Life

When Can You Get Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew?

by Jessica Learish

If you're in need of a little motivation to get you through this holiday-shortened work week, you might get a kick out of the latest announcement from Starbucks — the coffee giant is introducing Nitro Cold Brew coffee to its core menu, like forever. Of course, that leads to a very important question: when can you get the new Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew? The answer will depend on where you live.

Starbucks plans to roll out the silky smooth coffee beverage in major cities first beginning with Seattle and Portland, before expanding the offering to more than 500 company-owned and operated stores nationwide by the end of the summer. Some cities that can expect to get a taste of the new drink? Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco all make the cut. The drink is already a hit at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle, so it was really only a matter of time before the Starbucks powers that be decided to bring the beverage to the masses.

Starbucks' Nitrogen Cold Brew coffee pours from a tap a lot like a Guinness, or other nitrogen-infused beer. The nitrogen bubbles, which are a lot smaller than the carbon dioxide bubbles you'd find in a regular beer or soda, make the coffee seem thicker and creamier, which leads a lot of coffee drinkers to just drink it black instead of adding extra milk or cream.

And, if you've never tried a nitrogen-infused cold brew before, get ready for a burst of energy, because the new Nitro Cold Brew is one of the stronger drinks on the Starbucks menu. All cold brew coffees have a higher ratio of coffee to water — it's more akin to espresso than drip coffee — which is what makes it so strong on a caffeine-per-sip basis, but Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew will be even stronger than the less bubbly alternative. While a Tall (12 oz.) Cold Brew has 150mg of caffeine, a Nitro in the same size will have 245mg of the good stuff. And some people even believe that the nitrogen actually increases the rate of caffeine absorption, so you may want to pace yourself if you're new to the Nitro.

So to recap, Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew is coming to a city near you this summer, so keep your eyes peeled for its arrival sometime in the next few months. This is one drink you are definitely going to want to try.

Images: Starbucks