Casi Cielo coffee returns to Starbucks on January 6, 2015. This has been a customer favorite for many years! Here’s an official Starbucks.com blog post on Casi Cielo coffee. This coffee is sourced from the Antigua growing region of Guatemala.
Many people know that you can use Casi Cielo for a shot of espresso – it’s wonderful when pulled as a shot of espresso! In the 2009 – 2010 era of 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea (which is now a Starbucks, and not a concept store), 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea used to often pull Casi Cielo as an espresso shot offering – it was fantastic.
New this year, Starbucks customers (in select markets) will get the chance to have Casi Cielo as an espresso shot in their latte, mocha, or other handcrafted beverage. You might recall that Starbucks tested single-origin espresso earlier this year in Portland, Oregon and in 2013, Starbucks offered single-origin espresso in the UK.
To clarify, initially Casi Cielo will only be offered as an espresso shot in a few select regions: the Pacific Northwest, Chicago (and the greater Chicago area), and Northern California (which includes San Francisco). Of course, Casi Cielo will be available as a whole bean coffee (as shown in the picture) everywhere. I have heard mixed information about whether there is an upcharge for Casi Cielo, which is a single-origin coffee, as an espresso shot. Please don’t be surprised if there is a small charge for using a single-origin espresso in your handcrafted beverage. My understanding is that in the select markets, both licensed Starbucks and company-operated Starbucks will offer Casi Cielo as an espresso shot.
As I understand it, the long-term plan for Starbucks is that eventually all of the U.S. will offer a second shot option and there will be more offerings than just Casi Cielo in the future, similar to the second espresso shot offerings already available in Starbucks UK.
Now it’s your turn to weigh in!
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Hi Melody – Very happy to hear about the return of Casi Cielo! I look forward to it every year… one of my favorites. Do you know if it will be offered in K-Cups again as it has been the past couple of years?
I love this year’s bag!
I am curious about the logistics of having two different shot options. I guess one of the espresso bars is designated to have the other beans in it’s hopper.
I’m sure it will be in k cup form again. I remember you post vividly on Casi Cielo as a shot bc I thought that was a great idea. Maybe the CA test will inch its way to Tucson. I wonder how it will work on the espresso machines. 1 filled w espresso roast and 1 with Casi Cielo? I assume…
Michelle – from what I understand we use our 2nd machines decaf hopper for the single origin shots. We don’t go through as much decaf and even less so on the secondary machine in most stores.
We’ve had quite a number of single origin espressos here in the UK and Europe. My favourite is still guatemala antigua which is so lovely! As a MSR member you get the single origin espresso free as it usually cost 20p extra.
I look forward to this every year! Thanks so much for passing along the due date, I knew it had to be getting close. Any word on whether Starbucks will offer a new corresponding mug to go with the Casi Cielo?
I always love to hear a different flavor espresso coffees.I have recently bought a espresso machine and go to Starbucks too.I am trying them all out.I recently tried the Starbucks Espresso X-mas blend and another brand Lavazza Espresso.Its almost like like wine tasting with the different nodes.
Casi Cielo in January will make the winter a little less unbearable. The bag looks really nice and a matching mug would be awesome.
I wonder if they will be having Casi Cielo at all locations for the Clover.
@amyinboston – Casi will be offered everywhere as a whole bean, and you can order it Clover brewed from Starbucks Reserve – Clover locations. Finding Casi Cielo as a shot of espresso for your drink will be more limited. Merry Christmas Amy!! Thank you for the comment.
@amy in Boston- Casio Cielo will be available at all Starbucks. All clover stores can offer any type of coffee they have (hot or iced) on the Clover (including Casio Cielo). You can get a regular Pike on Clover if you want. My favorite- Iced Kati Kati 🙂
Josh – Thank you for your help!
Flat White! Come on people, start bragging about this! (Extra ristretto shots, less milk, microfoam, and more interesting with a single origin espresso.) Or would that be stealing a future post from you, Melody?
Definitely done using the smaller decaf hopper on the second machine. Most drinks do not showcase a single origin espresso well. (Americanos, latte with extra shots, solo, dopio, and the new Flat White. (Currently available in the UK)) It requires a solid coffee crowd to get the single origin espresso idea to catch on, but I think the more specialized coffee ideas are spreading steadily.
@Kurt Hahaha! I am planning a separate flat white article!
Pretty sure it’s the secondary machine’s decaf hopper that’s used for the SO coffee. However this may be difficult in stores with split production (separate drive-thru bar with one machine and a cafe bar with one machine) like the one I am at. I suppose we could relegate any decaf or half-caff drinks to the DT during peak, but we break that machine down and run only off of the cafe machine in the afternoon through close. Oh well. Cross that bridge when we get there.
Yay, this exciting promo is coming to my area! 🙂 Casi Cielo is my favorite Starbucks coffee (aside from the reserve/black apron exclusives) and this will def. increase my Starbucks visits.
When I used to work for Starbucks, during slow periods we experimented making espresso out of different types of coffee. This was one of my favorites.
Wow, this would be great in a flat white.
Forgot to ask – are there any restaurants selling this coffee now?
Sorry for the spam, last comment/question probably wasn’t clear: I know Canlis stopped serving Casi Cielo. Are there any other restaurants that serve Casi to their patrons?
@CD – That’s a good question. There is a whole department of Starbucks that deals just with restaurant blends. It’s something that for a long time, I’ve wanted to write more about. The best example is all of the Tom Douglas restaurants. Everyone of them serves Starbucks coffee, and Starbucks will even blend for them -at Tanaka San Restaurant, there’s a cold brewed coffee that is like a Veranda- House Blend (not sure exactly). But I don’t have any exact answer for you. It’s an area that I would like to know more about.
Thanks Melody – I ate at Canlis once during a work outing and it was good, but not my kind of place. Tom Douglas’ style fits me better and I’ve liked every restaurant of his I’ve been to. Therefore, I like this partnership that’s being maintained with Tom Douglas and Starbucks. It’s nice to see it’s branched out beyond Thanksgiving blend and is now in physical form at the Roastery.
Huh. I’m a barista and last week my coworkers and I found a note saying that the beans in the decaf hopper in one of our machines were actually Casi Cielo. We assumed this was a mistake made by the newest employee when filling up the hoppers. I tried a shot from it, though, and it was quite tasty.
@M – That makes me smile! I’m looking forward to January!
This coffee is simply GREAT!! I had this on the clover several times already, my new favorite, Casi Cielo. It will be officially everywhere tomorrow. We’ve had it available in So Cal for a couple weeks now. They sold out of most holiday merchandise early so corporate asked it be displayed early.
Love your articles…
They’ve been using Casi around here as the shots in a Flat White for about week. ? It’s good, I think….also depends to some degree (as always) on how well the barista can make foam. I think that’s a huge factor.
I just had this in a Flat White inside ORD and it was exceptional. There was no upcharge, in fact they advertise that the Flat White is made with Casi.