Nestle SA appears all hyped up on caffeine. Last week, the Swiss company said it would buy Seattle’s Best Coffee; this week a Nestle investment appears ready to launch an instant espresso.
Blue Bottle Coffee, in which Nestle bought a majority stake five years ago, in November will launch Blue Bottle Craft Instant Espresso, freeze-dried crystals “that can be stirred by the teaspoonful into warm water or milk and served in multiple espresso drinks, from iced to steaming hot,” according to Bloomberg News.
The instant espresso product has been in the works for over three years, Ben Brewer, senior director of global innovation and quality, told Bloomberg. It was developed in Nestlé’s research and development facilities in Marysville, Ohio, and Switzerland.
The Oakland, Calif., company primarily is known for its expresso coffee shops and apparently has more than 100 locations in the U.S. and Asia.
On Oct. 19, Nestlé said it will acquire the Seattle’s Best brand from Starbucks. Starbucks bought the brand in 2003 and positioned it as a more affordable brand. Starbucks already is in a partnership with Nestlé, called the Global Coffee Alliance, under which Nestlé packages and distributes Starbucks coffee at retail. Nestlé’s total global sales of Starbucks coffee reached about $3.08 billion in 2021.
Terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this year.
