TORONTO – Starbucks is celebrating Canada’s love affair with coffee this month by introducing more coffee options and a way for more Canadians to try different kinds of coffee.
This week, more than 1,000 Starbucks stores in Canada will host the largest series of coffee tasting events held in the company’s Canadian history, featuring Canadian-named, Starbucks True North Blend/Mélange Nordique, as well as two brand new coffees in Canada: Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend/ and Ethiopia, which makes its Canadian debut today.
“If there is one thing specialty cafes, independent coffee shops and quick service restaurants can all agree on, it’s that Canadians love coffee,” says Richard Burjaw, vice-president of marketing, Starbucks Coffee Canada. “Canadians have become coffee experts, looking for more variety and choices when it comes to their daily brews in-store and at home.
Our coffee portfolio continues to grow as we introduce new coffee to match Canadians evolving tastes.”
Brewed coffee reigns supreme in Canada and remains the country’s most popular hot beverage, followed by hot specialty coffee including lattes and cappuccinos.
In the year ending May 2013, Canadians consumed more than 1.3 billion servings of brewed coffee, the equivalent 12 cups of coffee per week according to The NPD Group’s CREST foodservice market research.
Starbucks customers have more than 90,000 ways to customize coffee beverages in stores and dozens of packaged coffees to choose from this year. This month, Starbucks has added two brand new coffees for customers to enjoy at home, available for the first time in Canada.
Our first whole bean packaged coffee available since the introduction of Starbucks Blonde Roast two years ago, new Ethiopia coffee celebrates Ethiopia’s rich coffee tradition and delivers a taste in cup unlike any other coffee offered in Starbucks 42-year history.
This new coffee joins Starbucks selection of 18 core whole bean coffees offered at Canadian Starbucks stores. New Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend/, available in Canada for the first time, joins 10 other Starbucks traditional and seasonal whole bean coffees.
A perfect cup of coffee begins with finding a coffee you love, which is why Starbucks is giving Canadians an opportunity to try its three different roasts during a three-day national coffee tasting experience.
On September 25, 26 and 27 at 2PM local time, Starbucks is inviting Canadians to visit their local participating Starbucks store for guided coffee tastings led by baristas.
Each day will feature a different roast profile – Starbucks Blonde, Medium and Dark. During tasting sessions, customers will learn the four steps of coffee tasting and how to identify key characteristics of coffee including aroma, acidity, body and flavour. Space is limited and customers can sign up in stores for the following coffee tastings:
- September 25 – Starbucks True North Blend/Mélange Nordique – lighter-bodied, mellow, subtle and soft flavours
- September 26 – New Ethiopia coffee – medium-bodied with balanced, rich and smooth flavours, Ethiopia coffee is launching in Canada today
- September 27 – New Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend/ – fuller-bodied and robust, bold flavours, available for the first time in Canada this fall
“More than 14,000 partners wear the green apron in Canada, which is a symbol of their love of coffee,” says Burjaw. “Together we are proud and excited to share Starbucks passion for coffee in a fun, interactive way with coffee lovers across Canada and give our customers the opportunity to try different roasts so they can find their perfect cup.”
Making Good Coffee Great
This year, National Coffee Day falls on Sunday, September 29th and Starbucks offers some simple tips to help Canadians turn a good cup of coffee into a great cup of coffee at home.
Starbucks Four Fundamentals for Brewing Great Coffee Ensure Great Coffee at Home
Proportion: 2Tbsp of coffee per 6fl oz. 0f water is the standard recipe for perfect coffee
Grind:Â From fine to coarse, there are different grind textures for different brewing methods.
- Espresso grind: for all automatic espresso machines
- Extra Fine grind: paper and gold cone-shaped filters
- Fine grind: great for stovetop espresso machines
- Medium: perfect for all brewers that use paper or gold flat-bottomed filters
- Coarse: ideal for coffee presses and percolators
Water: A common mistake many people make is using too little or too much water to achieve a lighter or bolder cup. If a lighter brew is your preference, opt for a milder coffee and brew using the correct proportions.
