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Coffee Tourism: The Best Travel Destinations & Countries For Coffee Lovers

Love coffee? Love travel? The rising trend of coffee tourism combines the two…

One of the things we love most about coffee is how many people and places it touches.

The journey of a coffee can travel several continents to get to your cup.

For example, the coffee beans could be grown by coffee farmers in Kenya before being roasted at a coffee roastery in Portugal like ours.

And, given that we ship our coffees worldwide, could be enjoyed in a different country or continent.

(For example, we shipped coffee to countries as varied as Israel, the USA and Finland this week alone!)

And, just like that, those African coffee beans have travelled across several time zones and countries before they become the cup of coffee in front of you.

But it’s no longer just coffee travelling to the consumer.

With the rise of agrotourism – including coffee tourism – across the world, many of the best coffee countries are now seeing an increase in tourists travelling to experience coffee at different parts of the production chain.

So, what is coffee tourism and how is it changing the world of coffee?

We’ll take a look at all of that – and some reasons why coffee tourism may just be for you! – in this article.

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Benefits of coffee tourism

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What is coffee tourism?

Coffee tourism, at its core, is any kind of tourism that relates to coffee.

Most commonly, it is related to the coffee production process, which involves many stages and nuances.

However, the term ‘coffee tourism’ may also be used to describe travel to destinations for coffee tasting or coffee experiences that do not involve the production of coffee directly.

While many coffee lovers dream of visiting a coffee farm to see the crop being grown, coffee drinkers who aren’t as passionate about specialty coffee or its origins can appreciate a city-based coffee-tasting session or tour.

Let’s take a look at the main types of coffee tourism to see how this looks:

Types of coffee tourism

While there are new types of coffee experiences and coffee-related travel popping up, the main types of coffee tourism fall into four main categories:

Coffee farms

Whether you drink espresso -based coffee drinks like latte or cappuccino or prefer your coffee brewed using a filter method like French Press or AeroPress , all coffee starts its life in the same way.

And that’s on a coffee farm!

Coffee lovers have been able to visit the farms where their favourite beverage is grown for a long time, but it’s only in recent years that it’s become more common.

Coffee farm tours are usually offered by local farmers.

During this increasingly popular tourism experience, you’ll receive a full farm tour where you can see the coffee plants and learn about the process of coffee production from those who live and breathe it.

If you’re visiting a family farm, they may also invite you inside to try other family recipes!

Now that coffee farms are being visited more frequently, it’s possible to join larger, organised tours when visiting coffee-growing regions.

However, we recommend that true coffee lovers seek out the small scale farmers who offer independent farm tours for a more intimate experience.

Coffee tasting

Tours of coffee plantations generally include a coffee-tasting element to the experience.

However, coffee tasting is a popular type of coffee tourism in its own right.

While coffee tours of farms can only be offered by coffee growers, coffee tasting is becoming increasingly popular among coffee roasters and specialty coffee shops all over the world.

Coffee shop owners and roasters regularly offer tasting experiences that can be enjoyed by both locals and foreign visitors.

Each coffee-tasting event is different, but is usually reserved for single-origin coffee .

Most experiences include different types of coffee and of several cups coffee made using different brewing methods for you to compare.

And, since you don’t need to visit a coffee-producing country to enjoy it, you can easily tag this type of coffee tourism onto a non-coffee trip almost anywhere in the world!

Coffee culture tours

Coffee tours are another way to enjoy some coffee adventures on a trip to almost anywhere in the world.

Usually themed around a particular topic, a coffee-themed tour of a city allows you to soak up some of the local coffee cultures and see how the popular beverage is enjoyed by local communities.

Coffee tours can be as diverse as coffee itself, from sampling the best flat whites in Melbourne and having your own design created in 3D latte art in Tokyo, to week-long treks through a coffee route in Ethiopia .

As has been supported by research , the growing industry of coffee tourism can have a multi-faceted and significant impact on those at the heart of it.

Some of the critical roles it plays include:

Generating additional income for coffee farmers
Increasing interest in specialty coffees
Distributing income throughout the year, particularly in coffee destinations where the crop is very seasonal
Funding other projects in local communities with income generated from coffee tourism
Raising awareness of environmental issues and promoting more sustainable practices within the coffee industry

Best coffee tourism destinations

So, you’re ready to embark on a coffee adventure – or include coffee more deeply – in your next trip.

But where are the best places to visit for coffee tourism?

The Americas

By far the most popular – and most established – region for coffee tourism, Central and South American coffee farms produce some of the world’s best coffee and have been welcoming coffee tourists for decades.

There are many different farms and experiences for coffee tourists to enjoy here, from El Salvador and Costa Rica all the way to Peru and Uruguay.

Colombia’s coffee triangle is a particularly popular destination for coffee tourism and offers some of the best coffee farm tours available.

The Minas Gerais region in Brazil , the largest coffee producer in the world, is (unsurprisingly) also a popular spot for coffee enthusiasts.

The Chiapas region in Mexico, while relatively undiscovered until recently, is also becoming a more popular coffee destination for those looking for such tours in Latin America.

Due to climate restrictions, Europe’s coffee production is VERY limited

However, that doesn’t mean our home continent doesn’t know how to make delicious coffees.

Far from it, it’s one of the few regions where you’re rarely far from some great coffee, whether you’re in a busy capital city or a little town on the coast (like Lagos !).

Some of the best coffee shops and roasters in the entire world can be found across Europe, and it’s one of the reasons why we love being based here.

While you won’t find any coffee farm tours in Europe, there are countless ways to enjoy coffee tourism through art, tasting, roasteries and more.

Despite Africa being one of the main coffee-producing continents, coffee tourism is still relatively new (or still unheard of) in most of its different regions.

Countries such as Kenya , Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are beginning to offer more coffee tours for coffee lovers, but it has a long way to go to catch up with the coffee tourism space in South & Central America.

Still, there is clearly great potential for coffee tourism in Africa and we expect to see it become much more popular in the coming years.

Much of Asia’s coffee production revolves around robusta coffee, and therefore so does its coffee tourism.

Aside from coffee plantation tours, Asia has some of the more unique coffee experiences around the world.

These include enjoying the many unique coffee traditions found here, including the famous Hanoi egg coffee which is made from egg yolk and condensed milk.

It also includes novelty coffee products such as ‘kopi luwak’ – a coffee made from cherries excreted by civets (and one that we do not endorse for its ethical concerns).

Like in Europe, coffee tourism in Asia also extends to the simple experience of drinking coffee. However, in Asia, you’ll find many novelty coffee shops including those that employ 3D latte art designers who can recreate any image you like.

Home of the flat white, Australia is home to some of the best coffee in shops in the world.

Not only are Aussies known for their high coffee standards, but there are companies that grow and roast their own coffee thanks to the country’s unique climate.

For example, Tamborine Mountain Coffee’s crop-to-cup tour takes you from plantation to coffee shop, showing you the entire coffee process in one day!

As you can see, coffee tourism is a popular travel trend that is only set to increase as the entire coffee chain becomes more accessible to tourists and coffee lovers.

Whether you decide to visit a coffee destination or simply want to enjoy coffee in different ways during your planned trips, there are many ways to enjoy coffee tourism.

And, for the times when you can’t travel for coffee, coffee can help bring the world to your home .

P.S… Can’t travel for coffee?

Our coffee subscription is a great way to experience different single-origin roasts from all over the coffee-producing world every month.

We send two different coffees each time, so you can ‘travel’ wide and far in your home coffee consumption, even if coffee tourism isn’t in your plans yet!

1 thought on “Coffee Tourism: The Best Travel Destinations & Countries For Coffee Lovers”

How come you leave out the origin of coffee, Ethiopia from the list?? It is funny that the best coffee brand such as Yirgachefe, Sidamo, Guji Harar are from Ethiopia in case you don’t know.

Why coffee is the perfect travel companion

Sep 30, 2019 • 7 min read

For the best coffee, you might have to look a little further afield than your hotel Ekaterina Smirnova / Getty Images

What’s it like to travel as someone who doesn’t drink alcohol? For one thing, it can mean feeling like you’ve missed out on a whole side to a destination. No bar crawls, no searching out the local speakeasy, no making friends with locals and other travelers at some underground nightclub. Booze is, as we all know, a social lubricant, so not partaking can leave us teetotallers feeling left out. But there is a solution.

A woman pours a sachet of sugar into a cup of coffee.

If you’re anything like me, traveling sober means visiting coffee shops. Lots of coffee shops. Cafes, and the people you meet and talk to while in them, are a valuable resource when travelling – they can give precious local insights, and spending time in coffee shops is a great way to get a feeling for a city’s atmosphere and culture.

As someone who used to work in the speciality coffee industry – as a barista, a coffee roaster, and a marketer – I’m familiar with the urge to visit every coffee shop in a given city. I’ve even planned trips around coffee. But even if you just like the drink (and want to take some Instagrammable photos of latte art) it’s worth contemplating how coffee shops can enhance and improve your trip.

Article writer Fionn Pooler sits under a coffee shop price list mounted on a white tiled wall. He's looks directly at the camera as he takes a sip of coffee.

Coffee is a truly universal beverage, and it can now be found in nearly every corner of the world. The growth of high quality speciality coffee over the past decade has been staggering, with most cities now hosting a thriving scene. As a bonus, the caffeine will give you the energy you need to get out into your destination and really explore it.

Here are some tips and ideas on how to use coffee as the ultimate travel guide, companion, and social instigator.

A cake with white icing on a white plate with a fork sits next to a green saucer with a cup of coffee with latte art of a leaf.

(A quick note before we get going: this article is focusing on speciality, or third wave, independent coffee shops. Think exposed ductwork, lo-fi indie soundtrack, a tousle-haired barista or two, and locally-sourced or otherwise high quality coffee. If you’re looking for your nearest Starbucks, they have their own cafe locator . Or you could glance twenty feet to your left – there’s probably one right there.)

Coffee guides and trip planners

Once you’ve decided on where you’re going to visit, a good first start for finding coffee shops is your favourite search engine – although be aware that searching 'Los Angeles coffee' will bring up a lot of choices, most of which won’t be worth visiting. Searching Instagram hashtags is another easy place to do some research ( #londoncoffeeshops , #tokyocafe , #melbournecafes for example) but can be a rabbit hole of staring at beautiful cafe interiors, so be careful there as well.

A warmly lit bar in a coffee shop, with utensils in pots and two large glass jars containing chocolate brownies.

Next, there are a few helpful guidebooks, websites, and apps geared solely toward finding the best coffee shops in a given area. In the United Kingdom, the Independent Coffee Guide publishes one guidebook per year for the various regions, as well as Ireland. London and New York City have their own guidebooks, because you'd need good luck navigating their innumerable cafes without one.

Best Coffee is a website and app that is constantly updated with new cafes chosen by coffee experts, and covers many cities around the world from Auckland to Madrid to Singapore. The app isn’t free, but it’s a great resource if you’re visiting any of the cities it covers. If you’re headed to Australia, Beanhunter is the app for you.

Going a bit more in depth, the website Sprudge has a host of city guides (disclosure: I’ve written a few of them). These articles go into more detail than most, offering five or more of the best cafes in a given city, with info including what coffee is served and how it is brewed. Brian’s Coffee Spot is another good resource, covering Europe, North America and East Asia with in-depth articles, maps, and photo galleries.

A red Land Rover Defender is parked in front of the red brick facade of Perc Coffee Roasters.

Plan your trip around coffee

In the summer of 2016, my wife and I took a road trip from Michigan up to Montréal via Toronto , down through New York state to Washington, DC, then all the way south to Savannah , Georgia, before heading to Alabama and back home through Tennessee. A good portion of the stops on this trip were coffee-related: Toronto and Montreal both have stellar coffee scenes, for a start, while pretty much every city we stopped in, no matter how small, had something to offer coffee-wise.

Visiting coffee shops and chatting with the baristas who work there is a good way to get to know a city and get recommendations on where else to visit. For example, we found Perc Coffee Roasters in Savannah because a barista at a previous stop raved about it. Inside a big brick warehouse, tucked into a nondescript neighborhood far away from the more popular tourist destinations, we found a crew of people eager to chat and give us additional Savannah-based recommendations – plus a seat at the bar, a refreshing cold brew, and a view of the roasting operation in full swing.

The minimalist grey facade of It All Started Here coffee shop. There is a door leading inside to the left and a large picture window to the right of it.

Likewise, while in Glasgow , Scotland, a barista at one coffee shop told me about a cafe on the south-side of the city that had only just opened and was therefore not yet showing up in search results. The shop is called It All Started Here , and it turned out to be one of the best coffee experiences I had while in the city. What started life as a pop-up at events around Scotland proved so popular that a brick-and-mortar cafe was quick to follow. Using a multi-roaster model, where coffee from roasters around the country is rotated weekly, It All Started Here approaches the craft with meticulous care and focus, serving coffee and an ever-expanding food menu that sparkle with originality and flavour.

