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Explaining my Absence
1 week ago
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Starbucks Via
There's been a fair bit of noise about Starbucks Via over on Backpacking Light. People who take their coffee seriously have been very excited by it. I don't take my coffee particularly seriously and generally go camping with instant and powdered coffee whitener, but when I saw that you could get a tester pack for about a quid, I splurged. It is pretty good- it tastes a lot like Starbucks regular coffee. Internet reviews have generally not been super good- Blind taste test to follow...
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3 comments:
I use Via all the time now. I wouldn't drink it at home - which I suspect is why online reviews are not that good - but on the trail it tastes fine to me. I'm not that bothered about having the perfect cup of coffee on the trail though... A half decent one will do, and Via is at least half decent.
To be honest, I don't know what Starbucks Via is and suspect that the nearest Starbucks is probably a boat ride away. However, I have noticed that coffees which have been ground evenly need no special treatment. Just add to boiling water, give it a minute, then decant. You can have great coffee in the outdoors at any time without buying anything from Starbucks.
Does anybody know what the cowboys used to do? Did they brew up beans? Did they save and re-use?
I'm not Starbucks greatest fan and generally don't go there. There's a whole bunch of ethical problems associated with coffee in general and it's difficult to get away from the big companies full stop. Cowboys used to do exactly what you're describing - it's actually called 'cowboy coffee'. The issue I have is that a lot of what I do food wise is associated with ease. I find that the weather often doesn't allow me to take my time over preparation and enjoyment. Thus instant coffee and freezer bag cooking. I guess that's also a choice I make.
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