Sanka for the Starbuck's Crowd

Please say it ain't so...

As a Starbuck's junkie who looks forward to my daily fix, I have adjusted my coffee consumption during this economic downturn/recession. Unless I am meeting a colleague or friend, I brew at home. To me, the Starbuck's experience has always been part cappucino/part social. Sort of like the Cheers of the 90s and beyond. "Where everybody knows your name..." Well, at least the barista who may also know your usual drink is a 2% dry cap.

When I first read Starbuck's would be selling Via instant coffee, my stomach did a backwards flip. I am old enough to remember my grandparents ordering Sanka from crusty diner waitresses. I can even picture the orange and brown packets. The only thing worse than Sanka might be Sanka with two packs of the "pink stuff." I also recall those little glass jars of Nescafe. Now, I have been drinking java since my pre-school years. While chocolate milk might have been a treat for my friends, I preferred a touch of my mom's coffee in one of those little plastic creamers. It wasn't a huge leap to my own cup of coffee. In fact, in high school, my breakfast was a glass cup of coffee (with skim milk, ycch!), 1/2 cup of Friendship cottage cheese, and a few orange slices or handful of grapes.

I can even remember my very first cappucino, at Fisherman's Wharf during a family trip to San Francisco. Creamy, whole milk, a foamy head. I was hooked.

During college, my friend Adam and I took turns brewing gourmet beans in our mini Krups so when we returned from class, a cup of joe would always be awaiting us. Unfortunately, the 80s were a hey day for flavored blends. We would unvariably purchase Southern pecan, Seville orange, or some other oily beans which would leave us nauseated, dumping the grinds into the trash can.

Adam who later worked his way up the ranks of both Starbuck's and Seattle's Best turned me on to Starbuck's venti iced latte's during a trip to visit him in Chicago. Living in L.A. at the time, I was thrilled when Starbuck's in Pavilion's, my local market.

I currently go back and forth from Starbuck's to a local coffee house which roasts its own beans. But, there is a certain level of comfort derived from being able to grab a venti cap at the airport or in a distant city. I know I will at least have a good, "bold" cup of coffee.

Which leads me to the Via. Why? Certainly not the price point, at approximately a dollar per cup. Convenience? There is still a Starbuck's on almost every corner and most of us own those little thermal carafes.

I think I was most disturbed by the airline/Via connection. Although airplane coffee is a pretty abyssmal brew, second only to those little "coffee-bag" contraptions found in hotel rooms or at the carwash. The best thing about it is that it's free. Well, until now. United Airlines will be selling 3-packs of Via to its in-flight customers. Wonder if they will start charging for the stale pretzels or honey-roast peanuts?

According to Howard Schultz, Starbuck's CEO and my personal rock star, most folks won't be able to tell the difference between freshly brewed coffee and its instant counterpart. I remain a bit skeptical. But, what have I got to lose? I can always sprinkle some into my espresso brownie batter and call it a day!