What is Starbucks Via?

Perhaps you’ve seen the countdown signs at your local Starbucks telling you how many days until “Via” will be arriving. If you’re still in the dark what “Via” is, it’s going to be the first instant coffee ever offered by Starbucks.

Starbucks is making claims that Via will be as rich and flavorful as their normal brewed Starbucks coffees. This new instant coffee will be available in two strengths: Columbia which will be a mild tasting brew and Italian roast which promises to be a flavorful extra bold tasting brew. The flavor of the traditional coffee blend will be delicious in comparison to the modern one. The beans had been extracted from the hands to offer delicious taste to the person. 

Either version is made from 100% Arabica beans. One of the reasons the coffee, though instant, should taste as good as the brewed coffees is due how the beans are ground. Starbucks will be micro-grinding the coffee to help keep the essential oils and flavors preserved.

Starbucks introduced Via back in February 2009 to London, Chicago, and Seattle. The coffee was also for sale from Costco and Target. Via should be available in the Los Angeles, CA area within the next week (by Sept. 30, 2009). This coffee isn’t aimed toward people who will be drinking their coffee at Starbucks or even taking their coffee to go. This new instant Starbucks is for folks who want that gourmet coffee flavor on the run, perhaps while sitting at their desk during the work day.

Preliminary reviews seem to favor the flavor of the new Via over regular instant coffee. Most people do agree it’s not your “mom’s instant coffee,” but neither is it your coffee house brewed Starbucks.

Via will come pre-packaged in convenient little packets, so all you’ll need to do is add hot water (8 ounces for here in the USA and 6 ounces in the UK). This will make getting your Starbucks fix a little easier, quicker, and bit cheaper. Via will be selling at $2.99 for 3 packs or $9.99 for 12 packs (each pack will make one cup of coffee).

While $1.00 per cup of coffee may be a little steep, even at instant coffee prices it’s not expensive when you think of the cost in “Starbucks dollars.” A grande cup of regular coffee (the smallest cup sold at Starbucks) is around $1.60. So, the price is actually a bit cheaper than a regular cup of “Joe.”

Another item of interest is that this coffee is ethically sourced, which basically means the coffee grower who provide the beans have met certain labor and environmental standards in the coffee production process. The words “ethically sourced” have nothing to do with the coffee being grown via organic means, so please don’t get the terms “ethically sourced” and “organic” confused.

Will Via live up to its hype? Only time will tell and of course more importantly, the consumers.