The World’s Best Coffee Cost $100 A Cup
The world’s best coffee, Geisha coffee, is grown in the highlands of Panama, where the climate and soil are ideal for producing high-quality beans, and is known for its light body and aromatic flavor notes, which include jasmine, tart fruits, papaya, mango, and berries.
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, with millions of people consuming it every day. While the warm drink is relatively affordable, some varieties can be costly due to their unique production methods and rarity. Some of the world’s best coffee is grown in Panama, with the most coveted beans located in remote areas of the country.
Panama’s Geisha coffee is grown in the highlands, where the climate and soil are ideal for producing high-quality beans. Dubbed the world’s best coffee, the rare variety is known for its light body and aromatic flavor notes, which include jasmine, tart fruits, papaya, mango, and berries. Coffee grower Ratibor Hartmann and importer Ellen Fan told CBS News that the blend easily sells for $100 a cup.
“This varietal, Panamanian Geisha, is the best,” Fan told the publication. Geisha coffee beans originated in Ethiopia and were named after the Gesha region in the country. When the beans were exported to Panama, there was a misspelling on a label that just stuck. The product underwent experimentation by Price Peterson, who discovered it could withstand harsh weather.
After several farming trials, Peterson created the world’s best coffee. In 2004, he entered the brew in the Best of Panama contest. “It was no competition,” Daniel Peterson said via CBS News. He explained that local and international judges who had tasted coffee from around the world fell in love with their product. Since then, Daniel and Rachel Peterson have been trying to take the beans even further.
They experimented with different variations of the beans while attempting new fermentation and drying techniques. Still, the world’s best coffee, some of their beans sell for more than $500 a pound. The hefty price tag is primarily due to the limited crop supply and the family’s careful handling of the highly coveted product.
Interestingly, the world’s best coffee was largely ignored for decades due to the work required to cultivate it. According to Forbes, the Geisha beans require special fertilizer, careful pruning, and a home ideally situated between two oceans. But after growers like the Petersons recognized its potential, the coffee sold for $1,029 per pound in 2019.
The world’s best coffee can be purchased outside Panama. The product is available from Japan’s Saza Coffee to California’s Klatch Coffee. But nothing beats traveling to Panama to experience the production process and learn about the nuances of growing the delicate bean.
Other expensive coffees include Black Ivory Coffee. Produced in Thailand, it can cost up to $1,500 per pound. The beans are cultivated by feeding coffee cherries to elephants, where they are partially fermented during digestion. The cherries are then collected, cleaned, and roasted to produce one of the world’s best coffee products.
While drinking coffee that’s been partially digested by an elephant may seem distasteful, Black Ivory Coffee is popular among folks willing to pay top dollar for its unique taste. For the rest of us, Starbucks is a good option for a quick caffeine boost.
With its widespread availability, variety of drinks, rewards program, dedication to quality, and commitment to sustainability, Starbucks has something for everyone. So if you can’t reconcile spending $100 on the world’s best coffee, the mainstream beverage chain is a good option.
