March 31/Minneapolis -- In nationwide surveys for Caribou Coffee, coffee-drinkers told researchers the number-one complaint they have about their beloved drink is the way it stains. From coffee rings to drips on white dress shirts to the dreaded stains on teeth, a cup of coffee can start the day off right or ruin it right away.

Therefore, Caribou has announced Clear Coffee, a proprietary new coffee blend that has removed the color while retaining all the flavor. Thanks to an innovation in bean cultivation techniques and processing, Caribou has been able to produce an entirely colorless, stain-free beverage.

"It's a game changer," said CEO Mike Tattersfield. "Caribou Coffee has always been an innovator in the coffee market, so naturally this was the next step. And we knew April 1 was the perfect day to share this new beverage innovation with the world."

As of today, Caribou is selling Clear Coffee beans online at CaribouClearCoffee.com. Next month, Caribou will install its proprietary filtering technology in brewing machines in stores nationwide, so customers will be able to order a brewed cup of Clear Coffee at their favorite Caribou coffeehouse.

Tattersfield said that Caribou has several patents pending in connection with the innovation. "I can't reveal much," he said, "but I can say that we were able to combine our proprietary hydrostatic reverse osmosis with an inverted ice filtration system. This allowed us to isolate the coffee oils from the coffee color."

Coffee connoisseurs will find that their Clear Coffee is not missing anything they love about their usual cup of Joe.

"When I tried it for the first time, I couldn't believe it," said master roaster Brian Aliffi. "The flavor notes were all there — citrus, floral and just a hint of nutmeg. I almost cried."

"We've already switched over entirely to Clear Coffee in our headquarters," Tattersfield said. "The cleaning crew loves it."