The lesson here: talk to your barista, ask questions, and always, always, tip.

A close-up shot of a barista pouring milk into a small coffee cup over a wooden counter top.

How do I know this coffee shop is good before going?

This is an important question, because there are so many coffee shops in any given city that there’s always a chance the one you’ve chosen might be a letdown. So how can you decide beforehand? Here are some tips:

What’s their Instagram like?

If you see a lot of artfully-taken photos of latte art and kettles pouring hot water over ground beans, chances are it’s worth visiting. There is definitely an element of self-parody to some of these photos, but if nothing else it’s at least a sign that the company cares enough to put effort into its account.

Has anything been written about them?

Another shameless plug, but the coffee tours of various cities in Sprudge are all visited and vetted before being included (I spent a day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, drinking far too much coffee, while researching the tour I wrote for that city). If a coffee shop shows up in one of these articles, then it might be worth visiting.

A coffee roaster with his back to the camera releases a batch of beans into a large grinding machine.

Who roasts their beans?

If they roast their own, then there’s a better chance of the coffee being decent (or at least fresh). If they’re a multi-roaster, look to see who supplies them – is it big name speciality roasters like Counter Culture Coffee (in the US), Square Mile (in the UK), or The Barn (in Germany)? That’s a good sign. Is it a local micro-roaster whose website features a tattooed arm swirling some roasted beans around in a cooling tray? Even better.

What kind of espresso machine do they use?

This is a massive generalization, but my rule of thumb is that if a cafe I want to visit has a La Marzocco , then it’ll probably be at least worth a look.

An espresso in a decorative glass cup sitting on a saucer on a table outside. The street scene in the background is in soft focus.

Can’t I just drink the hotel coffee?

Well you can, but it probably won’t be good. Some hotels are starting to take coffee more seriously, and a few even have full-blown cafes in their lobbies, but your best bet if you’re trying to save money is to pack your own beans, a hand grinder, and some kind of transportable brewer (the AeroPress is popular among travelers for its quality and robustness). Or, if that seems like too much effort, there are a number of companies producing speciality instant coffee, such as Voila and Sudden .

With options like this, and the growing ubiquity of great coffee all over the world, there’s really no excuse not to drink good coffee while traveling. And if you’re trying to do so sober, coffee shops make for a great alternative to pubs and bars as a way to meet new people and scope out the local culture. Trust me, I’ve been doing it for years.

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The Best Coffee in the World: 7 Cities to Visit

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack : "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience : Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto : "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat : "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at [email protected] .

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It’s cheap, available all over the world, wakes you up, and can cool you off or warm you up—coffee is truly a traveler’s best friend.

The Best Coffee in the World

If you’re willing to travel the globe in search of the best coffee in the world, here’s where you should head.

Portland, Oregon

There are so many coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, that there are entire tours dedicated just to taking tourists around to sample the artisan scene. Lora Woodruff, owner of Third Wave Coffee Tours , writes: “I usually break down our cafes as follows: 876 coffee shops, 152 Starbucks and around 60 individuals or organizations that are roasting coffee—some individual espresso bars, some large wholesale roasters, represented multiple times around the city in roaster-owned cafes, as well as restaurants, bakeries, and businesses around the city.”

Why has Portland become such a hot spot for coffee? In this famously rainy city, there’s nothing better than ignoring the weather by curling up inside with a hot cup.

“We seem to have an insatiable need for coffee, perhaps because of our many days of rain, and we are able to support a lot of local roasters as many of us are probably considered ‘regulars’ at more than just one shop,” says Lauren Lathrop, Coffee Educator at Portland Roasting Coffee . “I think Portland has always been a place where people are encouraged to branch out, take risks, and try new things. In that spirit, a lot of very small, craft-focused coffee shops have been able to maintain a loyal following simply by being consistently great and doing things their own way.”

Where to Stay: The Ace Hotel has a Stumptown coffee shop right in its lobby, so you don’t have to leave the building to get caffeinated. (Many people believe that Stumptown coffee is some of the best coffee in the world, and the roaster started in right here in Portland.)

Melbourne, Australia

If you’ve ever ordered a flat white at a Starbucks, you can thank an Australian. The drink, an espresso topped with steamed milk that’s been frothed into a creamy consistency, originated there. Australia has a huge coffee culture, with cafes being seen as social spaces to linger and relax instead of a spot to grab a to-go coffee or use the Wi-Fi, and focus on quality drinks.

“It’s almost impossible to walk around a corner in Melbourne without the familiar scent of a perfectly brewed espresso lingering down a laneway,” Visit Victoria Chief Executive Officer Peter Bingeman says. “The coffee culture here remains fiercely independent, with coffee chains a rarity to be seen in Melbourne.”

Where to Stay: Coffee and sweets go together perfectly, so book a night at the world’s only dessert themed hotel, the Adelphi .

Helsinki, Finland

Finland is a nation of dedicated coffee consumers. In fact, Finns drink the most coffee per capita in the world. According to the Helsinki Tourism Board, “Finns buy almost 22 pounds of roasted coffee per person, per year, and drink an average of three to five cups of coffee per day.”

Finnish coffee is usually served up with a sweet treat on the side—so commonly that there is even a Finnish word for it. Kakkukahv translates to “coffee and cake.”

Where to Stay: The Radisson Blu Seaside Hotel is within easy walking distance to plenty of cafes.

Portland, Maine

For being a small city, Portland, Maine, has an outsized coffee scene, with some of the best coffee in the world found in this New England hot spot.

“The most unique thing about the Portland coffee scene is that many of the shops here roast for themselves, creating their own style and vibe,” Kathleen Pratt, co-owner of Tandem Coffee Roasters says. “For a small city, this feels super special and makes it exciting for Portland residents and visitors alike to find the spot that best suits their tastes.”

Where to Stay: Journalists are known for their love of coffee, so stay at The Press Hotel , the former printing plant of the Portland Press Herald , now a boutique hotel.

Milan, Italy

Espresso was invented in Milan, so head to its birthplace if you want to experience the best coffee in the world in its purest form: The world’s first espresso machine was unveiled at the 1906 Milan Fair. Don’t expect to take it to go or to linger though—espresso in Italy is meant to be drunk quickly, while standing up at a counter.

Where to Stay: The Allegroitalia Espresso Linate has espresso in its name.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnamese coffee is its own special subset of coffee—one that’s traditionally served iced and mixed with condensed milk in order to simultaneously cool you off and get you amped on sugar and caffeine.

Vietnam has more types of coffee than Starbucks has themed concoctions, so visit Hanoi if you want to try everything from egg coffee (egg yolk whipped with condensed milk and added to coffee) to yogurt coffee (yogurt topped with a splash of black coffee).

Where to Stay: The Conifer Boutique Hotel is inexpensively priced and centrally located, so you can save money on your caffeine.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is considered to be the birthplace of coffee, with historians estimating that the harvest of the bean began here around 800 B.C. Get it straight from the source at the capital city’s first coffee roaster, TO.MO.Ca Coffee . Try an Ethiopian macchiato, which is very small and concentrated. If that’s too strong, a spriss (half coffee and half tea) will be a little less intense.

Where to Stay: The Addissinia Hotel is a quiet oasis in the middle of Addis Ababa, where you can relax with your coffee of choice.

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Caroline Morse Teel is obsessed with espresso and on a quest to find the best coffee in the world. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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INTELLIGENT TRAVEL

Coffee Around the World

Kenneth Davids is a coffee expert, an author, and a co-founder of Coffee Review , a site that serves as a coffee buyer’s guide. Davids conducts blind, expert cuppings of coffees and reports the finding in 100-point reviews, much like those that exist in the wine industry.

Some of the advice Davids gives is basic but bears repeating:

When evaluating coffee, first smell it. Begin by sniffing the coffee after it is freshly ground, then smell the brewed coffee to compare the two aromas.
Next, taste the coffee. To get the fullest flavor, slurp it, taking the liquid into your mouth so that it spreads evenly over the surface of your tongue and reaches all of your taste buds at once.
Take your time, and enjoy the process. The more you taste, the better you get at it.

Every coffee has particular characteristics, but there are taste generalizations for the three major coffee-growing regions that can be helpful to keep in mind:

Latin American coffees are known for their clean “mouth feel” and slightly sweet, lively acidity. In some coffees, the acidity sparkles clearly above the other flavor components; in others, it provides a subtle but crisp accent.
African and Arabian coffees often have sweet flavors reminiscent of the aroma of a bowl of fresh fruit. Flavors from these regions range from mellow and winelike to zesty and citrusy.
Coffees from the Pacific region are generally rich and full-bodied, with nutty and earthy flavors. Most can be described as smooth in acidity with a slightly dry finish.

Here’s a drill-down on some of the different coffees that can be found around the world and the characteristics that give them their unique flavor:

Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has long been considered one of the rarest and most expensive of all coffees. Grown in fog-shrouded mountains at relatively modest elevations, the bean is dense, producing a rich taste and a very distinct aroma.

East African

Remarkable. Distinctive. Delicious. These adjectives apply to a plethora of coffees grown along a north-south axis that stretches from East Africa down to Zimbabwe. Coffees from Kenya exhibit berry tones, those from Ethiopia have citrus and floral tones, and those from Zambia are medium-bodied and wine-toned.

The celebrated Arabian Mocha bean grows in mountains of the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Cultivated and processed in the same fashion for more than 500 years, the Arabian bean produces a coffee that is acidic, fruity, and highly fragrant.

Central America

Grown along the spine of mountains that runs from southern Mexico to Panama, coffee from Central America is widely diverse in nature. The highest-elevation coffees of Guatemala and Costa Rica tend to be bold and full-bodied. Lower-elevation coffees are softer and have a more rounded flavor. Nicaraguan coffees are truly hearty.

Hawaiian Kona

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Hawaii’s Big Island possesses that rare combination of ideal growing conditions: high elevation, volcanic soils, cool mornings, warm afternoons, and natural shading. The result is a superior, rich-tasting coffee. The Kona bean grows on the lower slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa . A typical Kona cup is gently acidic, fragrant, and wine- or fruit-toned. Not to be missed!

Pacific Rim

The best-known and most distinctive Pacific coffees are grown in the Malay Archipelago , a chain of islands that include the nations of Indonesia, Timor, and Papua New Guinea. Deep-toned, traditionally processed coffees from Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Timor exhibit complex fruity, earthy, and musty notes. The wet-processed coffees of Sumatra, Java, and Papua New Guinea are bright and floral. The Indian subcontinent produces Arabica coffees that are sweet, floral, and low in acidity.

South American

South American coffees grow in a mountainous region that stretches from the north — Colombia and Ecuador — down to the high plateaus of Brazil. Robust and flavorful, the classic South American cup is the product of wet processing. Brazil produces the heralded Brazil Santos coffee .

This guide originally appeared in The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers (National Geographic Books) by Nathaniel Lande and Andrew Lande.

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Best destinations for coffee lovers

If you love coffee, how about planning your next trip in search of the perfect cup? To help you with this quest, we have prepared a list of the best coffee destinations in the world.

Just like the way you order coffee, the list is quite eclectic. It includes destinations where coffee is a millennial tradition, places to experience coffee production up close, and cities with vibrant coffee scenes full of trendy coffee shops and passionate roasters on every corner.

Coffee Destinations in the Americas

Brazil: são paulo, minas gerais and paraná.

Brazilian yellow bourbon coffee on the coffee route in Minas Gerais

Coffee is the second most consumed beverage by Brazilians. The country is the largest coffee producer in the world, with countless coffee farms spread across several regions.

The city of São Paulo is known for its huge variety of coffee shops, roasters, and labs. It is also constantly launching trends across the country – such as the innovative Coffee Lab, which works as a coffee academy.

São Paulo is the perfect starting point for several coffee routes in Minas Gerais and Paraná. It is possible to plan complete itineraries specialized in coffee, including visits to historic farms and accommodation in rural properties.

Also Read: Agritourism, the taste of country life in your travel itinerary

Colombia: The Coffee Triangle

bags with colombian coffee considered one of the best coffee destinations in the world

The coffee produced in Colombia is considered one of the best coffees in the world. Even its production areas have been certified by the European Union with the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication). Coffee tourism in the country is very popular, especially in the region of the Coffee Triangle – between the cities of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío.

Argentina: Buenos Aires

Argentina is not only about parrilla, wine, and tango. It is also a coffee destination to include in your itinerary. Although Buenos Aires has offered various cafes since the mid-19th century, coffee culture has only recently begun to grow in the city.

In the city, try the classic café con Leche (similar to the traditional latte) or the lágrima, which is milk with hot foam and a few drops of coffee.

