Because there’s always time for a new trendy thing in coffee to catch on across the nation, Starbucks will have a new option on tap for customers at around 500 locations this summer: Nitro Cold Brew.
The company’s new offering will be available at stores in seven major U.S. cities this summer: Seattle, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland.
So what exactly is Nitro Cold Brew? It infuses nitrogen in cold-brewed coffee, which gives it a “smooth and creamy sweetness,” Starbucks says. Cold-brewed coffee is made from steeping coffee beans in cold water for hours, unlike iced coffee, which is made by pouring hot coffee over ice.
“It almost comes out like a Guinness beer,” CEO Howard Schultz told CNNMoney of Nitro Cold Brew. “These are craft products, not dissimilar to the trend of craft beer.”
Starbucks started serving Nitro Cold Brew at its Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle in March for $3.95, and it proved to be the second-best selling item on the menu.
Beyond the new nitro brew, Starbucks has a slew of other summer offerings, including a new “cold bar” menu at all 10,000 North American stores this summer. The bar will feature classics like iced coffee, cold brew, and iced espresso, as well as some new items like a “vanilla sweet cream” to top off a cold coffee and a “double shot on ice” made with chilled espresso, a dash of milk, and sugar.
This is all just the start of cold coffee’s world domination, at least according to top boss Schultz.
“For over 40 years we have perfected the craft of roasting and brewing the finest hot coffee and while we have always offered our customers new options in cold coffee, nothing will compare to the pace of flavor, craft and brewing innovation we will see in the next few years,” said Schultz said in a press release.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist