What line of instant coffee packets did Starbucks introduce in 2009?

Starbucks introduced its VIA Ready Brew line of instant coffee packets in 2009.

The product was announced and tested in March 2009, with early trials in New York City and additional testing in Seattle, Chicago, and London. Starbucks later rolled out the first VIA flavors, Italian Roast and Colombia, in the United States and Canada in October that year.

VIA was designed to make Starbucks coffee more convenient without requiring a coffee maker. Customers mixed the contents of an individual packet with hot water, creating an instant drink marketed as a closer alternative to freshly brewed coffee than many traditional instant products.

The launch was strategically important because Starbucks was entering a category that some analysts thought might weaken its premium image. It also broadened the company’s business beyond cafés, alongside later packaged offerings such as K-Cup packs and the Verismo system. VIA remains easy to confuse with Starbucks roast names, but it refers to a portable instant-coffee product line.