Instant Coffee by Any Name is Still Instant Coffee

McCoffee, which has taken a serious swipe at Starbucks ever conserving customer base, is the leading brew of choice, even scoring as sponsor for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Starbucks is battling to regain market ground by appealing to the masses, and the first breakthrough is as opposite Italian coffeemakers as one can imagine.

Starbucks introduces Via, poised to be the gourmet of instant coffees. Want to give it a swirl? Go to their site and click "Try Via" for a free sample (and newsletter, natch). With cute little tumblers and promises of preferred pre-shipments, all semblence of an experience does not seem to be lost.

The site promises samples shipments in 2 weeks, or you can pick up in Chicago or Seattle. Looking forward to my brew review with you.