Starbucks Coffee Company announced the availability of Starbucks® Blonde Roast, a lighter roast coffee from the company known for its signature dark roast, to meet the needs of the 54 million coffee drinkers in the U.S. who say they prefer a lighter roast coffee.* Starbucks® Blonde Roast will be available as a brewed option in Starbucks stores in the U.S. and is available in packaged coffee in Starbucks stores and where customers buy groceries in the U.S.

Perfecting a lighter roast coffee that delivers the great taste and quality customers have come to expect from Starbucks was achieved thanks to 40 years of sourcing, roasting and blending experience and an artful collaboration between Starbucks coffee quality team and roast experts.

“It took eight months and more than 80 different recipe and roast iterations before we landed on the exact flavor profile our customers told us they were looking for,” said Brad Anderson, master roaster for Starbucks. “They told us they wanted a flavorful, lighter-bodied coffee that offers a milder taste and a gentle finish. Starbucks® Blonde Roast delivers.”

The mellow and approachable coffee extends Starbucks Roast Spectrum to now include Starbucks® Blonde Roast™, in addition to the Medium and Dark Roast coffees on which the foundation of the company’s business was built. Starbucks® Blonde Roast selections include Starbucks® Veranda Blend™, Starbucks® Willow Blend™ and Starbucks® Decaf Willow Blend™.

To help coffee drinkers determine the coffee taste and intensity they prefer, Starbucks will host “Find the Roast You Love Most” tasting events in the U.S. from Jan. 12-14, at participating stores nationwide. The events will be hosted for three hours each day (times vary by market) and customers will be able to taste Starbucks® Blonde Roast alongside Starbucks® Medium Roast and Starbucks® Dark Roast coffees. Those who put their taste buds to the test will receive a sticker declaring their roast preference, as well as a free sample of Starbucks® Blonde Roast to brew at home, or a coupon for $1 off their choice of a pound of any Starbucks® coffee or any 8- or 12-pack of Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew. Similar tasting events will be held in Canada in early February.