Brewed Awakenings: The World's 4 Weirdest Coffees

By Gregory Peduto

From beans plucked from cat poop to coffee flavored with monkey spit, java aficionados ingest some nutty stuff in the name of finding the ultimate buzz. These caffeine-imbibing daredevils are constantly on the lookout for the most exotic varieties of beans that combine the best taste, smoothest flavor, and the wackiest backstory. Here are just a few of the most exciting blends they love to brew over.

1. Good to the Last Dropping

The Indonesian drink known as Kopi Luwak or civet coffee might be the rarest cup of joe on the planet, and for good reason. Made from the feces of a coffee bean munching cat, this Southeast Asian brew has one of the most unique flavor on earth. But why drink the stuff? According to a study conducted by Massimo Marcone of Guelph University, enzymes in the cat's digestive tract alter the bean's proteins. And since proteins control bitterness, the civet coffee has no acidic taste. The bigger question is: How safe is it to use coffee beans plucked from cat poop?

Quite safe, apparently. Farmers wash the droppings before roasting them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. But the process does make Kopi Luwak the most expensive coffee on the planet. Prices range from $50 a cup to $600 a pound. For anyone gutsy enough to try it, the beans can be purchased from Animal Coffee. Of course, the brew isn't without its critics. Some folks think the musky flavor imparted by the cat's anal glands make the drink taste like, well, crap.

2. Vanilla Flavored Monkey Spit

The farmer discovered that the monkey-sucked beans possessed a distinct vanilla flavor.

Coffee lovers go bananas for the monkey spit brew and its fantastic aftertaste, but consumers should prepare for sticker shock.

Monkey java is rarer than Kopi Luwak and prices can be as high as $27 for 8 ounces. With harvests that range from as little as 8lbs to 600lbs a year, Formosan monkey joe is virtually unavailable in the U.S., but Paradise Roasters offers a close cousin: a bean sucked and spit by an Indian rhesus monkey.

3. That Perfect Monsoon Taste

4. Brazil's Answer to Big Cat Coffee