Have you ever seen the movie “The Bucket List?”
It is about a pair of older men who want to experience all the things they want to do before they pass away.
In the movie, Jack Nicholson is seen frequently enjoying Kopi Luwak, a very expensive type of coffee.
What makes this coffee so special?
You will be surprised when you discover where it comes from.
In this article, I will talk about Kopi Luwak, why it is so coveted, and other bucket list coffee experiences to enjoy.
By Andrew.
The article has been updated on 2022.10.26 with comments from Black Ivory Coffee owner Blake Dinkin. See #3.
#1 – Taste Kopi Luwak Coffee: One Of The World’s Most Expensive Coffees
In the movie, Morgan Freeman has “laugh until I cry” on his bucket list. He crosses it off when Jack Nicholson tells him that Kopi Luwak coffee (Indonesian for “civet coffee”) is made from the feces of a palm-civet, which is a cat like creature.
How is Kopi Luwak Made?
It’s true! Palm civets ingest the best coffee beans and their digestive system processes the proteins of the coffee beans and changes their chemical composition.
They then defecate, and Kopi Luwak harvesters hand wash the beans to create what is considered to be the best quality coffee on the market.
The Taste of Kopi Luwak
People view the taste differently. There are some that believe the civet’s digestive process adds a tangy lemon taste from the civet’s digestive juices.
They praise the taste, saying it is the best coffee they have ever tasted in their life.
No wonder it sells for up to $600 per pound!
On the other hand, there are coffee experts that say that Kopi Luwak is the worst coffee they have ever tasted in their life.
Some even say that it tasted like old, stale bean water and think that the excitement about drinking Kopi Luwak is due to it being a novelty item because of the process by which it is made, with all the hype that comes with the price as well.
Now is the time to move on and talk about other unique coffee experiences to add to your bucket list, especially if you want to try something other than civet poop coffee.
Unique Coffee Experiences
I made a list of coffee drinks that coffee aficionados should try before they die, each chosen for specific reasons.
#2 – Try Kopi Gu Yu in an Indonesian Streetside Café
This delicious coffee drink is a great new experience to try. Kopi Gu Yu means “butter coffee” in Indonesian.
Every part of the process involves butter, from the roasting process, to brewing the coffee, and drinking it.
It is popular in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, often served at streetside cafes. People who enjoy it say the butter adds a rich flavor to the coffee.
To serve a traditional Kopi Gu Yu, the coffee should be poured over condensed milk covering the bottom of the cup, and it should have a chunk of butter on the top of the drink.
What’s nutritious about this drink is that it is popular among athletes because you can skip a meal and replace it with Kopi Gu Yu and boost and get the most out of your workouts.
#3 – Elephant Dung Coffee: The Most Expensive Coffee in the World
Elephant dung coffee is another type of coffee made from the poop of elephants.
That’s right.
There is coffee out there from that.
It is produced in greater quantities in the country of Thailand (the bulk of which is made by a company called Black Ivory Coffee) compared to Kopi Luwak.
Due to the fact that elephants are herbivores, people who like elephant dung coffee argue that the diet and digestive process of the elephants produce a coffee that is incredibly flavorful.
The owner of Black Ivory coffee, Blake Dinkin, said to us, “As herbivores, elephants utilize more fermentation than omnivores, like civets.”
He added that the fermentation process adds flavor.
“Think chocolate, beer or wine: all require fermentation.”
Blake explained that the digestive process is slower, compared to Kopi Luwak.
So the food in the elephant’s stomach like sugar cane, bananas, etc. get imparted into the bean too.
He also said that Black Ivory Coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world – even more expensive than Kopi Luwak.
“One pound of Black Ivory Coffee sells for 1200 USD, which is double the quoted price of Kopi Luwak coffee.”
Now, let’s move on to some of the weirdest coffee flavors out there.
Weirder than poop coffee? Well, that’s debatable.
Weirdest Coffees
#4 – Sip an Egg Coffee: A Truly Cultural Experience
This traditional coffee drink is Scandinavian. In fact, it is very common among Lutheran families, but its origins can also be traced back to Vietnam.
The Scandinavian drink uses the whole egg, including the shell, whereas the traditional Vietnam egg coffee does not.
It mixes a fresh egg with coffee grounds.
This is thought to create coffee that doesn’t have any acidity or bitter flavors. Some say that the taste is luxurious, and dessert like, almost like a tiramisu.
The vast majority of people who try the drink for the first time, praise the taste and can’t even taste the egg.
Add this drink to your bucket list and I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the taste!
Weird Coffee Beans
#5 –Experience Monkey Spit Coffee: A Must Try if you Visit Taiwan or India
Another type of weird coffee is made from coffee beans that are chewed up and spit out by monkeys in Taiwan and India.
It is called “monkey coffee.” Perhaps you would try this rare coffee instead of poop coffee. It is still weird though!
The moneys help process the beans, by chewing them and then spitting them out, without digesting them, and then people pick up the beans from the ground.
The taste of monkey spit coffee is thought to be superior to regular coffee because the monkeys process the coffee beans, changing their chemical composition.
This makes a cup that is complex and sweet in taste, including notes of citrus, chocolate and nuts.
Weird Coffee Flavors
I have talked about the weird production of coffee beans themselves, but haven’t really touched on weird flavors that are added to coffee.
Now I will talk about the weirdest coffee syrups out there to add to your coffee.
Unusual Coffee Syrups
You don’t need a certified barista to make you that fancy coffee drink you have always wanted.
Making your favorite fancy coffee can be as easy as adding your favorite syrup right in the comfort of your own home.
