VIA: The Tallest Midget

I have an obsession. It is not a secret to most. I love Starbucks. Since last week, I have been asked on multiple occasions, "What do you think of VIA?" (the new instant coffee from Starbucks.) I will be honest, I was extremely skeptical. There is nothing quite like a fresh brewed cup served by a friendly, or perhaps aloof, Barista. But, when the manager of my Starbucks (http://gowal.la/s/7GU) handed me three packs and said to let her know what I thought, I gave it a shot.
Here is what I found; it all comes down to the water. At your local Starbucks, they use triple filtered water that is as good as most bottled water (not as good as Fiji, but that is for another blog.) When I gave the VIA a chance, it was with hot tap water. The coffee was almost as strong as the in store brewed cup, but there was something missing and I am going to blame that on the water.
But, the real discover, and the one that I would like to share with you is this: bottled water + VIA = really good on the go Iced Coffee. Take an 8oz water bottle and one VIA package, shake it up, and there you go.
As Brian Cuban said this morning, instant coffee is like diet cola, it is still diet. And as Michael Arrington said, being the best instant coffee is like being the tallest midget.
All in all, I will still be going every morning to my Starbucks and getting my Venti Drip, Black. But, for those times when I am on the road, I will be reaching into my bag and pulling out my free packs of VIA (I have been given one everyday for the past week at my Starbucks, they love me) and shaking up some Iced Coffee to tide me over until the next Starbucks appears on the horizon, four blocks away.