By Amma Prempeh
Alternative Media Columnist
Following small-scale test-marketing last August, Starbucks is launching the new Starbucks Cold Brew coffee nationwide.
Cold brew is a simple, super-tasty cold coffee drink. The grounds are steeped for anywhere from 7 to 26 hours in cold-to-room temperature water. The result is a more caffeinated, less bitter alternative to iced coffee. The cold brew’s strength means that baristas dilute with water and ice before serving. Cold brew is dark, dense, smooth, and sweet- wholly enjoyable. It’s unusual then, that it took the coffee king of the world so long to introduce this craft-shop champion.
Starbucks will brew theirs for 20 hours. After months of testing, they determined overnight exposure achieved “the right balance of sweetness with citrus and chocolate notes”, as Research and Development team member Michelle Sundquist details on the chain’s website.
The 20-hour procedure limits the quantity of cold brews available at each location each day. Stores will make one batch a day, the equivalent of 40 grandes. There’s an element of competition to the drink that will definitely affect hipster and aficionado-frequented shops like in Boston, Williamsburg, or SoHo. They should be fairly easy to snag at the Decoto location near James Logan.
Spokeswoman Megan Adams states the average price for a grande will be $3.25, as compared to a $2.65 traditional iced coffee. Cold brews are as customizable as other Starbucks drinks. Customers can get unique with the seemingly endless choices in flavorings, syrups, and milks.
The nationwide debut is only nearly nationwide. The rollout begins March 31 in 2,800 locations in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. The West Coast premiere is yet unknown. If your thirst is as strong as a good cold brew is, try New Orleans Iced Coffee- available at Blue Bottle Coffee at 300 Webster St, Oakland.