Cuba: Havana

a shot of cuban coffee considered very strong and sweet coffee

Coffee shops in Havana, the capital of Cuba, usually grind their beans on the spot. The preparation of Cuban coffee is also quite peculiar. It is served very sweet, an espresso shot full of sugar to be drunk with a single shot, usually in the late afternoon. A great choice for boosting your energy at the end of the day!

Panama: Boquete, Chiriquí

coffee plantation during a coffee tour in Panamá

The entire Central American region has geographical (high altitudes) and climatic conditions favorable for growing coffee, from Mexico to Panama.

Panamá is the highlight of the Caribbean due to its numerous gourmet coffees. One example is El Geisha Arabica coffee, which stands out for its floral aromas, fruity tones, and delicate acidity.

The city of Boquete, located in Chiriquí, is a region surrounded by fertile land favorable for coffee cultivation and is also close to the Volcán Barú National Park.

Canada: Vancouver

preparing a drink with cold brew coffee, a new trend with coffee destinations around the world

Because of its sustainable proposal, Vancouver in Canada must be on this list. The city promotes initiatives of production and preparation of organic and fresh beans.

A walk around the city is enough to find several options of small coffee shops with baristas talented in preparing and extracting the beans. A good suggestion is to try cold brew coffee, very popular in the city.

United States: Seattle

coffee in seattle with the water on the background

Seattle is considered one of the world’s coffee roasting centers. Some even compare it to Rome, Vienna, and Melbourne in terms of coffee culture.

The demand for specialty beans is such that the proliferation of coffee shops throughout the city has been enormous in recent years. It is no wonder it is the birthplace of the world’s largest and most famous coffee shop chain: Starbucks, which still has its inaugural store in Pike Place Market.

Seattle has roasting points in cool neighborhoods like the University District and Capitol Hill. Even the Watertown Hotel has its own coffee shop, Pineapple.

Coffee Destinations in Africa

Ethiopia: addis ababa.

coffee ceremony in Ethiopia makes it a great destination for coffee tourism in the world

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and one of the largest producers in the world. Coffee is so important in the local culture that it is part of a special ceremony held as a friendship sign. In the ceremony, people spend hours roasting, grinding, and preparing coffee to enjoy in groups.

In the capital Addis Ababa, you will find the best coffee shops in the country. The city offers options of coffee shops with different profiles, which mix traditions, millennial techniques, and ceremonies with the trends and novelties of the current scenario.

Coffee Destinations in Europe

Austria: vienna.

Vienna is one of the world’s most traditional coffee destinations. Coffee in Vienna is even considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco.

One of the most famous preparations is the Wiener Melange (Viennese Blend), an espresso served with milk foam. Another option is the Einspänner, which is topped with a considerable layer of whipped cream instead of milk foam.

On a visit to the city, do not miss the Viennese cafes or kaffeehaus in the Weiden district, a hipster neighborhood in the region. Vienna also has a park dedicated to the founder of its first coffee house, Johannes Diodado, and hosts the famous Vienna Coffee Festival.

Italy: Rome

italian coffee with a moka coffee maker, a country considered best destination for drinking coffee

Italy is one of the European forerunners of coffee brewing, and Rome is one of the best destinations for coffee shop lovers. Italian creations include the famous espresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and caffè d’orzo.

In Italy, it is important to know that coffee shops are called bars, and the price of coffee can vary according to the way you order. If you ask for “un caffè al tavolo”, at the table, it can cost twice as much as “un caffè al banco” – consumed at the counter.

Each region of country blends its cultural identity, bringing different types of grains and roasts into the drink preparation. For example, if you visit Sicily, try caffè d’un parrinu, an Arabic-inspired coffee flavored with cloves, cinnamon, and cocoa.

France: Paris

coffee in Paris with the Eiffel tower on the background make the country a best destination for coffee shops among tourists

There is no lack of cafes in Paris. Many of which with tables on the sidewalks of charming streets. Sitting down to a Parisian-style coffee is like being in a scene from a movie.

The trendy 11th arrondissement neighborhood is where the creative community gathers for fun and good food, including bars and boutique cafes.

Ukraine: Lviv

latte coffee on a blue little plate popular coffee in Ukraine

The city of Lviv in Ukraine was also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its coffee tradition, dating back to the late 18th century. The Austrian newcomers to the region who established the coffee culture, an important part of the country’s history.

For a taste of Ukrainian coffee, be sure to go to the Virmenka coffee shop near the Vintage Boutique Hotel, a 15th-century building located in Lviv’s historic center.

Holland: Amsterdam

a cup with dutch coffee and stroopwafel on top makes Amsterdam an excellent coffee destination

It is no surprise that Holland is on this list. Amsterdam boasts several coffee shops and roasting spots frequented by locals and tourists alike.

Turkey: Istanbul

a traditional cafeteria making turkish coffee very popular country among tourist that like coffee when traveling

Turkey is undoubtedly one of the most traditional countries in coffee culture. The country has been drinking coffee since the Ottoman period. Istanbul is an excellent destination if you like full-bodied, concentrated coffee and are in the mood for a unique coffee experience.

The traditional Turkish coffee preparation is quite different from the conventional one. For Turkish coffee, the bean must be dark roasted and finely ground. The drink is not strained, and the coffee powder is mixed with water until it boils in a kettle called a cezve. Then it is served directly into cups, traditionally made of porcelain (kahve finkanı).

Since Turkish coffee is unfiltered, coffee grounds remain at the bottom of the cup. You need to stop drinking a little before you reach the end to avoid drinking the grounds.

Have you ever heard of Caffeomancy: the art of reading the future on coffee grounds? Well, take advantage of your trip to Turkey to read your fortune at the bottom of the cup.

Coffee Destinations in Asia

Vietnam: hanoi and ho chi minh city.

vietnamese coffee with condensed milk at the bottom of the cup makes Vietnam a famous coffee destination for tourists

The coffee bean was brought to Vietnam by French settlers in the mid-19th century, who employed a unique brewing style for Robusta beans.

The most popular preparation is the Cà phê den , made with a metal filter (phin) that directly drops the drink into the cup. It is a short, strong, full-bodied coffee with a persistent chocolate flavor.

Besides pure black coffee, Vietnamese coffee is also served with a layer of condensed milk at the bottom of the glass, hot or with ice. The reason is to sweeten and balance the bitterness. This type of coffee is called Cà phê sữa .

But the most unusual preparation is the Cà phê trứng , translated as Egg Coffee , which takes a cream on top made with egg yolk and condensed milk, practically a dessert.

India: Chennai

indian filter coffee or filter kaapi in the dabarah

Although it is one of the world’s leading coffee producers, India’s tea is still preferred among the locals. For this reason, the production of Indian coffee beans has been focused on exporting to Europe, especially Italy.

But, coffee has its place, being widely consumed in the south of the country. One of the most traditional ways of drinking coffee in India is the Filter Kaapi. The drink, which goes by the name of Kaapi, is a strong, full-bodied mixture that contains approximately 80% coffee beans and 20% chicory. It is prepared with a little milk and sugar using a typical Indian filter. The best place to try Filter Kaapi is in Chennai, where it is called Madras Coffee .

A highlight in Indian coffee is the process called Monsoon Malabar, in which the coffee beans are exposed during the monsoons from July to September. Its main characteristics are low acidity, intense flavor, and full-bodied.

Read more: Discover India’s most traditional beverages

Indonesia: Jakarta and Yogyakarta

kopi joss in Indonesia is a very traditional coffee made with coffee heated with ember

Indonesia is another producing country with a coffee culture well rooted in the local lifestyle. The country is famous for its unique varieties and methods, such as Java, Sumatra, Toraja, and Gayo coffee.

Jakarta is full of coffee shops, offering a whole experience of its rich coffee culture with beans from many islands of the archipelago. For a more immersive cultural experience, add the city of Yogyakarta to your itinerary, which is also on Java Island. There, try the Kopi Joss, a cup of coffee literally heated with embers, served at street stalls called warung kopi .

Want to know more? Check out the typical foods of Indonesia .

Indonesia also produces one of the most expensive coffees in the world: Kopi Luwak, which has its beans harvested from the feces of this animal native to the region.

Note: If you are going to try Luwak coffee, look for certified companies. The lack of regularization in the industry has contributed to the emergence of businesses with abusive practices and animal mistreatment. For this reason, we chose not to try the Luwak coffee during our stay in the country, giving preference to other types of coffee, which by the way, are delicious and worth trying!

Taiwan: Taipei

serving cold brew coffee in Taiwan, a very trendy coffee destination around the world with popular coffee experiences for tourists

Taipei has become a true paradise for coffee lovers. One of the city’s outstanding techniques is cold brew , made with a long cold infusion or water at room temperature. The technique, of Japanese origin, is already employed in several other countries and has opened doors to create various coffee drinks and cocktails.

Expect to find modern coffee shops in Taipei with high-quality, freshly ground beans.

Coffee Destinations in Oceania

Australia: melbourne.

Melbourne is considered the coffee capital of Australia with numerous options of coffee shops. Each area in the city has coffee shops with different styles, from hipster ones to more traditional ones.

Also, Melbourne is the home of the International Coffee Trade Show. Your coffee shop tour must include Abode 361 and Axil Coffee Roasters.

New Zealand: Wellington

Wellington is a coffee destination where the culture is based on its diversity. The city offers a few options of roasting points in the downtown area. There, you can smell coffee already from the streets.

The coffee shops scattered around the place range from modern, hipster to more traditional waterfront options.

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I Visited Panama to Try the World's Most Expensive Coffee — and Now You Can, Too

Panama is pouring the best cup of coffee on earth — and inviting you to come try it in person.

Michael Janson isn't in a hurry. At 78 years old, the coffee farmer has significantly slowed down with age, taking his time to step down from his four-wheeler and onto the ground below. But that new pace seems to fit him just fine. The fallen leaves crunch with each careful step he takes toward the overlook, just as the sun peeks through the mist. He stands in the sunshine looking over his 110-hectare farm in the mountainous region of Boquete, Panama, with the same beaming pride a father has for his children.

"The coffee has to be good because it's the fruit of the land," he says, adjusting his cap, his gray hair poking out from under the brim, all without breaking his mile-long gaze on his life's work. "To have all the flavors and the variety, you have to know the land."

And know the land he does. As a second-generation farmer, Janson has tended to this patch of earth nearly since the day he was born, alongside his siblings, children, and now grandchildren, who are joining him in growing a high-end bean to bring people around the world a better cup of coffee, as well draw attention to Panama as a force in the industry. Their work — and the work of a few other dedicated families and Indigenous communities — can only be described as a caffeinated renaissance for the nation, which is coming into full bloom with Panama's Coffee Circuit .

According to Perfect Daily Grind , Panamanians are serious about how much coffee they drink. As a population, the nation consumes about 20 million kilograms per year, or five kilograms per capita, which equates to about 700 cups per person. This works out to about two kilograms per capita more than other coffee-producing nations like Brazil and Colombia.

Though Panamanians drink a lot of coffee, they don't grow much of their own. According to the International Coffee Organization , Brazil produces the most coffee in the world, growing five billion pounds per year. In comparison, Panama produces just 13 million pounds. But what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality, thanks to one very special varietal known as Geisha.

"It takes a lot of know-how," Janson says of the Geisha bean. "We have an agriculture engineer just for this plant."

For the uninitiated, Geisha coffee is a bean originating from the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia.

Home Grounds , a coffee community website, explains that the bean made its way to research centers in Kenya and Tanzania before being sent to the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Costa Rica (or CATIE ) in the 1950s. (At this point, it was sent over with the spelling error, adding the extra "i" as a mistake , which did cause some controversy in the years to come, as well as some confusion as to the coffee's origin.) Coffee producer Don Pachi bought the seeds and brought them to Panama, where he allegedly gave them to his neighbors at Hacienda La Esmeralda, one of the first farms in the region to take it from seedling to cup.

Following its mid-20th century introduction, the bean quietly gained a small local following in Central America (with some calling it Geisha, and others using Gesha). However, it wasn't until 2004, when Hacienda La Esmeralda brought the beans to the Best of Panama coffee auction that taste evaluators got their first sip and fell in love. Like any rare, good item, it soon became not only the stuff of legend, but also something collectors simply had to get their hands on.

In fact, at the 2018 auction, a single pound went for $803, according to Home Grounds . Klatch Coffee roasters, located in Southern California, bought 10 pounds and made headlines when it started selling it for $75 a cup. It sold out of the bean within weeks. So, in 2019, it bought the bean again — this time for $1,029 per pound — and poured the world's most expensive coffee for $100 a cup.

To many, this may seem over-the-top, but for those who look at coffee the way others view wine, it's just another day in the market for a bean that hits all the right notes.

