Starbucks announced its cold-brew coffees will be made available to North American customers for good. This announcement rounds up the availability of this type of coffee across the U.S., as it has been available in Starbucks branches located in the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Cold-brew coffees are made through the use of cool water and require a rather intensive approach in terms of labor and overall process. These coffees are first steeped by grinding the coffee beans to a predetermined level of coarseness, which is distinct from the texture required to make iced coffees. The baristas then pour a very exact amount of water into the ground product, making sure that they do it in a specific pouring manner. The coffee makers must also note the precise time that the water was poured to avoid over or under-brewing. Lastly, the liquid is drained off the grounds to leave the final cold-brew product. The water absorbs the flavor of the coffee without the aid of heat and hence, it takes a total of 20 hours to finally yield the perfect cold brew. The process of developing this process, selecting flavors and conducting blind-testing among many others took Starbucks two years to complete.
The most common question people ask is the difference between iced coffees and these emerging cold brew products. Conventional iced coffees are prepared by baristas by brewing hot coffee and then pouring it over ice. Iced beverages with espresso including Iced Latte and Caffe Americano are made by mixing espresso shots with ice and cold milk or water. In terms of taste, iced coffees taste a bit bitter, with an almost burnt flavor while cold brew coffees are more on the smooth side, with a somewhat chocolatey taste.
"Iced coffee and espresso beverages have a stronger, roastier flavor with a bit of nuttiness that comes from brewing with hot water," says Michelle Sundquist, a 17-year partner/employee from the Starbucks Research and Development team. "Our Cold Brew is smooth and rich, it's very refreshing with chocolate and light citrus notes."
Cold brew is so far the latest addition to the "third wave-inspired" caffeinated products being offered by Starbucks. Third wave coffee pertains to the usage of more advanced technology to create high-end coffee. Because of the hard work entailed in preparing the said drink, Starbucks cold brew coffee is comparably more expensive at $3.25 than an ordinary iced coffee, which retails at $2.65 for the same size at a branch in New York City Times Square.
Photo: Jessica Spengler | Flickr