Are you looking to try something new? Try adding the following syrups to your coffee for a unique taste experience.
#6 –Add Lavender Syrup to Your Coffee: A Unique Taste and Stress Reliver
One of the newest coffee trends is adding lavender syrup to your latte and topping it with lavender flower.
Consuming lavender has been a thing for thousands of years. It has been used to treat sleep disorders, stress, and anxiousness.
Adding lavender to your coffee offsets the jittery feels associated with consuming the caffeine in coffee.
Sensitive to caffeine?
Adding lavender to your coffee is perfect for you.
#7 –Add Rose Syrup: Experience Springtime Any Time of Year
Have you ever walked by a garden full of roses, stopped and thought: “Wow, that smells great!”
Well, now you can relive this experience by adding rose flavored syrup to your coffee.
That’s right. Adding rose flavored syrup to your coffee is a new trend in the coffee industry that can elevate the taste of your coffee and remind you of springtime.
This syrup is made from rose water and rose petals. These flavors are popular in Middle Eastern desserts and adding this syrup to your coffee adds an accent of sweet sophistication.
Speaking of foreign flavors, I will now talk about some of the best coffee out there that is European.
European Coffee Brands
If you ever travel to Europe, be sure to check out these great European coffee brands known for standing out from the crowd in terms of taste and environmental effects.
#8 –Buy Five Elephant Coffee: Either Online or In-person
Five Elephant is a legendary coffee company located in Berlin, Germany.
No, it is not at all related to the Black Ivory coffee company or elephant dung coffee.
You must be thinking, “Thank goodness!”
It is a café, a specialty coffee roaster, and bakery with the goal of providing the best environmentally sourced coffee and delicious bakery items in way that keeps the health of the environment in mind as well as the vibrancy of communities that produce their coffee.
If you can’t visit this coffee chain in person in Germany, their website is a one-stop-shop for all things coffee, which sells coffee beans online as well as barista classes and books.
#9 –Try Julius Meinl Coffee: A Must Try if You Visit Vienna
Julius Meinl is a coffee company located in Vienna, Austria founded by Julius Meinl I and Julius Meinl II in 1862, making it one of the oldest European coffee brands out there.
The founders came up with a unique roasting process using only single origin coffee and roasting it in single-lot batches, a process which is still used by them today.
They serve about 5 million people every day and about 2 billion people every year. As an internationally renowned coffee business, you will find that with the taste of their coffee it is no wonder why!
Sticking with foreign coffees, another unique foreign coffee experience comes from the Japanese, who are innovators when it comes to a unique portion of the coffee market – canned coffee.
#10 –Drink a can of Japanese canned coffee
Canned coffee was invented by the Japanese in the 1960s. In fact, it was the Ueshima Coffee Company that first sold canned coffee in stores in 1969.
Quickly thereafter, the company along with others, began to add flavors to their canned coffee such as milk.
Canned coffee is sold in vending machines all over the country, which are now ubiquitous as the demand grew along with the desire of the Japanese people to have the ability to buy good quality coffee on-the-go. Many of these coffee vending machines have both hot and cold options.
American companies have followed suit and have tried, and continue to try, to dabble in the canned coffee market.
Options include Monster Energy Coffee and Coffee with Coca-Cola.
Read more about coffee drinks to try in Asia.
Further Reading On Kopi Luwak Coffee
In the movie, Morgan Freeman has “laugh until I cry” on his bucket list.
He crosses it off when Jack Nicholson tells him that Kopi Luwak coffee (Indonesian for “civet coffee”) is made from the feces of a palm-civet, which is a cat like creature.
How is Kopi Luwak Made?
It’s true!
Palm civets ingest the best coffee beans and their digestive system processes the proteins of the coffee beans and changes their chemical composition.
They then defecate, and Kopi Luwak harvesters hand wash the beans to create what is considered to be the best quality coffee on the market.
The Price of Kopi Luwak
Kopi Luwak is very expensive.
It sells for up to$600 per pound and about $50 per cup at higher end cafes.
Do you want to try it?
The Taste of Kopi Luwak
People view the taste differently.
There are some that believe the civet’s digestive process adds a tangy lemon taste from the civet’s digestive juices.
They praise the taste, saying it is the best coffee they have ever tasted in their life.
No wonder it sells for up to $600 per pound!
On the other hand, there are coffee experts that say that Kopi Luwak is the worst coffee they have ever tasted in their life.
Some even say that it tasted like old, stale bean water and think that the excitement about drinking Kopi Luwak is due to it being a novelty item because of the process by which it is made, with all the hype that comes with the price as well.
Is the Production of Kopi Luwak Animal Cruelty?
Those that are against the production of Kopi Luwak coffee argue that the process by which it is produced is animal cruelty.
Civets are captured, then forced to live in very small cages, which contain a lot of feces and urine, which they must deal with.
Also, civets are nocturnal, but they are forced to battle the elements of sunlight coming through their cage.
In addition, they are often given only coffee cherries to eat, which leads to health issues and shorter life spans because of malnutrition.
Now is the time to move on and talk about other unique coffee experiences to add to your bucket list, especially if you want to try something other civet poop coffee.
Conclusion
As coffee lover, I find it hard to imagine creating a bucket list without unique coffee experiences on the list.
There are so many options to choose from, but I hope this list narrows it down for you. Poop coffee, though? Who knows, you might like it. It is important to have an open mind when trying things for the first time.
After all it wouldn’t be a unique coffee experience on your bucket list if it wasn’t a tad bit weird.
Photos by CocoParisienne, Suju-Foto, Rahulsankraft and Nathan Dumlao.
