Starbucks is taking what it describes as “an immersive coffee experience” to selected customers in China.
An ‘interactive coffee bar’ will be added to seven of its stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen offering a new range of ‘Starbucks Reserve’ coffees.
Sourced from ‘small-lot’ plantations, Starbucks Reserve coffees are described by the company as “the most exquisite coffees in the world”.
Every year, Starbucks coffee buyers travel to coffee-growing regions – from the faraway highlands in Papua New Guinea to the coast of Galapagos Islands in Ecuador – to find and purchase some of the world’s finest Arabica coffee beans.
The stores in China that carry Starbucks Reserve coffee will feature coffee-forward designs, including an interactive “coffee bar,” where customers can discover different types of brewing methods such as the manual, pour-over style Chemex Coffeemaker or the classic coffee press.
Customers will have the opportunity to spend more time to explore Starbucks coffees, ask questions, and purchase their favourite brewing equipment and packaged coffee for home use. Baristas are certified Starbucks Coffee Masters who wear black aprons as a symbol of their coffee expertise.

In the US, Starbucks has exclusive stores bearing the Reserve branding.

“With 43 years of strong passion for coffee, we purchase and roast some of the finest quality coffee beans around the world for our customers,” said Belinda Wong, president of Starbucks China. “The launch of Starbucks Reserve coffee will bring a unique coffee experience to China.”
The first four Starbucks Reserve offerings in China each hold intriguing flavours and stories:

• Malawi Peaberry Sable Farms Coffee from East Africa delivers crisp acidity with a vibrant splash of lime zest and a spicy, citrus complexity through the concentrated flavour of hand-selected peaberries.
• Hawaii Ka’u Coffee, cultivated on the temperate slopes of Mauna Loa, is recognised as one of the finest coffees in the world for its delicate and deliciously tropical flavours.
• Peru Chonti Coffee noted for its herbaceous aroma with a subtle lemony acidity with flavour notes of hazelnut and baking chocolate, this coffee originates from the steep valleys of northern Peru.
• Panama Los Cantares Estate Coffee grown in Panama’s remote Volcán region, this coffee has won awards for its floral aromas, delicate body and bright, crisp acidity.

Starbucks Reserve coffees are currently available 25 markets, including the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Korea and Japan.
Source Insideretail.asia.