"To explain why people like Geisha, there is first a need to explain how the coffee industry looks at quality," Home Grounds says . "As an industry, the coffee world has informally agreed and generally calibrated that certain flavors and sensations are better than others. This concept of 'better' is built on the idea that if a flavor or sensation is rarer or more clearly perceived, it is superior. The flavors, though, must be driven by either fruit, tea, and/or florals."

So, what does this varietal taste like anyway? While sitting with Janson at his eponymously named farm, I slowly savored my brew, which was served in a wine glass to help me clearly see its amber hue glisten with each swirl. Upon hitting the tongue, the taste was more reminiscent of tea than coffee. It had notes of citrus, jasmine, and stone fruits, and is something I'd never dare pour a drop of cream in out of fear it would ruin its complexity. It's most certainly not for everyone, but it has found an audience, both across the world and in high-end shops in Panama City, as well as tasting rooms around the nation.

On its meteoric rise to fame, the Panama Tourism Authority and Center for Competitiveness of the Western Region took note and is now developing the country's first Coffee Circuit to help visitors taste the bean in the Chiriquí Highlands — now lovingly referred to as the "Napa Valley of coffee" — and get to know its national cultures a bit better.

"All types of travelers, from families to nature lovers and adventurers, are welcomed to explore the coffee farms that are located in three main regions of the Chiriquí Highlands," Promtur Panama, the official destination marketing organization for Panama, explains in a statement. Promtur notes, there are currently 15 coffee farms that are active in providing "distinctive touristic experiences" in the area, including guided tours, tastings, glimpses into production, and others, like Janson, who open up their land for visitors to explore, taste, and learn about how difficult it can be to grow a bean of this caliber.

One day, guests will be able to tour the area like they can in Napa, Bourdeaux, and Italy on guided exhibitions and pre-planned trips to see the farms, enjoy the famous bridge tours, and make their way to the top of Volcan Baru , both the highest point in Panama and one of the few places on the planet where you can see two oceans at once.

For now, visitors are encouraged to plot their own path using Visit Panama's coffee website and reach out to the farms directly to see what's on offer. At the moment, it's most certainly more work than booking a tour, but it's still a trip that will pay dividends in experiences and memories that will last for years to come.

"The higher the Geisha [is planted], the better," Janson says as we drive through rows and rows of his product on an educational tour similar to the one guests can enjoy now at their farm and others near it. "And you need to know what you're doing."

On future tours, guests will be able to learn all about the growing process from folks like Janson, as well as the Ngäbe and Buglé peoples, two Indigenous groups that are paramount to the success of coffee in the region.

"They are the ones most in contact with coffee over the last a hundred years," Diwigdi Valiente, an Indigenous climate activist, explains about the two groups who have long been known as the real farming experts. "Since farmers started cropping coffee, they hired the Ngäbe and Buglé peoples, who have a deep connection with nature and understand it to a very different degree than you and me."

That connection begins with an understanding that this bean grows so well because the region sits at the highest point in Panama, on top of volcanic ground, and comes surrounded by a constant light mist known as bajareque , which helps to lower the temperature and slow the ripening process. They know exactly when to plant, feed, and harvest each bean to ensure the highest measure of success.

For Valiente, this new focus on Panama's high-end coffee is "an open window to give value to all this Indigenous knowledge and to nature," he says. "The reason the coffee is so expensive is because these farmers are doing all these things right. They're listening to nature, they are listening to science, and they are also listening to people."

According to Valiente, "doing things right" includes paying a fair salary and assisting in the construction of both schools and care facilities for local children. "It's very important that on the farms and new tours, we have an opportunity to expose our culture, and that's going to be more prevalent in the future."

For Janson, it's also about sharing his love of the plant, a plant he says he comes to speak to on his solitary walks around the farm to help encourage them to grow. His greatest hope for the new tours is to have people explore the cultural bounty that Panama has to offer and watch others fall in love with it all, too.

"Every time I take someone here, and they sip the coffee and say 'wow,' it's like putting a million dollars in my pocket," he says. "My father dreamed that one day his whole family would come back and live on the farm. We are very proud that the family went out and had their own lives, but now, all our brothers are back. We have fulfilled my father's wish."

For more information on the Coffee Circuit and other activities in the region, check out Visit Panama's website .

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Best Coffee In the World (A Gourmet’s Guide to 30 Types of Coffee)

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. All hosted affiliate links follow our editorial policies .

One of our favorite things about traveling around the world has been the opportunity it affords us to sample the best food, wine, and spirits the cultures we explore have to offer.

I’ve been a hardcore coffee fanatic since I was 15 years old, making my dad a steaming hot cup every morning. And we’ve been fortunate to try some of the best coffee in the world on our adventures.

From staying on a Kona Coffee plantation on the island of Hawaii to picking, shelling, and fire-roasting our own at a farm on Mount Kilimanjaro , we’ve been fortunate to try countless different types of coffee fresh from the source.

The aromas are more intense, the flavors are bolder, and the experience of planting your feet on the field in which it was grown somehow seems to make every cup more enjoyable.

And then there are the trips we’ve taken to countries known for growing amazing coffee. To Costa Rica, whose coffee farm tours and tastings have grown as popular as their ecotourism offerings . To Colombia, where vendors sell steaming shots in tiny paper cups along the bustling streets of Cartagena . To the fertile volcanic soils of Rwanda , whose coffee industry began surging some 20 years after the end of the genocide.

I’m not sure what it is that made coffee one of the world’s most beloved beverages. There’s just something about it that seems somehow mystical, even magical. The process of grinding fresh beans, brewing a pot, and sharing an aromatic cup brings with it an air of the ancient– a communal ritual that dates back more than 500 years and spans our entire planet.

Here, we’ll take a brief look at the history and origins of coffee, explore six of the world’s most prominent coffee-growing regions, and share some of our favorite coffee varietals we’ve sampled over the past few years.

Coffee Origins Coffee From Africa Coffee From Asia Coffee From the Caribbean Coffee In South America / Central America Coffee In Europe Coffee In North America The Best Coffee in the World

The Best Coffee In The World: A Gourmet's Guide to 30 Types of Coffee

WHERE DID COFFEE ORIGINATE?

The origins of coffee can be traced back to at least the 10th century. Coffea arabica (a.k.a. Arabian coffee), the predominant strain of coffee, originated in the forests of the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and the mountains of Yemen. There, coffee plants grew 30-39 feet in the wild, with white flowers and red to purple cherries that contained the beans.

There’s considerable debate over who first discovered its benefits as a drink. One story tells of a Sufi mystic from Yemen, who tasted the berries in Ethiopia after seeing their energetic effect on birds there.

Another involves a 9th century Ethiopian goat-herder who took berries to a monk, who threw them into a fire and produced an enticing aroma. A third tale involves a disciple of Sheik Abou’l Hasan Schadheli, who discovered the magical beans after being exiled to a desert cave in Yemen.

Regardless of which story you choose to believe, there is archaeological evidence in the Sufi shrines of Yemen suggesting that it was consumed there regularly as early as the 15th century. The Sufi faithful there used it to help them concentrate and as a kind of spiritual intoxication when they chanted the name of God.

From there coffee spread to Mecca and Medina, then larger cities such as Baghdad, Constantinople, and Damascus. Coffee houses started springing up around Cairo’s religious University of the Azhar, then Aleppo and Istanbul.

Due to the bean’s stimulating effects, it was banned in Mecca in 1511 and Cairo is 1532. But by then it had already become popular throughout the Muslim world.

From its original cultivation in southern Arabia, coffee consumption gradually made its way into Europe, India, Indonesia and, eventually, the Americas. Now, over 2.25 billion cups are consumed every day, with beans harvested from the cherries of trees cultivated in more than 70 different countries around the world .

As technological innovation and globalization has led to a world that feels increasingly small, coffee connoisseurs seem willing to go much further afield in search of exotic varieties to give them their daily java fix. Here’s a look at some of the different types of coffee you can find on different continents around the world:

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COFFEE IN THE WORLD

COFFEE FROM AFRICA

Africa is the birthplace of coffee, so it’s no surprise that virtually every central African nation grows it. The continent includes eight of the world’s Top 25 coffee exporters : Ethiopia (846 million pounds), Uganda (634 million), Ivory Coast (238 million), Kenya (110 million), Tanzania (105 million), Cameroon (75 million), Madagascar (68 million), and Gabon (65 million).

Kenya’s coffee has emerged as a perennial favorite among connoisseurs, in part because of the country’s unique combination of climate, soil, and elevation. But, according to Jeff Taylor of PT’s Coffee Roasting Company ( Roast magazine’s 2009 Roaster of the Year), what really separates Kenyan coffee is the variety of trees they use.

“Farms in Kenya often use a mix of varieties called SL-28 and SL-34,” he explains, “which have proven year after year to produce exceptional coffee. They were originally developed by Scott Laboratories decades ago, with the intent of being disease-resistant. But they also happened to be exceptional in flavor.”

Compared to some of the world’s other gourmet coffees, Kenyan varieties are a relative bargain, with most averaging under $30 a pound. But our personal favorite African varietal is the intense Ethiopian Yirgacheffe . Grown in the southern Ethiopian region of Sidama (which is considered the birthplace of coffee), it is widely available for less than $20 a pound.

COFFEE FROM ASIA

Arguably the weirdest, most expensive gourmet coffee we’ve ever sampled originates in southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. There, you will find Kopi Luwak (a.k.a. Civet poop coffee), one of the least eco-friendly coffees in the world.

Here’s how it works: Asian Palm Civets (which look like a cross between a cat and a coatimundi) feed on the sweetest coffee cherries they can find. These beans move through the civet’s digestive tract after fermenting in the stomach, where the enzymes break down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste.

After the animal poops, the undigested beans are then harvested, washed, sun-dried, roasted, and sold as Kopi Luwak or Wild Civet Coffee.

According to Alanna Price of Doi Chaang Coffee Company, “The eliminated civet beans have less protein, bacteria and different compounds compared to other gourmet coffee beans. The aroma and complexity of the beans produce a coffee that is syrupy, with hints of chocolate, and has an incredibly smooth taste.”

READ MORE : 7 Things To Do in Coron, Palawan Philippines

To us, the flavor of Kopi Luwak tastes a bit like watered-down tea, with none of the bold richness that makes the best coffee so delicious. And with prices starting at around $100 a pound, it’s an extremely expensive cup.

Even worse, wild Civets are increasingly being captured , housed in battery cages, and fed coffee beans in order to produce this trendy blend on a mass scale.

Animal welfare groups have protested this inhumane treatment, and some conservationists believe the demand could threaten the wild Civet population.The truth is, there are significantly better Asian coffees that come without the bitter taste of animal rights abuses.

We recommend Bali Kintamani Natural (grown in the volcanic soil of the Indonesian highlands) and the intensely zesty Sulawesi Peaberry (grown in Indonesia’s Toro Tojara region).

READ MORE: Saving Endangered Asian Animals (Wildlife Conservation Programs)

COFFEE FROM JAMAICA/CARIBBEAN

The Dominican Republic and Haiti are the only Caribbean countries ranking among the Top 30 coffee-producing nations in the world, coming in at #27 and #28 respectively.

Whether due to the islands’ size, elevation, or climate, the Caribbean simply can’t compete with Africa, Asia or Latin America in terms of quantity.

But, for some java aficionados, the quality of certain Caribbean coffee varietals is second to none. The most sought after by far is Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee , which is grown in one of the highest mountain ranges in the Caribbean.

There, the mixture of cool air, high rainfall, rich soil, and excellent drainage create the perfect climate, leading to a smooth coffee renowned for its mild, almost sweet flavor. Blue Mountain Coffee is strictly regulated by Jamaica’s Coffee Industry Board, which monitors its cultivation, quality and geographical boundaries.

The stuff is extremely rare: Jamaica produces only 2.7 million pounds of coffee per year. A pound of 100% Blue Mountain coffee will set you back around $45-$50. But unfortunately over 80% of the island nation’s annual output is sold to Japan.

READ MORE: Top 10 Things To Do In Jamaica

COFFEE IN SOUTH AMERICA/ CENTRAL AMERICA

Nearly every country in Latin America exports coffee, with Brazil (5.7 billion pounds), Colombia (1.7 billion), Honduras (767 million), Mexico (515 million), and Guatemala (449 million) all ranking among the Top 10 nations in terms of annual production.

But Panama, which produces a mere 13 million pounds per year, has emerged over the past decade or so as one of the world’s hottest gourmet coffee markets. According to Jeff Taylor, credit for the region’s success can be attributed to the 2004 discovery of a varietal called Geisha , which is indigenous to Ethiopia.

“Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered Geisha growing on their farm,” he recalls. “They immediately separated it from the rest of their crop. The result was very unique, very floral, so they decided to enter it into the Best of Panama Coffee Competition. Now it sells for $60 per pound green, which means it’s over $120 per pound roasted.”

