#18 | Starbucks Roastery & HQ, Seattle, USA
Last Visit: August 2023
Starbucks Coffee in the heart of downtown Seattle, where the coffee cult began on March 31, 1971, in the old harbor at “Pike Place (Market) 1912”. By 1981, just 3 more stores had been opened, making today's franchise company the largest coffeehouse chain in the world with more than 35,000 stores as of 2022. The main focus within the company is on Starbucks Reserve Stores & Bars (over 20 worldwide) and Starbucks Roastery's (6). Since 2016, the Italian premium baker Rocco Princi has been enlivening the stores with his craftsmanship, from sourdough breads, croissants, and tartlets to pasta, pizza, and sandwiches. Seattle, where else, is also home to the Starbucks headquarters, which has a Starbucks Reserve store and bar on the first floor, and not too far away is the Starbucks Roastery in Capitol Hill. Both are definitely worth a visit, and the reasons for this are manifold.
Starbucks HQ
At the heart of both stores are large ovens in the middle of the room where freshly baked goods are served, and a long, stylish coffee bar where customers can take a seat. In contrast to conventional Starbucks stores, both branches are spacious with high ceilings and modern, timeless interiors. Compared to the usual stores, there is always something to discover here, in the rooms decorated in earthy tones and handsome woods. Of course, the souvenir stores, which are also quite large and integrated in the middle of the premises, are not to be missed here either. The special highlight is the Starbucks Reserve Coffee, a selection of the rarest and most unusual coffees at Starbucks. In addition to the standard, each batch of coffee is individually roasted to match the coffee bean in order to highlight certain aromas, which are then noted on the packaging.
In addition to a wide range of coffee varieties, there are also various signature cocktails. They get their coffee flavor from the Starbucks Reserve Coffee by either adding the freshly prepared coffee directly or, depending on the drink recipe, the ready-stirred drink is then passed through a filter with freshly ground coffee. The whole process takes place directly in front of you on the counter if you get one of the seats at the bar. The bar area itself is not large, as coffee is still the main business. In addition to the signature drinks, normal standard drinks such as a Negroni or Tom Collins can also be ordered without the brown gold. At the HQ, there was also a limit of three drinks per guest, an unusual rule that may be due to the opening hours, even in the middle of the day. You should therefore take the opportunity to talk to the bartenders, who are all open-minded, friendly and talkative, to find out which one is most likely to suit your personal taste if you are unsure.
Starbucks Roastery
If you prefer non-alcoholic, you might like the Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew Coffee, which is aged in former whiskey barrels. Coffee lovers should definitely visit the Roastery on Capitol Hill. Not only can the production of Starbucks Reserve Coffee be observed live here, which is partially integrated into the almost 1400 square meter store, but coffee tastings can also be booked in separate rooms. A library with more than 200 books on coffee rounds off the offer for all those who want to learn more about coffee.
In general, the Roasteries are more geared towards tourism, which is why the bar here has a wider range of drinks, but is also considerably more expensive than the Starbucks Reserve Store at the headquarters.
Starbucks Reserve Boulevardier (Starbucks HQ):
| Starbucks Reserve Coffee
| Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey
| Campari
| Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
| Vanilla Bean Syrup
| Scrappy's Lavender Bitters
Boulevardiers come in a wide variety of flavors, this Signature here gets its coffee note by filtering the cold-stirred drink through freshly ground Starbucks Reserve coffee. Served in a red wine glass on clear ice, sweet, herbal and slightly floral notes of coffee are released. The drink delivers what it promises on the nose, extremely round and drinkable with plenty of strength. At the beginning, a beautiful herbal sweetness with subtle fruit, rounded off by the bourbon. Then notes of vanilla and caramel, which are wrapped in a floral coffee note with light roasted aromas in the aftertaste.
Old Fashioned (Starbucks HQ):
| Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey
| Demerara Syrup
| Aromatic Bitters
| Orange Bitters
One of my favorite drinks, the classic and as simple as it seems, there are so many mistakes you can always make. At Starbucks HQ, however, it's almost perfect and can be ordered for just $10. The Old Fashioned has a pleasant sweetness with intense notes of vanilla, caramel and toasted oak. Some tobacco and leather linger in the background, a nice spiciness and a hint of fresh orange round off the whole thing (as usual, the oils from the orange zest are added to the glass at the beginning). It is not particularly complex, but harmonious and to the point, with a pleasant and full-bodied drinking strength. The only issue, but this is a matter of opinion: instead of the cherry with the wooden skewer, I would have preferred more fresh orange in the form of a zest and its oils, which could spray their aromas around the rim of the glass.
Espresso Martini & Espresso Martini flight (Starbucks Roastery):
| Starbucks Reserve Espresso
| Kalak Single Malt
| Vodka Vanilla Bean Syrup
| Dark Chocolate
First, the idea with the Espresso Martini Flight consisting of 3 different variants is a nice idea in itself, but the implementation is disastrous and not worth $22. The basic difference is that liqueurs, specifically Orange Cacao, Mole Spice and Cherry Lime, are initially poured into one of the glasses and then topped up with the “standard” Espresso Martini to make the different influences comparable. However, the considerable amount of the 3 liqueurs completely dominates the resulting cocktails, making it an extremely sweet mix of liqueur with some espresso flavor.
The “normal” Espresso Martini, on the other hand, is a very well-rounded drink, also a touch on the sweet side, but with a pleasant interplay of flavors between the coffee, vanilla and chocolate notes. The simpler Espresso Martini really makes up for the overpowered flight.
Black & White Manhattan (Starbucks Roastery):
| Starbucks Reserve Coffee
| Basil Hayden's Bourbon
| Cynar Amaro
| Carpano Bianco Vermouth
A delightful twist on the Perfect Manhattan, the coffee filtering process is the same as for the Boulevardier. The anticipation was great, and the result was a strong, dry, crisp and complex Manhattan, wrapped in a fine coffee note. Whiskey can be found in the foreground, with the beautifully spicy, slightly peppery, herbal and somewhat nutty notes of Basil Hayden's. Rounded off with coffee and a perfect, dry sweetness from the white Vermouth, which together with the Cynar brings further herbal notes and complexity. An interplay of flavors from front to back, which definitely makes you want more and was a perfect finish at the Roastery.
The conclusion of the two locations for me: As I am not an extreme coffee lover, I would always prefer Headquarters. The reasons for this include the fact that it is not too crowded with tourists, the bartenders have more time for their drinks and to chat, and the cocktails themselves are also much cheaper. The only disadvantage is that the selection of signature drinks is smaller. In general, however, both can be recommended as an interesting experience, both for bar lovers with a heart for coffee (in drinks) and coffee nerds who like to enjoy a cocktail from time to time.