Who Stole My Sanka?

Remember Sanka? You know, the GIANT coffee-like crystals that are served at church donut lounges and AA meetings all across the country. They never fully break down so you always have some silt in your drink. Also, in an attempt to get the water hot enough for said giant crystals to dissolve even a little, you actually ended up with foamy head on your coffee that was so hot you couldn’t take a sip for hours. Am I painting a gross enough picture for you? Yeah.

Sanka is what I think of when I think instant coffee. Needless to say when I think coffee, I NEVER think instant. I am not a coffee snob. I’m currently sipping on a heaping mug of Walmart’s finest ground Colombian so clearly my tastes are not too discerning. While it is true that The Husband and I did mainlineVenti Starbucks’ Pike Place Roasts throughout the entire month-long moving process and I do appreciate a well brewed mug, I don’t demand it on a daily basis. However, even with my liberal taste buds I still draw the line at instant.

You can imagine my eye rolling when the lovely Barista at Starbucks tried to convince me that the VIA instant blend they are now selling was good. I chuckled at this silly little girl who clearly did not have enough stress in her life yet to understand the intense need for a good, strong cup of Joe much less even know what Sanka was-baby. I took the free sample anyway and it sat, first in my purse, then on my kitchen counter for weeks as I was pretty sure I was never going to use it but still unable to throw away something free (it’s a sickness).

Then, yesterday I finished my two mugs of coffee and still wasn’t satisfied. Being way too lazy to go through the necessary steps to make an entirely new pot, I looked up and the VIA sample called my name. I boiled some water, poured it in the mug full of very-finely ground coffee powder and the what do you know, the ensuing drink was so delicious I felt compelled to share it with you all. Let me be clear, this is an unsolicited review. I WISH I was getting free Starbucks coffee (if you’re reading this coffee people-I’ll take whatever you’re givin‘) but alas I am just sharing this information because when something is so shockingly good I feel compelled to tell the world. It was instant and it was good-really good, not just instant good, which- let’s be honest- there is no such thing.

Take this little review for what it’s worth. To me, it’s worth buying to have around for those days when one pot isn’t enough but two pots is way too much work.

Viva la VIA.