But Geisha is not the most expensive Latin American coffee, by a long shot: Guatemala’s Finca el Injerto Mokka sold for $500 per pound in an online auction a few years ago. Unfortunately, that’s much too rich for our blood.

While we love the rich, bold flavors of Central American coffees, I’ve been a Colombian coffee devotee ever since traveling to the country 10 years ago. The Rafael Núñez International Airport security team was highly suspicious of the 5-pound bag I brought home. These days a Colombian French Roast is part of our regular rotation.

READ MORE: La Roya: Central America’s Coffee Crisis

COFFEE IN EUROPE

There’s not a single country in Europe that’s known for growing coffee. But brewing it? Italy, the birthplace of the espresso and cappuccino, has elevated that process to an art form. And drinking it at outdoor cafes has become a quintessential aspect of European travel and daily life.

Making the perfect espresso involves water heated to 190-200ºF, then passed through 8 grams of coffee at 130 psi for 25-30 seconds.

The first espresso maker patent was issued to Angelo Moriondo in 1884. But it was the Hungarian-born Francesco Illy who invented the first automatic coffee machine that substituted compressed air for steam in 1935.

He also devised the packaging system in which coffee cans were filled with inert gases rather than pressurized air, which allowed the Trieste-based illy brand to be sold all over Italy.

“His inventions made it possible to enjoy consistently pleasant-tasting espresso,” says illy’s Master Barista Giorgio Milos, “which was a random event until then. Out of that grew more innovation throughout the country, a deep passion for perfecting coffee, and the emergence of baristas as skilled professionals. That led to an expectation of quality, and a coffee culture that emerged from that, with coffee being part of everyone’s lives throughout the day.”

READ MORE: Le Marche, Italy: 7 Places To Visit

COFFEE IN HAWAII/NORTH AMERICA

Grown only in the Kona districts on the island of Hawaii, on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Kea, 100% Kona coffee 100% Kona coffee is arguably among the world’s rarest and most treasured varieties of coffee. We had the pleasure of learning more about it first-hand in 2009 when we stayed at the Holualoa Inn, where Brazen Hazen’s coffee farm is based.

Kona coffee’s origins can be traced back to the 1820s, when Brazilian tree cuttings were first planted in the rich volcanic soil there. When combined with extremely sunny mornings and regular afternoon showers, the result is a delicately flavored brew unlike any other.

Brazen Hazen is shade-grown at an elevation of around 1900 feet above sea level, with many trees that are over 100 years old. We asked the Coffee Estate farm manager, Brian Axelrod, about the product’s hefty $33 per pound price.

“Kona coffee commands a higher price point primarily due to its uniqueness of cup,” he explains, “and also for its limited availability. Kona coffee is hand-picked upon ripening throughout the season. Many large operations in other countries mechanically pick, so their coffees include some overripe and some immature beans.”

It’s hard to argue with the results, the perfection of which Axelrod credits to sound farming technique and the blessings of Mother Nature. If it’s not the best coffee in the world, it certainly ranks among our favorites. Every time we taste it, it takes us right back to those magical mornings Mary and I spent on our first big trip together!

READ MORE: Hawaiian Mythology: A Sacred Connection With Nature

THE BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD

Here’s a look at some of the best different types of coffee varietals we’ve tried in recent years. They come from all around the world, and most of them are Fair Trade-certified.

1Drip Coffee

At the 2016 Atlanta Coffee Festival we met Tafari Belfield and his Ethiopian wife Rahel, the owners of Atlanta’s Grant Park Coffeehouse. When the couple went to Ethiopia in search of the country’s best coffee beans, Rahel’s family told them about the intensely flavorful Tomoca brand.

This family-owned brand had been passing down traditional roasting techniques since 1953, and is widely considered the best coffee in the world. After trying it in their shop, the Belfields became the first-ever American distributor for Tomoca.

They later worked out a similar deal for their espresso, a Brazilian bean from Taguatinga Norte’s family-owned Cafe Export .

A&E Coffee Roastery

We were immediately drawn to A&E Coffee Roastery when owner Emeran Langmaid reached out to us a few years ago. We love that they promote environmental stewardship and economic fairness, and their shade-grown coffees have ranked among our favorites for years.

Their Norma Lara Micro-Lot from Honduras is exceptional, both for its complex chocolate-berry flavor and its backstory. Norma, whose husband died in 2010, started a farm on a one-acre plot her father gave her. About 4-5 years later she produced 20 bags of amazing coffee.

A&E also offers excellent Special Reserve Coffees from Costa Rica (a sweet, creamy varietal grown in the Tarazzu region by Carlos Alvarado García) and an Indonesian micro-lot (an intensely zesty Sulawesi Peaberry grown in the Toro Tojara region).

Best Fair Trade Coffee Beans -Cafe Campescino

Café Campesino

Another brand we first met at the 2016 Atlanta Coffee Festival, Café Campesino is based in Americus, Georgia. The company was created after a trip to Guatemala in 1997 with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program, which opened the co-founders’ eyes to how little money coffee farmers made.

Now, this Fair Trade , organic company is linked to small-scale coffee cooperatives in a dozen different countries around the world.

We drink their most popular varietals on a daily basis, switching them up every so often as our mood dictates. Our favorites include a light, citrusy Ethiopian Yirgacheffe grown by the YCFCU co-op; a smooth, sweet Colombian French Roast grown by the ASOANEI co-op; and a fruity, nutty, well-balanced Guatemala Full City Roast grown by the APECAFORM co-op.

READ MORE: Check Out Our Fair Trade Boutique

Different Types of Coffee Beans In The World -CoolBeans

Cool Beans Coffee Roasters

This company has been staple of metro Atlanta’s Marietta Square (which is 20 minutes from our home) since 2001. Cool Beans owners Kevin and Jennifer Langill import their green coffee beans from all around the world and micro-roast them in-house.

Their ever-popular Bali Kintamani Natural , which is grown in the volcanic soil of Bali’s highlands, is one of the most distinctive Indonesian varietals we’ve tried, with potent notes ranging from sweet chocolate and strawberry to smoky spiced rum.

We also enjoy the citrusy zing of their Rwanda Misozi and the sweet vanilla and cherry hints of their Colombia Sierra Nevada .

Exotic Origins

This direct-to-farmer line offers rare single-origin coffees from all around the world, with most rated 88 points and above. The two incredible varietals we sampled– Panama Geisha Reserve Natural and Ethiopia Koke Honey – are rated 92 and 93, respectively.

The sweetly acidic flavor of the Panamanian Geisha is perfected by the nutrient-rich volcanic soil of the Ojo de Agua farm.

The Koke Honey is grown at a similar elevation (around 5000-6000 feet) in Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region, with an almost tea-like flavor that balances sweetness and tanginess. Both make for incredibly enjoyable cups.

Grace Hightower & Coffees of Rwanda

This brand was founded in 2013 by Grace Hightower DeNiro (a.k.a. Robert DeNiro’s wife). Its philanthropic mission focuses on improving the lives of Rwandans by offering locally-sourced coffees to the international market.

The line features a full range of roasts as well as their Signature Series, all of which feature beans that are hand-picked and sorted and repeatedly cupped to ensure maximum flavor.

The result is a sustainably grown coffee you can feel good about drinking. Our favorite bean, the smooth Buf Café , was lightly roasted and boasted a beautiful hint of floral and citrus notes.

READ MORE: Rebirth of a Nation: Healing Wounds of the Rwanda Genocide

PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.

Roast magazine’s 2009 Roaster of the Year, PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. is committed to working with true artisans of coffee cultivation. We fell in love with the line in 2012, and were recently delighted to sample three of their newer varietals.

Sidama Guji is an Heirloom varietal from the Guji Cooperative of Ethiopia, with a honeyed sweetness that’s perfectly balanced by citrusy acidity. Their Tana Toraja AA tastes somewhat similar to A&E’s Sulawesi Peaberry, with an earthy flavor and vanilla and toffee notes.

But my favorite bean by far was the Grand Cru Mokka , which is grown in Colombia by Rigoberto Herrera. Typically farmed in Hawaii, this 94-point coffee has a strong, sweet denseness with notes of chocolate, cherry and macadamia nut. I’d honestly drink it every day if I could afford it!

READ MORE: Best Attractions in Cartagena, Columbia

Best Coffee Around The World -Thrive Farmers

Thrive Farmers Coffee

Based in Roswell, Georgia (which is also 20 minutes from our house), Thrive connects coffee farmers directly with consumers in order to ensure that its growers make more money.

This “farm-to-table” approach is best represented by the small-batch varietals of their boutique Bloom line, which offer a robust freshness that really makes their flavors pop.

The San Isidro (from Costa Rica) boasts exotic, sweet fruity tones thanks to the natural cherry-drying process, while the Concepción (from Guatemala) has a citrusy acidity.

But my favorite was their Hamilton 349 Reserve (from Brazil): Its Bourbon bean, grown in the Magian Mountains, has a darker-roasted chocolate flavor with subtle tropical notes.

Although the Bloom line isn’t currently available online, all of the coffees Thrive Farmers Collection are of similarly high quality. – Bret Love

The Best Coffee In the World (A Gourmet's Guide to 30 Top Varietals). Everything you ever wanted to know about coffee, including the plant's history and origins, an exploration of six of the world's most prominent coffee-growing regions, and descriptions of some of our favorite coffee varietals we've sampled over the past few years. via @greenglobaltrvl

About the Author

Green Global Travel is the world's #1 independently owned ecotourism website encouraging others to embrace sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, and going green tips for more sustainable living.

We've been spotlighted in major media outlets such as the BBC, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Travel Channel, Washington Post and others.

Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast.

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Global Tastemakers

10 Top Cities for Coffee, According to the Experts

From timeless to trendy, these cities know how to do coffee right.

Silas Dunham

Maybe it's the smell or perhaps it's the ritual. It could be the smooth first taste or the last full-bodied drop. Or maybe it's all of it. Whatever it is, people sure do love their coffee. Globally, we consume about 2.25 billion cups a day . But where, exactly, can you find the best cup?

From Milan to Tokyo, Lisbon to Cape Town, these cities offer an array of destinations serving the perfect cup and everything in between: flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos, you name it. We've rounded up the best coffee shops in each coffee-centric city for travelers who love their morning coffee.

Here are 10 standout cities for coffee around the world, and our plus one pick that shouldn't be missed.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Daniel Rasmussen/Courtesy Wonderful Copenhagen

The Danish capital is renowned for its quality-over-quantity approach, with coffee shops serving meticulously sourced beans and brewing award-winning cups. Just look to coffee greats like Troels Overdal Poulsen , a Dane who won the World Coffee Championship in 2005, helping put the city on the coffee map. In town, don't miss The Coffee Collective , run by Klaus Thomsen and Casper E. Rasmussen, champion baristas in their own rights, who have dedicated their shop to sustainably sourced beans.

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo’s coffee scene is just like everything else in the Japanese capital — perfection. From historic shops offering siphon-brewed coffee to modern third-wave cafes experimenting with brewing techniques and flavors, it's a city where you can sip whatever your heart desires. If you're not quite sure what that may be, make your way to Koffee Mameya , where you can explore and taste a variety of beans from around the world to find the perfect one for you. Bonus: You can now visit Koffee Mameya Kakeru, its new sit-down tasting room in the Shirakawa coffee district too.

Sydney, Australia

Lisa Maree Williams/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Yes, Sydney is a laid-back beach town and the atmosphere in its cafe most certainly matches the vibe, but the coffee here is serious business. For a choice in brews head to the Surry Hills area, which comes packed with cafes, including Single O's flagship store . Pick up single origin or bean blends along with — what else — an Australian signature flat white.

San Francisco, United States

Elisa Cicinelli / Getty Images

Los Angeles isn't the only city in California with a fantastic coffee scene. Its neighbor to the north, San Francisco, also has plenty to offer by way of caffeinated treats at shops like Ritual Coffee Roasters , founded here in SF in 2005 and beloved for its transparency in direct trade. And don't miss Sextant Coffee Roasters , a shop specializing in Ethiopian beans which roasts everything in-house.

Milan, Italy

Toni Anzenberger / Anzenberger/Redux

In Milan, coffee is more than a beverage; it's a way of life. In the fashionable city travelers will find historic cafes next to modern espresso bars, including the likes of Pasticceria Marchesi , one of Milan’s oldest cafes. The cafe, which opened in 1824, also sells a Heritage Blend co-created with Lavazza, which is the perfect souvenir to bring back from your trip. For a more modern cup, try a specialty coffee shop like Orsonero , which is as aesthetically pleasing as it is delicious.

