The global love for coffee continues to grow, with craft coffee emerging as a dominant trend among consumers. According to the National Coffee Association’s latest report, U.S. demand for craft coffee reached a five-year high last year. Craft coffee, known for its meticulous focus on quality, flavor, sustainability, and precision in growing, roasting, and brewing, has captivated coffee lovers worldwide.
While many associate craft coffee with local cafés and small businesses, major players like Starbucks are increasingly stepping into the craft coffee space. As the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, Starbucks has made significant investments in delivering high-quality craft coffee to its customers. The company’s commitment extends beyond serving premium Arabica beans; it also includes refining barista skills, mastering coffee preparation, and developing innovative brewing equipment. At the same time, Starbucks has positioned itself as a leader in supporting coffee farmers and the wider coffee industry, with a focus on ensuring the sustainability of coffee production for future generations.
Since its founding in 1971, Starbucks has maintained a strong commitment to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality Arabica coffee beans. The company purchases 3% of the world’s coffee and collaborates with over 450,000 coffee farmers globally. Starbucks works to safeguard the future of coffee through research, development, and education. Its research farms, such as Hacienda Alsacia, and a network of 10 Farmer Support Centers, located in key coffee-growing regions, offer guidance to farmers of all sizes on improving crop quality, productivity, and profitability.
“Our promise to farmers and their communities is that we will always work to help ensure a sustainable future of coffee for all,” said Michelle Burns, Starbucks Executive Vice President of Global Coffee and Sustainability. “Our solution is to develop on-farm interventions, share seeds, research, and practices across the industry that will not only improve coffee productivity and quality but also help farmers mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
Climate change presents one of the most significant challenges to coffee production, as farmers and their communities increasingly feel its effects. In response, Starbucks is expanding its coffee innovation network with two new farms in Guatemala and Costa Rica. These farms will continue the groundbreaking work begun at Hacienda Alsacia and further advance global coffee research. The Costa Rican farm will focus on sustaining new coffee plants at various elevations and soil conditions, a crucial step in testing new genetic materials. Meanwhile, the farm in Guatemala, located in the Antigua Valley, will replicate smallholder farming practices, addressing many of the challenges faced by coffee farms today.
To celebrate the artistry of coffee, Starbucks has launched a new limited-edition coffee line: the Starbucks Milano Duetto. This offering presents two distinct roasts from a single blend: Starbucks Milano Sole, a light roast, and Starbucks Milano Luna, a dark roast. These new roasts embody the fusion of tradition and innovation in Starbucks’ approach to coffee.
Even after five decades of coffee roasting expertise, Starbucks continues to push the boundaries of its craft. While the company offers a wide range of roasts tailored to different customer preferences, the Milano Sole and Milano Luna reflect the latest in coffee innovation.
“For Starbucks, coffee has always been a lens through which we see the world—a world rich in diversity, tradition, and innovation,” added Burns. “Milan’s rich coffee culture— which served as the inspiration for Starbucks coffeehouse culture—and Starbucks’ 50+ years of history and expertise in coffee roasting have inspired the Starbucks Milano Duetto, a new line of special edition coffees.”
The Starbucks Milano Sole roast honors Milanese coffee traditions, featuring medium-to-high acidity and a medium body. It combines flavors of creamy vanilla custard, sweet pomegranate, and hints of nutmeg. Perfect flavor pairings include citrus, caramel, and cinnamon.
In contrast, the Starbucks Milano Luna dark roast pays homage to Starbucks’ long-standing roasting heritage. With medium-to-low acidity and a medium-to-full body, it highlights bold flavors of dark chocolate truffle and roasted black walnut. Suggested pairings include cheese, almond, and maple.
Throughout October, Starbucks Milano Sole and Starbucks Milano Luna will be available as featured brewed coffees in participating Starbucks stores worldwide and as whole beans for purchase.
Starbucks’ unwavering dedication to craft coffee, ethical sourcing, and sustainability continues to shape the future of the coffee industry, ensuring that the beloved beverage remains accessible and of high quality for generations to come.
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