A few months ago I wrote about how I take my favorite coffee, fresh ground Peet’s, into the backcountry. I’d arrived at this technique after years of trying out different instant coffees, melita cones, french press adapters, and other coffee contraptions designed for the backpackers. In my search for a method that balanced simplicity, weight and quality, I ended up with my Peet’s Packets.
There’s a new player in the instant coffee market that is making me take a good look at them again – Starbucks Via. I’ve been hearing backpackers mumble about this for a few months now, but it was only available in some test markets and unfortunately, I don’t live in one. This week, they launched it nationwide and I went in to try it. You guys? It’s great. It doesn’t taste like ANY instant coffee I’ve had before. Yes, I could tell the difference between the fresh brew and the instant, but I had to think about it. If I didn’t *know* I was tasting an instant coffee, I never would have guessed it to be the case.
I’m someone who has never been able to drink instant coffee alone – I’ve always had to mix it into hot chocolate to make a ‘trail mocha’ to choke it down. The Via seriously tastes normal; actually, it tastes really good. At about $1 a packet it’s on a different level than your typical Nescafe, but in the backpacking market it will be going head-to-head against the similarly priced JavaJuice, a coffee concentrate (which, in my opinion, tastes far better than instant coffees, at least until Via came along).
If you’ve given up on instant coffee in the past, I strongly recommend checking out the Via packets. I bought a box and it will be coming along with me on the trail. I’ll probably still make my Peet’s Packets, but if I don’t have time to put them together before hitting the trail, the Via packets will be my go-to coffee solution.
Yep. Good stuff. It’s done differently than any previous instant. My understanding is that it’s not freeze dried like pretty much all other instants. They figured out a way to grind beans so fine that they basically dissolve. Apparently they’ve been tinkering with instants for almost 20 years and everything they tried removed the oils until this method. Oils=good coffee. Java Juice retains the oils, which is why it’s better than most powdered version.
BTW, they have it at Costco up here in WA and it’s considerably cheaper.
Now, if they can get to work on wine…..
Hummm, I’ll have to give this a try on my next trip. Thanks for the heads up.
Just tried it on a solo trip at Lake Dorothy this morning. My best backcountry coffee to date, definitely a keeper.
The price comparison needs some…nuance. I find that one Java Juice (10-12 oz) is marginal for my morning fix, two overflows the available container. With Via I definitely wanted the two I brought (8 oz per), but found it worked quite well overall.
So…at $10/dozen, Via costs $10 for 6 days. Java Juice costs $6 for 6 days, at marginal quantity. But…Java Juice has that “instant” afterfinish, which Via thankfully lacks.
In response to Curt…I thought brandy was an attempt to work on the weight issue with wine. Though for 1 day I lug in the wine anyway, and for longer trips I prefer anejo rum.
Lots of Fantastic information in your post, I bookmarked your site so I can visit again in the future, All the Best, Usha Anders
I brought some of these on my last trip to the Lost Coast, and it was awesome! Best trail coffee I’ve ever had. Tried both the Columbian and Italian Roast and they were really good! One packet seemed perfect for my 400ml Naglene bottle filled about 3/4 full.