Lisbon, Portugal

In Lisbon, coffee lovers will find a delightful blend of tradition and modernity between the classic Portuguese pastelarias serving bica (a single shot espresso) alongside contemporary cafes experimenting with beans from around the globe. You can't go wrong with places like Fábrica Coffee Roasters , which has several locations around the city (the best one is a hidden coffee cart in the botanical gardens). But if you want an intimate experience, hop over to Dramatico , a teeny, tiny shop delivering arguably the best cup of coffee in all of Europe.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Edwin Remsberg / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Amsterdam's coffee shops can be a bit confusing. The term is used for destinations where you can buy and consume cannabis, so when you're visiting the city, be on the lookout for cafes instead. And luckily, they are abundant. Scandinavian Embassy in De Pijp is always a favorite, and serves Nordic roasters every day, while Back to Black is a more cozy experience and offers sips of small-scale artisan roasters.

London, England

Ray Tang Xinhua / eyevine/Redux

London's coffee scene is something to be admired. It's as posh and put together as the people who call the city home, who you can mix and mingle with during a visit at any number of its third-wave shops. Start a day at Monmouth Coffee Company , which focuses on single-origin beans and has several locations around the city, or go for a cup at Redemption Roasters , a coffee shop that works with incarcerated people to roast their beans (and provides them with work upon release). And for a quieter, more local experience, try Climpson & Sons, which offers just a window to order from, but it's worth standing in the London rain for, we promise.

Cape Town, South Africa

Courtesy of Silo

Coffee-loving visitors to Cape Town can expect precision excellence with every sip. Here, shops place a significant emphasis on bean origins and sustainability. Taste that high-end brew at spots like Truth Coffee Roasting , which is often regarded as one of the best coffee shops in the world, or Deluxe Coffeeworks, which now has several shops sprinkled across the city.

Melbourne, Australia

ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE/The New York Times/Redux

No list of best coffee cities would be complete without at least two Australian locations, so of course Melbourne made the list. Melbourne's coffee scene is one more eclectic mix of cafes that each take their coffee just as seriously as those in Sydney. Proud Mary is a standout, offering not just exceptional coffee but also a little education around bean sourcing with every cup, and Acoffee offers on-site roasted coffee, making it some of the freshest you'll find in the city.

Plus One: Kigali, Rwanda

Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Kigali is emerging as an all-around fantastic coffee destination, transforming its coffee industry from simple exports to a third-wave hub. Spots like Question Coffee Café have become community hubs, while Cave Coffee offers both fantastic cups alongside delicious locally sourced meals.

Global Tastemakers is a celebration of the best culinary destinations in the U.S. and abroad. We asked more than 180 food and travel journalists to vote on their favorites, including restaurants and bars, cities, hotels, airports, airlines, and cruises. We then entrusted those results to an expert panel of judges to determine each category’s winners. In many categories, we’ve included a Plus One, hand-selected by our expert panel, to shout out more culinary destinations we don’t want our readers to miss. See all the winners at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers .

The Passport Kitchen

The 11 Cities Every Coffee Addict Must Visit

Posted: July 22, 2024 | Last updated: July 22, 2024

<p><p>People around the world love coffee, and some areas have become better at making it than others. There’s an enormous variety of types of coffee and coffee drinks, and some have risen to the top, like foam. </p> <p>The best coffee shops make the drinks their own, putting their own spin on their creations. According to Food and Wine, these are the world’s best cities for coffee shops.</p></p>

People around the world love coffee, and some areas have become better at making it than others. There’s an enormous variety of types of coffee and coffee drinks, and some have risen to the top, like foam.

The best coffee shops make the drinks their own, putting their own spin on their creations. According to Food and Wine, these are the world’s best cities for coffee shops.

<p>This beautiful city is known for its amazing cups of joe. It has countless coffee shops that are serious about sourcing beans the right way and delivering a first-class coffee experience.</p>

Copenhagen, Denmark

This beautiful city is known for its amazing cups of joe. It has countless coffee shops that are serious about sourcing beans the right way and delivering a first-class coffee experience.

<p>Tokyo is where classic brewing techniques and newfangled blends and flavors meet. The city even has its own coffee district where you can try a wide variety of everyone’s favorite morning beverages.</p>

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is where classic brewing techniques and newfangled blends and flavors meet. The city even has its own coffee district where you can try a wide variety of everyone’s favorite morning beverages.

<p>Sydney may be a pretty laid-back place, but they don’t take their coffee lying down. They’re serious about brewing the perfect cup, and they’re becoming well-known as a coffee hot spot.</p>

Sydney, Australia

Sydney may be a pretty laid-back place, but they don’t take their coffee lying down. They’re serious about brewing the perfect cup, and they’re becoming well-known as a coffee hot spot.

<p>A variety of world-class coffee shops can be found in the City by the Bay. Many roast their own beans in-house and deliver perfect cups of coffee that have all the rich taste coffee lovers crave.</p>

San Francisco, United States

A variety of world-class coffee shops can be found in the City by the Bay. Many roast their own beans in-house and deliver perfect cups of coffee that have all the rich taste coffee lovers crave.

<p>From its espresso bars to its more traditional coffee shops, coffee is an art in Milan. The city has some coffee shops going back to the 19th century that still know how to deliver great cups of coffee.</p>

Milan, Italy

From its espresso bars to its more traditional coffee shops, coffee is an art in Milan. The city has some coffee shops going back to the 19th century that still know how to deliver great cups of coffee.

<p>Modernity and tradition blend here to make every coffee drinker’s experience unique. The city’s baristas brew up beans from across the globe and experiment with new and different flavors.</p>

Lisbon, Portugal

Modernity and tradition blend here to make every coffee drinker’s experience unique. The city’s baristas brew up beans from across the globe and experiment with new and different flavors.

<p>Whether you’re looking for artisan, small-scale roasters or favorites that are served on a larger scale, Amsterdam has it. Just look for cafes instead of coffee shops- coffee shops designate that an establishment serves cannabis.</p>

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Whether you’re looking for artisan, small-scale roasters or favorites that are served on a larger scale, Amsterdam has it. Just look for cafes instead of coffee shops- coffee shops designate that an establishment serves cannabis.

<p>London has its own unique coffee shops such as one that only hires inmates. There are so many amazing coffee shops that you would never tire of trying new and different ones to up your coffee expertise.</p>

London, United Kingdom

London has its own unique coffee shops such as one that only hires inmates. There are so many amazing coffee shops that you would never tire of trying new and different ones to up your coffee expertise.

<p>Sustainability is the concern among coffee brewers in Cape Town. They pride themselves on sourcing beans from the right growers to work toward this goal. It has many high-end shops that offer an elevated coffee experience.</p>

Cape Town, South Africa

Sustainability is the concern among coffee brewers in Cape Town. They pride themselves on sourcing beans from the right growers to work toward this goal. It has many high-end shops that offer an elevated coffee experience.

<p>They take coffee seriously in Melbourne. Many coffee shops roast on-site to deliver the freshest coffee available. The city has a mixture of coffee shop types to match any mood you’re in.</p>

Melbourne, Australia

They take coffee seriously in Melbourne. Many coffee shops roast on-site to deliver the freshest coffee available. The city has a mixture of coffee shop types to match any mood you’re in.

<p>This city has a lot of interesting coffee shops, some of which are hubs of the community to gather and enjoy their cups together. Kigali also has plenty of shops that focus on sustainability.</p>

Kigali, Rwanda

This city has a lot of interesting coffee shops, some of which are hubs of the community to gather and enjoy their cups together. Kigali also has plenty of shops that focus on sustainability.

12 Everyday Foods Some People Just Can’t Stand

When it comes to their foods, some people are just picky eaters. It’s surprising how certain popular foods can be so divisive.

While many people love them, others can’t stand the taste, texture, or even the idea of eating them. Here are some surprising foods that some people just can’t stand.

12 Everyday Foods Some People Just Can't Stand

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How Coffee Traveled Around the World

The story of coffee’s movement across the globe is a fascinating one, weaving together the narratives of many disparate cultures and peoples. This post will give you a brief primer on where a few of the most important varieties of coffee originated, how they traveled across the world, and the role they play in the modern era of commercial coffee cultivation.

The Beginning: Ethiopia

Though it is not known definitively, it is generally accepted that the first landrace varieties of coffee originated in the forests of western Ethiopia. A landrace variety is a type of plant or animal which is “a domesticated, locally adapted, traditional variety of a species,” that has “developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment.” More commonly known as a native or indigenous species, landrace varieties showcase incredible genetic diversity, and are often the wellspring from which the various subtypes of a species emerge. Since coffee is native to Ethiopia, the genetic diversity of the landrace varieties there is incredible; an estimated 95 percent of coffee’s genetic resources are found in Ethiopia, a staggering 99 percent more than the rest of the world combined. However, though coffee originated in Ethiopia, it was the famed port of Mokha, a short distance across the Red Sea, which made coffee famous around the world.

Yemen’s proximity to Ethiopia (the Port of Mokha is a mere sixty miles across the Red Sea from the African continent) means that the nations share a long cultural history, with trade missions to Ethiopia from the Arabian kingdom of Saba recorded as early as 1000 BCE. One result of these interactions was the cultivation of coffee plants in the dry and mountainous Yemeni highlands as early as the 9th century. Thereafter traded in Arabia and the Mediterranean, coffee grew in international renown in the 15th century due to its popularity with European colonial powers. Yemen’s history of coffee cultivation, the advantageous location of the Port of Mokha on the Arabian Sea, and the unwillingness of merchants to sell live plants or seeds meant that Yemen was uniquely positioned to capitalize on the emerging world market for coffee. Indeed, the aforementioned factors and the benefaction of the Ottoman Empire made Yemen the primary source of the world’s coffee for the next few hundred years. Eventually, however, various European powers obtained live plants of Yemeni origin and began to proliferate them across the world. Two such varieties, Bourbon and Typica, are of particular importance.

Introduced to Bourbon Island (east of Madagascar, today known as Reunion) by French missionaries in the early 18th century, Bourbon is a selection of coffee from Yemen which is low yielding, tall in stature and has a very high potential for cup quality. Bourbon came to adopt the island’s name because for many years after its introduction, it did not leave Bourbon; indeed, it wasn’t until the mid 19th century that Bourbon would begin to proliferate across the world, mainly through the missionary work of the French in Kenya and Tanzania. From there, Bourbon spread to Brazil in the latter half of the 19th century, eventually also finding its way north into Central America. Due to its susceptibility to disease, Bourbon is no longer widely cultivated outside of East Africa, but its lineage lives on in the many varieties which are descended from it, chief among which are Caturra, Cataui, and Mundo Nuvo, all commonly found in South and Central America.

Typica has a more convoluted history than that of its cousin Bourbon. Departing Yemen in the late 17th century, Typica was first brought to India by Baba Budan, a famous Sufi mystic. By around 1700, the seeds had moved from India’s southwestern Malabar coast to the island of Java, then known as Batavia, from which it spread across Indonesia. Several years later, a single plant from Java was taken to the Netherlands and came to reside in Amsterdam’s botanical gardens. Seeds from this plant were shared with the French in 1714, and over the next 100 years Dutch and French would spread Typica across the world. The Dutch first took Typica first to Suriname and French Guinea, and then later to Brazil at the close of the 18th century. The French played a crucial role in spreading Typica in the West Indies, first in Martinique, and then, with the help of the English, to Jamaica, Santo Domingo, Cuba, and eventually, Costa Rica and El Salvador, from which point Typica spread to South and Central America. Similar to Bourbon, Typica is tall in stature and has potential for outstanding quality but is plagued by low disease resistance and low yields. This means that Typica is not as widely cultivated today as in the past, but it can still be commonly found in Peru and parts of the Carribean. Its descendants include the SL14 and SL34 varieties of Kenya, as well as Pache, Mibirizi, and Maragogipe, important varieties in South America, East Africa, and Central America, respectively.

Though there is much more that can be said about coffee varieties, of which there are thousands more than I have time to mention here, few are as significant to coffee’s global spread than Typica and Bourbon. From the forests of Ethiopia, to the mountains of Yemen, all the way to the modern fincas of the Americas, Typica and Bourbon are irreplaceably important in the history of coffee and remain crucial to its cultivation today. Their descendants form the backbone of widely cultivated coffee varieties, ensuring that their influence will felt in coffee for many generations to come.

Article By : Bret Colman, Director of Coffee / Head Roaster, Cafe Altura Organic Coffee

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7 East Coast Places Where You Would Theoretically Be Safe From Hurricanes

7 inviting mountain towns in new england to retire, 7 mountain towns in north carolina that have asheville vibes, but better.

Coffee has been around for centuries , and citizens of the old world seemed to have been just as fascinated with the brown bean as we are today. The world’s first ever coffeehouse is said to have opened as early as 1475 in Constantinople, Turkey, now known as Istanbul.

