How much would you pay for a cup of coffee? I’m guessing you usually pay somewhere between one and five dollars. Any interest in cranking that price way, way up? Like anything in food and beverage, there’s a whole world of luxury out there when it comes to coffee. Imported, high-altitude, exotic coffee is usually available for purchase, but you really have to ask yourself if it’s worth it. From specialty coffee to civet coffee (you’ll see), here are five of the most expensive coffees in the world.
Related: Best Cheap Coffee Under $10 per Pound
Kopi Luwak
$400 for 16 ounces from Volcanica Coffee Company
There’s just so much to talk about here. For starters, yes, the staggering price. The Indonesian Kopi Luwak is often referred to as the most rare and expensive coffee in the world — and the reason for that? The process under which Kopi Luwak coffee is made is probably not what you expect. These coffee cherries are processed and, well, naturally refined by the digestive enzymes of Asian palm civets. Once the civets are done refining, the coffee beans are collected and washed. Hopefully more than once.
Related: The Best (and Worst) Fast Food Coffee You Can Buy
Black Ivory
$130 for 1.23 ounces from Black Ivory
We’ve got ourselves another luxury coffee made by way of an animal’s digestive tract. Elephants are the ones to thank for Black Ivory coffee, which runs for a staggering $130 per ounce. Unsurprisingly, the northern Thailand-based coffee farm also refers to itself as the most rare and expensive coffee in the world.
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El Injerto
Prices vary from El Injerto
El Injerto is one of the most well-regarded coffee farms in the world. Since it was founded in 1874, it has continually been referred to as Guatemala’s best coffee, and frequently hosts auctions for micro lots of its coffee that garner hundreds of dollars per pound. A recent auction saw 75 pounds of El Injerto sell for six grand, but you can purchase cheaper bags of the farm’s coffee at a more reasonable price.
Hacienda La Esmeralda
$11 for 2 ounces from Blessed Bean
Generally only available via auction, it’s not easy to source Hacienda la Esmeralda coffee (eBay is always a good bet). Though it’s not $130 an ounce like Black Ivory, you’re still paying around $5 per ounce. At those prices, a typical Starbucks drink would be $60.
Molokai
$75 for three eight-ounce bags from Coffees of Hawaii
Though the $75 price tag for 24 ounces of coffee is more than I can personally comprehend, Molokai coffee lands as the cheapest one on this list. The legendary Hawaiian coffee is known for its smoky chocolate and cedar flavors.
