Chicagoans get first taste of Starbucks Via instant coffee
INSTANT REACTION | 'Weak,' 'watery' -- some regular customers give chain's new mix-with-water brew lukewarm review
With three simple words — just add water — Starbucks has made it even easier for their army of devoted patrons to enjoy its coffee.
Or at least drink it.
Passersby in the Merchandise Mart Tuesday were treated to free samples of Via ready-brew coffee, the latest offering from the Seattle-based caffeinated beverage behemoth.
Thus far, the company has only released Via, which comes in packets and mixes with eight ounces of water, in Chicago and Seattle.
While no one spat it out, reviews from those patrons the Sun-Times spoke with were decidedly lukewarm. Margot Considine, a 22-year-old bike messenger, called it “weak.”
“It didn’t taste very fresh,” she said. “It didn’t have a strong coffee flavor. It was kind of watery.”
David Montagano enjoyed his sample.
“It’s got the similarities to instant coffee,” he said between sips, “but it’s not as harsh tasting as [others] you’d find in the grocery store.”
Montagano, a regular Starbucks coffee drinker, said Via won’t replace his trips to the stores to buy the slow-brewed coffee.
“It might help people who can’t get [Starbucks] when they travel,” he said. “But Starbucks is a scene. It’s more the scene than the coffee.”
Via comes in two flavors — a medium Colombian roast and a bold Italian roast.