If for nothing else, the thawing of relations between the U.S. and Cuba is great for foodies. As diplomatic ties between the two countries begin to normalize, so too will U.S. supermarket shelves — with Cuban goods. And it’s all starting with coffee.
But before you get too excited, be warned: Cuban cups of joe will only be coming to you in the form of Nespresso pods. At least for now.
On Monday, the Swiss coffee company announced that it would begin selling the previously restricted Cuban blends in the U.S. this fall, ending a decades-long Cuban coffee drought. So if you’ve been dying to mix up your morning routine, this may just be the long-awaited answer to your prayers.
Guillaume Le Cunff, president of Nespresso USA, said of the new opportunity, “We’re not looking at this as a short-term achievement. It’s the starting point of a very long-term initiative. We’re very optimistic that we can drive and build this project. Ultimately, we want consumers in the U.S. to experience this incredible coffee and to enjoy it now and for years to come.”
And while coffee may not be quite as exciting as say, Cuban rum or Cuban cigars, it’s certainly a step in a pretty delicious direction.
Before the Cuban revolution of the 1950s, the island nation was exporting more than 22,000 tons of coffee beans per year across the world, though these numbers have since taken a rather severe hit. But perhaps with the U.S. as an avid customer, Cuba’s coffee luck will change once again.
For now, however, Nespresso is alone in its quest to bring Cuban coffee back to the States. Rival Starbucks told Reuters that it had “no plans to import coffee from Cuba at this time,” though if the foreign beans prove to be a hit, there’s no telling what will happen.