The world’s first coffeehouses were gathering spots for famous thinkers of the time who preached religious teachings, exchanged ideologies, and engaged in heated political discussions over their coffees. While the ongoings of these coffeehouses may be less revolutionary these days, some of the oldest cafés in the world continue to brew a mean cup of joe centuries later. Here are some of the world’s oldest coffee shops that still dish out hot coffees, only with a slice of history to go with it.

10 Tahmis Kahvesi, Istanbul (1635)

If the world’s first coffeehouse is said to have opened in Turkey, it’s only a given that one of the oldest functioning coffeehouses happens to be in the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Located inside a historic building with high ceilings and stained windows, Tahmis Kahvesi has been serving coffee since 1635. While the coffee shop’s Turkish coffee has raving reviews, Tahmis Kahvesi is also a coveted spot for a certain pistachio-laden coffee known as menengeç kahve. Sugar-soaked baklava and a seat at an outdoor table will nicely compliment Tahmis Kahvesi’s menengeç kahve and Turkish coffees.

9 Le Procope, Paris (1686)

If not one of the oldest coffeehouses in the world, Le Procope certainly happens to be the oldest café in Paris. Ever since the café opened its doors in 1686, Le Procope has seen intellectuals the likes of Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Paul-Marie Verlaine, and Denis Diderot pen down great works of history within its walls. In fact, people visiting the café can still catch a glimpse of Voltaire’s regular table, which now serves as a memorial of sorts for the French writer. After renovations in the 1980s, Le Procope now serves coq au vin and tête de veau right alongside tiramisu, mille-feuille, and cappuccino.

Related: Coffee Lover? Let's Visit Some Of Paris' Best Coffee Shops

8 Caffè Florian, Venice (1720)

The oldest coffeehouse in Italy, Caffè Florian has been at the center of Italy’s rich social life for over 300 years. The Venetian café retains much of its 18th-century old-world charm with plush red velvet seats, marble tables, and golden walls adorned with the works of notable Italian artists Giuseppe Ponga, Antonio Pascutti, and Cesare Rota. In its prime, Caffè Florian was also a hotspot for nobility and famous personalities like Claude Monet, Charles Dickens, Andy Warhol, and Charlie Chaplin. More notably, however, Florian was one of the only Venetian cafés of its time that admitted women! Today, visitors can sip on espressos and hot chocolates (or a cheeky Aperol spritz), dig into delicate pastries, and rest easy knowing that the table they are now sitting on once saw Ernest Hemingway pen down his stories.

7 Antico Caffè Greco, Rome (1760)

After Caffè Florian, Antico Caffè Greco is the second oldest coffeehouse in Italy and the oldest one in Rome. Known simply as Caffè Greco among the locals, the café has served as a haven for writers, artists, and intellectuals for well over two centuries, and its red walls continue to be adorned with hundreds of paintings. The café has served the likes of James Joyce, Mark Twain, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and even Princess Diana over the course of its history. Despite wars, revolutions, and rental disputes, Caffè Greco continues to keep its doors open to visitors for a cappuccino e cornetto.

6 Café Tortoni, Buenos Aires (1858)

Among some of the most beautiful cafés in the world, Café Tortoni was founded by a French immigrant and named after a Parisian café on the famous Boulevard des Italiens street in France. Visitors may spot several plaques on Café Tortoni’s tables, all dedicated to famous artists, writers, and musicians who frequented the café back in the day. Café Tortoni continues to pay homage to its history of serving as a gathering spot for artists with a basement salon that regularly hosts live jazz nights , poetry readings, and tango shows.

5 Café De La Pix, Paris (1862)

The iconic Café de la Pix has long been a tourist attraction for its prime location in the theatre district of Paris and its cultural significance. Built in 1862 under the rule of Napoleon III, Café de la Pix’s interiors retain much of the original charm with gold pillars and magnificent frescos. Over the years, Café de la Pix has seen the who’s who of Paris sip on its café au lait but the recent takeover of the café's kitchen by Michelin star chef Laurent André , his ever-changing seasonal menus, and a terrace with views of the Opéra Garnier ensures that Café de la Pix remains the prime spot for modern day nobility.

4 Café Central, Vienna (1876)

Café Central is a coffeehouse that’s not just important for the coffees that it dished out throughout history, but for the institution, it served as for the intellectuals, artists, politicians, and chess players of the 19th century. Lovingly known as the Centralists, Café Central saw the likes of Stalin, Leon Trotsky, and Alfred Polgar smoke cigars, drink Viennese coffee, and munch on apple and cheese strudels within its walls. Housed in a magnificent 19th-century building that was once home to the Vienna Stock Exchange and the National Bank, Café Central has exquisite interiors and an enviable cake display that often attracts long queues of patrons outside its doors.

Related: A Guide To Vienna's Decadent Cafés (& Their Best Treats)

3 Café Comercial, Madrid (1887)

Founded in 1887, central Madrid’s Café Comercial is important for several reasons. Not only is it the city’s oldest cafe which served as a gathering spot for literary readings and political debates in its hay day, but Café Comercial was also among the first coffeehouses in Madrid to hire women as its employees. Despite major renovations to give the café a more contemporary feel, it still retains the original mirrors, floors, and, more importantly, the bar. Café Comercial has also revamped its kitchen , making it one of the more rare coffeehouses that allow its patrons to venture beyond the occasional pastry and coffee. The 19th-century café is now a stunning place to have full-blown lunches and dinners -- the post-meal café con Leche is only a bonus.

2 New York Café, Budapest (1894)

Budapest’s New York Café has been dubbed the most beautiful café in the world, and anyone who takes a look at the coffeehouse will quickly understand why. Built in Italian Renaissance style, the New York Café, with its high frescoed ceilings, shimmering chandeliers, marble pillars, and pastel golden walls, is a spectacular sight. While the café seems like it could easily pass off as a gilded palace, the building was originally meant to house an insurance company . The New York Café now has hour-long queues of visitors waiting to enjoy Hungarian pastries and gold leaf cappuccinos while marveling at the grandiosity of the old coffeehouse.

1 Confeitaria Colombo, Rio De Janeiro (1894)

When Confeitaria Colombo was founded by two Portuguese immigrants in 1894, the interiors of the coffeehouse were representative of the Belle Époque period in Rio. Later, Confeitaria Colombo was renovated between 1912 and 1918, and its crystal mirrors, high ceilings, and carved woodwork furniture were inspired by Art Nouveau — a style it retains even today. Over the years, Confeitaria Colombo has been visited not just by artists and members of the literati but also by several heads of state, including Queen Elizabeth II. When guests aren’t gazing at the stained glass skylight on the café’s ceiling, they can enjoy Confeitaria Colombo’s pastel de nata with Brazilian coffees inside its lavish setting.

St. Louis teen entrepreneurs are becoming world travelers — a bag of coffee at a time

People at the Tower Grove Market walk past Show Me The World vender at Tower Grove Park on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

“Good morning!” calls a cheery teenager from a stand at the Tower Grove Farmers Market.

William Snow, a rising junior at Soldan High School, is working the booth for the Show Me the World program, eagerly asking passersby if they would like to learn more.

“I’m not a very social person. But I guess this is helping me come out of my shell,” said Snow.

Show Me the World is a registered nonprofit with travel to five countries. It's sent more than 150 students abroad in the past 10 years. With expansion to other public high schools in St. Louis and University City this year, it’s raising money to support more than 100 students. Much of that money comes from selling bags of coffee beans, including at the market.

“We like to say that it's a teaching tool first, and it's a funding tool,” said Samantha Lurie Carroll, the executive director. “Because after this program is over, we want them to have the confidence and the skills to be able to go and chase the dreams and the goals that they have for themselves.”

The program’s first iteration, Show Me Costa Rica, launched in 2012, after a group of leadership students at St. Louis' Vashon High School visited Clayton High School for a day for an exchange program — and found a world of difference in opportunities for students at the schools that are about 10 miles apart. Lurie Carroll was then a Vashon biology teacher who worked with students in the leadership program.

“They saw an advertisement for international travel experience offered to the students, and their minds were blown,” she said. “They were like, ‘Miss Lurie, I cannot believe that this is an opportunity for them. This is like a dream. You know, nobody in my family has ever been able to travel internationally. How do these high school students get this type of opportunity?’”

Students pose for a portrait in El Puyo, Ecuador — a town nicnamed the “City of Cinnamon.”

Lurie Carroll and a group of 10 persistent students decided to make an opportunity of their own. They set their sights on Costa Rica, a country known for its vibrant life forms and research opportunities.

“So really taking a look at the need for specific educational opportunities for our students in alignment with the curriculum, and being able to influence other people as to why this was important, and aligning it with our science curriculum, we thought that we could see the biggest impact in that way,” said Lurie Carroll.

Students and families started on conventional fundraiser routes, including hosting restaurant give-back nights, candy sales and car washes. It worked, and the trips continued for several years. But by 2016, the students were looking for business opportunities to help fund the travel – which costs about $3,000 per student. A routine visit to the Costa Rican market for bags of local coffee as thank-you gifts for supporters got the kids thinking.

“They were like, ‘well, Miss Lurie, if so many people love this coffee, and we're doing all these different fundraisers, why don't we find a way to sell the Costa Rican coffee back in St. Louis?’” said Lurie Carroll. “And we've already learned that tourism is one of the most important components in Costa Rica. So we'll be selling the coffee, and we'll be taking the proceeds and putting it back into the country through tourism anyway. So why don't we start a coffee business?”

In the lead-up to the trip, students learn about inventory and e-commerce, but the program is still rooted in a STEM focus. They conduct science experiments and research about the life forms they’ll see when they get to their destination. A field trip to the Missouri Botanical Gardens helps them better appreciate the plants they’ll soon find in nature.

Ryan Svoboda from the Grove, talks to Angel Bonds at the Show Me The World vender in Tower Grove Market at Tower Grove Park on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

It’s also a chance for many students, like rising Soldan junior Angel Bonds, to see a culture outside their own.

“It was my first time ever traveling. Actually, I was the first in my family to ever travel to Ecuador, or I believe get my passport,” said Bonds, who was part of the group to visit Ecuador in June. “I believe that it's a great experience for someone to have, you get to go out and experience things in the world that you haven't seen before and experience different cultures and how different people's communities are from yours. And I think there's something that everyone should see.”

“Not everyone sees the importance in it, and to be honest, I didn’t at first either,” she adds. “But I do now, and I’m definitely going to travel in the future.”

Sep’Tisha Riley was on the leadership trip to Clayton High School in 2012 and on that first trip to Costa Rica. She’s now a teacher herself and a program leader for Show Me the World.

“It just helped me see like, how big the world actually is,” she said. Riley went on to be the first in her family to attend college, where she also studied abroad. She says becoming involved on the other side of Show Me the World since returning to St. Louis has reignited her passion for education.

“It’s important, because when you expand your mind at such a young age, you feel like you're limitless. So when I came back from that trip, I felt like I could do anything, and I want other people to feel like that.” Wiping away tears, Riley says she gets emotional thinking of the ways in which the program has evolved. “The growth that you see on the trip within yourself is very real. But then when you get to, like seeing other people, like, it just makes you feel like the program is around for a reason.”

From left: Sep’Tisha Riley, Angel Bonds, Jaylen Adams and Samantha Lurie Carroll at the Tower Grove Farmers Market.

Lurie Carroll says she sees students expanding the horizons of entire communities.

“It’s really a goal of ours to help with the upward mobility of students,” she said. “So they can continue to have these experiences, they can continue to make an impact.”

At the farmers market, the message is resonating with shoppers.

“Show Me the World sounds like an amazing opportunity,” said Eilleen Carrion. The former teacher lives in Manchester and purchased a bag of ground coffee after stopping to hear more — and reminiscing on her own travel experiences as a teenager. “It just really shaped how I see my future and how I want other people to experience the whole world really, and this is an amazing opportunity.”

Melvin Latham, a St. Louis resident, had heard of the project after a recent grant and made a special trip to the market to support the students.

“It warms my heart because this is a program that wasn't even close to a reality when I was in high school. But I know the power, the transformational power of just traveling, you know, getting outside of your neighborhood, your city to see something new, experience different cultures,” he said.

Not everyone stops to hear his message or buy a bag of coffee, but Snow says that’s OK.

“We all don't want coffee all the time,” he said. But with each group passing by, he tries again — working to expand his own horizons, one bag of coffee at a time.

“Of course this is going to be worth it — going to Belize is going to be worth it, my first time going on a plane,” he said. “This is going to be an achievement I can brag on my whole life.”

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Common Sensory Errors – Adaptation

Posted on July 23rd, 2024

By ian fretheim – director of sensory analysis.

This blog is the second part of a Common Sensory Errors series. Read Part 1 here: US | EU | AU .

