A barista at Starbucks Korea prepares an Aerocano iced coffee by steaming a jug of iced double espresso before pouring it into an ice-filled cup at the company's office in Seoul’s Gangnam District, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Ko Dong-hwan
Starbucks Korea’s new Aerocano iced coffee, hitting stores nationwide Thursday for the first time in the world, is more than just another menu addition.
It marks the company’s introduction of a new coffee category alongside the iced Americano and cold brew. The drink is also expected to reinforce Koreans’ enduring preference for iced beverages — even in the winter — reflected by the newly coined slang term “eoljukah,” referring to those who stick to cold coffee year-round.
The trend is so widespread in Korea that it drew attention from the global coffee chain’s headquarters in Seattle. As the first new iced black coffee option launched since Starbucks introduced the cold brew in the United States in 2015 — and in other markets the following year — Aerocano represents the company’s next bold move. The location for its launch, according to Starbucks Asia Pacific Senior Product Manager Aleksandra Orsolic, became an obvious choice.
“When we were deciding where to first launch this new innovation, the decision came to us quite easily,” Orsolic said at Starbucks Korea’s office in Seoul’s Gangnam District Wednesday.
A Starbucks Korea Aerocano prepared during a media event at the company’s office in Seoul’s Gangnam District, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Ko Dong-hwan
“We were looking for a market that is dynamic, highly influential to the global landscape and where coffee culture is deeply embedded into everyday life. We were also looking for a market where customers enjoy drinking iced coffee at any time of the year, even in the middle of winter, a market that leads the way on the eoljukah trend. So Korea became a very obvious and apparent choice.”
Starbucks Korea Chief Food and Beverage Development Officer Choi Hyun-jung underscored Koreans’ strong preference for iced coffee, noting that iced Americanos have accounted for more than 70 percent of the company’s annual sales over the past three years.
“Iced coffee consumption in Korea is exceptional regardless of season. Starbucks’ global leadership recognized this distinctive eoljukah trend and decided to launch Aerocano here first,” Choi said.
A barista at Starbucks Korea described Aerocano as sitting between an iced Americano and an iced latte in both taste and appearance. The drink is made using an aeration technique that infuses air into cold espresso through a steamer, boosting crema and creating a smoother, creamier flavor. When poured over ice, the coffee produces a cascading effect as the espresso slowly settles — a visual spectacle the company highlights as Aerocano’s signature feature.
Source: Korea Times News
