First Starbucks Reserve Store in Penang.

Starbucks Opens Its First Reserve Store in Penang

It's finally here. Penang has its very first Starbucks Reserve Store now. Located at one of Penang's popular shopping mall - Gurney Plaza, this new store is the 12th outlet in Malaysia. What's different about the Reserve Store? Unlike the normal Starbucks cafe which only has one bar, Starbucks Reserve back here features 2 types of bars. A main bar that serves core Starbucks products and the other is a coffee bar - an interactive coffee bar equipped with complete range of brewing equipment that highlights rare, small-lot coffees from various parts of the world.

The baristas aren't just any normal baristas, they are all certified Coffee Masters who handcraft beverages using a variety of state-of-the-art brewing techniques such as Siphon, Chemex, Pour-over, Black Eagle manual espresso machines and Nitro Cold Brew taps to bring out the coffee's flavours. Customers can look forward to a new experience in Penang as apart from the classic Starbucks menu, they can now enjoy specialty beverages inspired by the 6 Starbucks Reserve Roasteries around the world, which includes Shanghai, Milan and Tokyo.

The Starbucks premium Reserve brand offers rare and exotic high-quality Arabica coffees, ethically sourced from more than 30 countires around the world. Did you know that each coffee is handpicked by a team of Starbucks coffee quality experts. This offers a unique taste profiles as well as stories from each region the beans are from. Customers will now have the chance to learn more about where and how each and every Reserve coffee is farmed and harvested, and the impact it provides to the farmers and their families through the baristas.

It is said that the Reserve beans are produced in small and limited quantities and in every quarter, new Reserve beans are being introduced. This helps to ensure the constant supply of rare and exotic coffee in Starbucks Reserve stores around the world.

Here a recap of what took place during the launching of the outlet.

Black Eagle Manual Espresso Machine

Siphon Brewing

The siphon is a visually stunning brewing method that uses vacuum filtration to push extremely hot water through a bed of freshly ground coffee. Thanks to a paper filter and a relatively quick extraction time, this technique creates an uncommonly nuanced and delicate cup that mesmerizes the senses.

Pour-over

The pour-over is a simple technique that produces a beautiful cup. To brew, hot water is gently poured over freshly ground coffee in a slow, circular motion. As water passes through a filter holding a bed of grounds, nuanced flavors are extracted from the coffee