Starbucks Corp. plans to launch a line of cold-brewed coffee at more than 2,800 locations in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic and Midwest, the company said Thursday.
After testing the coffee last year in Boston and San Francisco, the Seattle-based operator said it would begin offering cold brew on March 31 in those regions, as well as in select Canadian units in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
Purists say cold-brewed coffee is vastly different from iced drinks made with double-strength hot-brewed coffee that has been chilled with ice.
Using the cold-brew method, coffee is steeped for about 20 hours in cool water and develops a rich, slightly sweet flavor, with notes of chocolate and citrus, Starbucks said.
“Iced coffee and espresso beverages have a stronger, roastier flavor with a bit of nuttiness that comes from brewing with hot water,” Michelle Sundquist, a member of Starbucks’ research and development team, said in a statement. “Our cold brew is smooth and rich. It’s very refreshing, with chocolate and light citrus notes.”
Starbucks said cold brew will be a permanent menu item in the 2,800 units, which include regions where iced coffee is the most popular.
The cold brew will be “hand-crafted” in one small batch in units every day, meaning there will only be about 40 Grande size, or 16-ounce, cups available each day, the company said.
Because of the labor-intensive process, a Grande Starbucks Cold Brew will be priced at $3.25, which the company said is slightly more than a regular coffee.
Cold-brewed coffee has been growing in popularity among independent coffee shops, but appears to be going mainstream.
Last year, Chick-fil-A rolled out a new coffee in partnership with Thrive Farmers Coffee. The chain’s iced coffee is cold brewed by Thrive and arrives in restaurants ready serve.
Peet’s Coffee & Tea also offers cold-brewed coffee, as do some full-service restaurant operators like Fox Restaurant Concepts, the Phoenix-based parent of The Henry, Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar and Wildflower.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
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