Instant Love via Via

God's gift to career women... STARBUCKS COFFEE.

God's gift to stay-at-home moms who do a lot of domestic errands every waking hour and part time jobs every I-should-be-sleeping-right-now hour ... STARBUCKS COFFEE VIA!

Via Ready Brew is the latest from my poison shop of choice.  For my maiden slurp, I got the Colombia Medium.  It came in a sturdy cardboard housing 3 packets of what appear to be typical instant coffee.  At first glance I thought it was just like that good ol' Nescafe 3-in-1 coffee stick.  But upon ripping the foil...

...I'VE BEEN ROBBED!, was my first barbaric reaction.
Where's the sugar?  Where's the creamer?  What is this almost countable hunk of granules???

When the embarrassing, totally unnecessary outburst died down, I carefully poured the granules in a cup, tossed in brown sugar, and a dab of cream --still skeptic.  But as soon as I followed up the powdery mixture with hot water, the all too familiar aroma just exploded into my senses!  It was the undeniable smell of BREWED COFFEE!  Seriously!  And I made it in a matter of seconds!

And the taste --it literally brought me back to slow and special Sunday mornings.   The strong, full-bodied experience --usually achieved painstakingly-- is still there, amazingly, from an itsy-bitsy coffee stick sachet.   In my happily caffeine-inebriated mind, nothing can be truer to brewed than this!

When Starbucks says instant coffee,  it means single-serve sincerity.
Not 3-in1.  But the real one.
And that's what you paid for.

On my second Via stick now, still smiling contentedly.

Confessions of a Coffee Lover

I’ve always had a special relationship with coffee.  It wakes me up in the morning, perks me up at work, helps me socialize better, makes winding down delicious, and keeps me up when I need to.   
If coffee were a man, I’d say it earns the title of a lover.

But I’m not one of those so-called coffee connoisseurs.  My faithfulness to the love coffee brings means I take it no matter what the form.  Be it brewed.  Be it blended.  Be it instant.  Just like a romantic partner, it can change its mood during the course of the day --and I will still accept it wholeheartedly with no judgment.

My Affair with Brewed

When I have the time, this is like slow love making.  I grind the coffee beans carefully and methodically –taking into consideration the kind of grounds, the amount of water, the excellent condition of grinding equipment.  The secret to the best roast is in its flavorful aroma.  When that fills the room, I know it’s time to sip slowly and take in the adoration.

My Liaison with Blended

These are what I call social drinks of the hot kind.  Fancy cocktails that put the fun in coffee.  This would be like an interesting date that keeps the fire alive between my brew and me.  My personal favorites are Hot Banana Java Chip, Hot Caramel Apple Spice, Hot Espresso Macchiato.  Some take their blended coffees cold, but I would rather keep the passion fever pitch.

My Tryst with Instant

Ah, my compassionate companion.  When I’m rushing in the morning, it makes sure it’s conveniently available for my quick fix of the day.  It’s like a swift, hot kiss that builds up a flood of emotions in very little time.  It’s not a degrade like some would call it.  Instant coffee is made of the same Arabica and Robusta beans you grind and blend.  The only difference is that Instant coffee is freeze dried, just so I can feel the love just as instantly.

On top of these different techniques of coffee preparation, quality is still my top priority.  What good is a bond if it isn’t full-bodied and strong?  As long as coffee treats me right, I will take its love –no matter how—unconditionally.