders often build firepits on weekends and cool evenings.
Becker & Bird Distillery also offers firepits, perfect for lingering with cocktails and conversation.
The courtyard at Coppin’s at Hotel Covington offers a cozy fire to its inviting space. Grab a cocktail from the bar and settle in.
Additional Experiences:
Coffee with a Seasonal Twist
Coffee and pumpkin spice are a fall essential.
Roebling Books & Coffee offers their Autumn Cold Brew, a blend of maple, apple, brown sugar syrup, oat milk, and pumpkin spice.
Coppin’s Artisan Coffee Bar lets you add pumpkin spice sauce to any drink for a cozy, custom autumn favorite.
Indulge in Seasonal Ice Cream Creations
Graeter’s brings the frozen side of fall with several seasonal treats:
Pumpkin Ice Cream: Warm-flavored, creamy, and cozy.
Fall Chip Wheelies: Pumpkin ice cream sandwiched between snickerdoodle cookies & rolled in sprinkles.
Pumpkin Chai Chiller: A blended treat with pumpkin ice cream, chai tea syrup, and whipped cream.
Stop to Shop: Spice Things Up
No fall kitchen – or cocktail bar – is complete without pumpkin spice. Colonel De’s Gourmet Herbs & Spices in Newport on the Levee offers custom blends that elevate everything from pies to lattes to bourbon cocktails.
Savor Classic Pumpkin Pie
For a classic autumn slice, Frisch’s Big Boy brings back their Pumpkin Pie across 3 Northern Kentucky locations in 2025 – perfect for a quick stop or family treat after a pumpkin patch visit.
Pumpkin Spice At Home
Recreate bar-quality flavors in your own kitchen with The Merchants Club’s Pumpkin Spice Syrup:
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Water
½ cup Pumpkin Purée
1 Cinnamon Stick
1-inch piece Ginger, sliced
6 Cloves
Pinch of Salt
½ tsp Vanilla
Combine brown sugar and water over low heat, add pumpkin and spices, simmer for 8 minutes, remove from heat, stir in vanilla, let sit 20 minutes, strain, and refrigerate. Use in coffee, tea, or cocktails for an instant taste of fall.
Self-Guided Pumpkin Spice Tour Suggestions
Morning Coffee & Cozy Starts
Roebling Books & Coffee – Covington & Newport, KY
Coppin’s Coffee Bar – Covington, KY
Pumpkin Patches & Fall Fun
Neltner’s Farm – Melbourne, KY
Country Pumpkins – Dry Ridge, KY
McGlasson Farms – Hebron, KY
Kinman Farm Market – Burlington, KY
Bourbon & Pumpkin Cocktails
Wiseguy Lounge – Covington, KY
Second Sight Spirits – Ludlow, KY
Neeley Family Distillery – Sparta, KY
The Merchants Club – Newport, KY
Braxton Brewing Co. – Covington, KY
Wooden Cask Brewing – Newport, KY
Warm Up & Firepits
Three Spirits Tavern – Bellevue, KY
Becker & Bird Distillery – Augusta, KY
Pumpkin Spice & Baking Essentials
Colonel De’s Gourmet Herbs & Spices – Newport on the Levee, Newport, KY
Sweet Treats & Ice Cream
Graeter’s – Various NKY locations
Tour Tip: Start your morning at a coffee stop, head to a pumpkin patch, enjoy lunch or cocktails mid-day, finish with a sweet treat and a cozy firepit. Northern Kentucky offers every ingredient for living your very best pumpkin spice life this fall.
