WASHINGTON — Days after Starbucks announced it will hike prices for some of its drinks and bagged coffees, it is hoping a new product cools its critics.
Starbucks plans to roll out a new line of chilled, made-to-order sodas this week at stores in 16 states including Virginia. The drinks will be available starting Tuesday.
The “handcrafted sodas” are carbonated drinks that come in three flavors: Spiced Root Beer, Golden Ginger Ale and Lemon Ale.
“We have heard from our customers that they’re looking for more refreshing, cold beverages, especially during the warm summer months,” Cliff Burrows, group president, U.S., Americas and Teavana, said in a news release.
“Fizzio Handcrafted Soda is unlike any soda in the marketplace because it’s handcrafted and made-to- order each time. The addition of Fizzio and Teavana Iced Teas gives our customers more refreshing beverage choices made with the premium ingredients they expect from Starbucks.”
Some customers may have a sour taste in their mouths after the Seattle-based coffee giant announced it would raise prices on some of its drinks by 5 cents to 20 cents starting this week, and customers can soon expect to pay $1 more for the packaged coffee it sells in supermarkets. The move came after CEO Howard Schultz said in March that Starbucks had no intentions of raising its prices.
Starbucks hasn’t released pricing information for its Fizzio drinks.
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Starbucks’ Fizzio machine delivers a customizable amount of "fizz" in each beverage. (Courtesy Starbucks)
The coffee chain tested Fizzio sodas in Atlanta, Austin and Japan last year and will now bring them to stores in Virginia, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Hawaii.
To make the drinks, Starbucks has a machine that carbonates finished beverages. Also, the machine delivers a customized amount of carbonation in each beverage.
Customers can “add fizz” to other Starbucks teas and refreshers for 50 cents.
Read more about the Fizzio drinks and the nutrition information for each on the Starbucks website.
Watch a short video about making the drinks:
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