The ice(d) age

The next big thing in coffee is…iced coffee. I know, you’re probably (hopefully) already familiar with the concept, because it certainly is not anything new. What has changed, however, is that consumers are drinking iced coffee in record numbers—and the coffee giants have taken notice. Last week I had the privilege of meeting some of Starbucks’ finest, to learn about the company’s latest CPG offerings hitting stores this spring/summer. One of said Starbucks reps, visiting NYC from the company’s home base in Seattle, remarked at how shocked she had been that morning to see a woman walking down the frigid streets of the city, in February, sipping a large iced coffee. I myself am an iced coffee devotee, demonstrating unwavering dedication to my beverage of choice through rain, sleet, sludge and snow, all year round. I know a few others who also drink iced no matter the weather, but most would scoff at my cold drink order on a day when the “feels like” temperature drops below zero. At least that is what I thought, until I received this data from Starbucks and found out that I am not alone—55% of U.S. consumers drink iced coffee (they didn’t exactly mention if that includes in negative temperatures, but still). What’s more interesting is that 42% of consumers drink iced coffee at home. I get it, as I personally prepare iced coffee at home at least 3-4 times per week to save time and money. Most of my other iced-loving friends, however, frequent Starbucks for their fix. Maybe now, however, some of those friends will see the light, as Starbucks is making at home iced coffee prep even easier for the dedicated K-Cup user with its new Sweetened Iced Coffee K-Cup Packs, in both Sweetened and Vanilla Sweetened flavors. The new K-Cups are designed to brew directly over ice for simple and more importantly quick preparation. For more mellow tea drinkers, Starbucks is coming out with Tazo Sweetened Iced Tea K-Cup Packs in Sweetened Iced Passion and Sweetened Iced Blushberry Black. I tried them both and wholeheartedly approve. Spring is on the horizon, which means the iced coffee drinkers will be back in hoards at the first sign of melting snow—any minute now (fingers crossed). Time for retail to get stocking all of the latest iced coffee creations, to the sure delight of consumers coast to coast.