Gold Coast Blend Coffee Is Back at Starbucks

Starbucks Gold Coast Blend® Is Back

Gold Coast Blend® is a serious cup of coffee with a taste that has been described as stout, refined, big, bold and rich.

When Starbucks opened its first stores outside of Seattle, in 1987, it wanted to introduce a blend to honor one of its new locations in Chicago. Starbucks master coffee blenders brought together the heft of beans from Latin America and Indonesia with a bit of sweetness from our dark Italian Roast. This created a taste every bit as sophisticated as the neighborhood it is named after – the Gold Coast Historic District.

The Chicago neighborhood emerged after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Businessman Potter Palmer moved to the area from the city’s south side and created the community which later became Lake Shore Drive. The artwork on the Gold Coast bag depicts a stylish woman walking a dog. It captures the Art Deco elegance of the era, the neighborhood and the essence of the refined coffee.

Gold Coast Blend® is the epitome of the high art of blending because no single flavor element dominates this lush and lavish coffee.

“I have loved Gold Coast since it was first offered in mail order shortly after it was introduced. I was enjoying if a few years before I joined Starbucks as a barista in 1995," said Major Cohen, Starbucks coffee education specialist. "I have always appreciated the bigness of the coffee experience it delivers. We used to call it our 'PHD of coffee' owing to the marvelous blending achievement and spot-on roasting it represents.”

With its great depth and complex taste, this dark-roast coffee pairs well with cheese, chocolate, caramel and maple flavors.