January 7, 2007

Coffee News: Cold coffee drinks gain steam

"Even in this caffeine-soaked city, there are times Tommy Key can't make it to a Starbucks for his favorite pick-me-up.
On those grim mornings, Key's preferred stand-in is Starbucks' bottled Frappuccino, a cold milk-and-coffee concoction that he grabs on his way out the door.
''It's a quick fix, is what it is,'' Key, 43, said as he loaded a 12-pack into his cart at a local Costco warehouse. ''This will last me a good month or two.''
Hurried coffee lovers like Key will have more choices for that quick fix in the coming year, as Starbucks Corp. and others angle for the growing slice of consumers who get their java from the grocery store or vending machine.
Beverage titan Coca-Cola Co. plans to push further into the ready-to-drink coffee market this summer, introducing a new iced drink under the banner of the country's No. 2 coffeehouse chain, Caribou Coffee Co."

Full article here.