Cupping Design with Errors in Mind

As part of our study of sensory science and its practical application to specialty coffee, our sensory lab tested and demonstrated the efficacy of some common sensory errors. It’s one thing to know that these errors exist, but it’s quite another to observe and experience them. It must be emphasized again that these errors are things that we are all susceptible to as human tasters. There may be differing skill levels among cuppers. Some may even know how various of these errors occur. Even the most skilled and informed cuppers are susceptible to errors like Adaptation.

For this reason, it is (highly) preferable that cuppers be allowed to focus their talents on the assessment of coffee rather than the assessment of assessment, and God forbid, course correction while still attempting to assess coffee. At the end of the day, humans cannot help but be human. By far, the best practice is to control for sensory errors at the level of cupping design long before your cuppers start grinding coffee.

Our goal for running these trials was to better understand cupper susceptibility to sensory errors and identify where they could occur in our cupping processes. This information would be used to design practical controls in our daily cupping protocols. We’ll see that given the number of possible errors and their overlaps and interactions, perfect cupping protocols and forms are impossible. And yet, we’ll also see that the common sensory errors are addressable. We’ll see that doing so sets one’s entire cupping panel up for success, and the cost of accomplishment is no more than an open mind and a bit of creativity.

Much hay has been made in the last few years about sensory science in specialty coffee. Hopefully, people will not end up with their carts before their horses. Complexities and inefficiencies in cupping form design are less detrimental when supported by robust protocol. Everyone can benefit from giving more bandwidth to developing practical and easily applicable ¹ controls for these common sensory errors.

Individuals may become better cuppers by tasting various solutions and infusions. Or they may not. A panel will always become better cuppers when their susceptibility to error is reduced or controlled.

Testing for Adaptation

A decrease or change in sensitivity to a given stimulus as a result of continued exposure to that stimulus or a similar one. For example, sugar can dampen the subsequent perception of sweetness (something moderately sweet may seem weakly sweet when tasted after something very sweet).

Test: A series of 10 dextrose solutions were presented to 9 trained coffee tasters (T1 – T9 in the table below), who were asked to rate the sweetness of each solution from 1 (Least Sweet) to 3 (Most Sweet).

Solutions were created in 3 strength concentrations: A, B, and C, with A being the lowest concentration, B being three times the concentration of A, and C being five times A’s concentration.
Tasters were able to identify and sort these concentrations in a simple exercise.
For the test, tasters were given a reference sample of each solution plus one of water before taking the test and were allowed access to the references during the test.
Solutions were presented blindly in the following order:

Hypothesis: We expected that the final B solution, labeled B H2 (strength B, Hypothesis test solution 2), would be rated less sweet than the rest of the B solutions. We also thought the first B H1 solution might be rated as less sweet than the other B solutions. These two hypotheses assumed that the Adaptation Error would be localized such that a familiar level of sweetness following a novel high level of sweetness would be underrated. We were uncertain if an Adaptation effect would occur as early as the B H1 placement.

Another possibility was that an Adaptation Error would be more cumulative than localized, and the solutions in the latter half of the series would tend to be rated less sweet than their counterparts in the first half.

We included a C solution early in the series to help avoid a Habituation Error ² and to give a sense of the cumulative impact of any Adaptation effect. If the first C sample were rated sweeter than the last two, this could suggest a more cumulative impact. If the C samples were rated with relative parity and the B H solutions were rated relatively less sweet than the other B solutions, this would suggest a more localized Adaptation effect.

Formally stated, our hypotheses were:

H 0 : B = B H H A : B > B H

Results : The two B H solutions were equally rated as the least sweet on the table, with mean scores of 1.11. The three C solutions were rated at relative parity with mean scores of 2.78, 2.89, and 2.78. The mean value for B (excluding the B H solutions) was 1.56, while the mean value for the B H solutions was 1.11.

In addition to the likelihood of having observed an Adaptation Error, we can point out that the tasters were either biased or tentative against answering 2, though not enough to rule out an Adaptation effect. Tasters were much more confident answering 3 for the C solutions, where the mean rating was only 0.22 below the actual strength vs nearly half a point for the B solutions. C Solutions received only 5 ratings of 2 out of 27 total ratings. B solutions (excluding B H solutions) received only one rating of 3 and 21 ratings of 1 out of 45. The first B solution was rated the strongest B solution overall. The decline in B solution ratings could come from a cumulative Adaptation effect or a sort of Expectation Error ³ , whereby tasters were looking for A solutions despite none being presented in the test and having a reference provided.

Given the mean and deviation of the scores for the “non-hypothesis” B solutions (1, 2, 5, 6, 7) as compared to those for our B H solutions (4, 9), it is unlikely that our B H values could have occurred by chance. Using what is known as a “One Sample T Test,” we can estimate the likelihood of a sample with the B H values being pulled from a population with the B values. In this case, the likelihood is about 0.01%.

In this case, we reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative:

H 0 : B = B H H A : B > B H

Controlling for Adaptation

Adaptation is very difficult to control for in a high-volume sample cupping situation. Time and deadlines frequently push assessors toward Adaptation. Breaks must be built into the assessment protocol, and “pushing through” should be avoided. We want to reduce the amount of brewed coffee that a person uses to perform their assessment. Assessors must learn to do their assessments as efficiently as possible, requiring focus on the task at hand and an understanding of the protocol in use. This can be accomplished with training and test design.

Tables should be arranged with coffees from different sources or differing expected grades as much as possible. Adaptation can combine potently with Habituation and we want to interrupt those tendencies. Even in a low sample volume setting, this can be accomplished by keeping a green retention sample library. Rather than roasting through or tossing out old samples, these can be kept to help build out tables and blind the coffees that you’re actively interested in assessing. Current lots can, of course, be used in this way, too.

Adaptation counter-indicates test designs in which cuppers are presented with multiple cups for each sample set, particularly when additional demands are made to scour those cups for inconsistencies, poorly defined concepts of cleanliness, or other vague metrics. Multi-cup designs, for example, the 5-cup presentation ⁴ used by the SCA, give the impression of thoroughness while undermining an assessor’s capacity for thorough analysis by dragging them into Adaptation, Habituation, and a surprising number of other errors. We are wise to be wary of protocols that are new just to be new, but we should be equally careful of the lure of “the way it’s always been done.”

While taste Adaptation will occur across origins and processing types (as the basic adaptive compounds are the same), we have observed that decoupling it from aromatic Adaptation seems to help. We encourage cuppers to vary the order in which they assess a table of coffees such that the 2nd and 3rd passes are not performed in the same order as the 1st pass. I strongly encourage cupping administrators to seek ways to present samples more than once and in different orders or groupings. Our system utilizes blind replication of samples in random placements within and across flights. The work we present in the Coffee Rose is underpinned and preceded by years of study, demonstrative trials like that presented here, and subsequent process iterations. This larger methodology is the root and stem upon which the Rose is very much a flower.

¹There is some evidence that the speed and degree of taste adaptation are reduced by mouth and tongue movement during tasting. In addition to slurping, it is also valid to “chew” and “swish” your coffee while cupping.

² Habituation Error : Tendency to continue to give the same response when a series of slowly increasing or decreasing stimuli are presented. Example: The same response of slowly increasing or decreasing stimuli is presented when cupping a series of 84-85 tables and missing 83s or 86s.

³ Expectation Error : Information given with the sample may trigger preconceived ideas. Example: Naturally processed coffees are fruity in flavor.

⁴ Five-Cup Presentation:

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Scenes from Coffee Tea Trip’s 2024 Swift Campout

Karin Pocock 2024 Oregon timber Trail 300

Previous Dispatch From Mon Jul 22, 2024

Karin Pocock Wins Oregon Timber Trail 300

We look forward to the vibrant, joyful images from our friends at Coffee Tea Trip in Poland each time the annual Swift Campout rolls around, and they recently sent over a lovely selection of photos and a quick recap of this year’s getaway. See it here…

Words and photos by Wojtek Waloch

With the first weekend of summer comes the Swift Campout campaign that involves spending warm days outside the city riding a bike, sleeping in the forest, and having a good time. We really like this way coming together, so just like in previous years, we participated in the global campout by rallying a bunch of positive people. Old friends showed up, some of whom we hadn’t seen for a long time, as did new ones, including a couple of first-time bikepackers. There were delegations from Warsaw, Szczecin, Poznań, Gorzów, Berlin, and other small and large cities. The variety of bikes was dizzying. Gravel bikes, city bikes, MTB, singlespeeds, and trekking bikes all came to Zielona Góra to explore the western borders of our province.

The day of departure was initially marked by rain, but as soon as people started showing up at the meeting point, the sun came out. After greetings, we set off on the route. Our destination this year was an area in the state forests “spend the night in the forest” campaign, where you can legally camp by Lake Wojnowskie. To reach it, we’d drawn up a roughly 50-kilometer route leading through forest roads, small villages with shops, and old and new bridges over rivers.

Again this year, the idea with the lake turned out to be a bullseye. The first thing we did after reaching our destination was take a refreshing dip. There was plenty to wash off, because some of the roads had turned into muddy puddles after the morning rains. Just moments after our group made it to camp, a crew from Berlin’s Tortuga Cycles & Café arrived.

After setting up hammocks, pitching tents, arranging chairs and resting, it was time for the annual rock, paper, scissors tournament. Thanks to the people from Pathfinder Gear, LESOVIK, Baby Legs, Vae Soli, Ride and get lost, Cheesy Supply, Cafflano, Bagirlsproject, Pieca Warte. Without you, we would be just a bunch of lunatics waving their hands in the forest for no reason. Instead, we had a great tournament with prizes! We spent the rest of the evening talking, laughing, and dancing.

The next day we slowly got out of our beds. Coffee Hunter, a local coffee roastery, knew that this would be the case and provided beans for a delicious morning coffee to give us energy for cleaning and packing. We took a group photo, ate a sweet, hearty breakfast, and headed back toward our respective homes. First, though, the adventure ended with a nice barbecue at participant Dawid’s workshop, Too Good Wood.

Stay in the Forest: Coffee Tea Trip’s 2023 Swift Campout

Good Night 2023 Roundup: 10 of our Favorite Campouts

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Help! We Had to Sleep in the Hotel’s Breakfast Room. We Would Like a $215 Refund.

A couple arrived in New York after midnight, and a failed “contactless check-in” process and M.I.A. customer service made their hotel room inaccessible.

An illustration of a person in a sleeping bag atop a table with a suitcase on the floor nearby.

By Seth Kugel

Dear Tripped Up,

Last September, my husband and I flew to New York City and headed to the Ridge Hotel on the Lower East Side to spend a few days before a cruise. Since the Ridge had “contactless check-in,” we had received two codes to get in the front entrance and our room. When we arrived after midnight, we had no problems getting into the hotel with the first code. But we couldn’t get into our room with the second code. There were no staff on duty, so we called the hotel’s number. But the woman who answered could not help and subsequent calls went to voice mail. I also sent messages through the Booking.com app, the online travel agency with which we made the reservation, but the staff there couldn’t solve the issue. So we spent the night in the hotel’s breakfast room, where the restroom also required a code that we did not have. The next morning, the hotel staff sent an apologetic message with the right code, and promised us a refund for that night, about $215. But we never got the money, even though the hotel insists they returned it to Booking. Can you help? Roberta, Boise, Idaho

Dear Roberta,

Any hotel rate under $300 a night in a fun Manhattan neighborhood would normally count as a bargain in these inflationary times. But paying that much to sleep fitfully in the breakfast room with no access to a bathroom and (I’m guessing) no 24-hour waffle maker? That’s totally unacceptable. You and your husband are obviously due a refund, and you’re generous not to ask for more. Is everyone in Boise this nice?

I got in touch with the owners of the Ridge Hotel and the communications team at Booking, and quickly figured out what happened: The hotel had sent your money back to Booking, but Booking didn’t realize it was there and thus didn’t pass it along to you.

Both organizations gently blamed the other for the communications breakdown. I have no idea who’s right, but the important thing is that Booking has now refunded you, along with a $150 credit — enough to get you a night’s stay in a pretty nice hotel in many parts of the world.

But why couldn’t the hotel help you that night? And are we really entering an era of reception-desk-free hotels with minimal services that mirrors what travelers are getting used to when they book short-term rentals?

Samantha Gladstein oversees the day-to-day operations of the 44-room Ridge for her family’s company, the CS Hospitality Group, which owns Ridge and five other hotels and hostels in New York and Florida. She told me that your late night call would have been routed to Miami, where the group has a hotel and a hostel. The person on duty that night no longer works for the company, Ms. Gladstein said, so she could not ask her for details. “I am assuming they didn’t know what to do,” she said, “and I apologize for that.”

A spokeswoman for Booking told me that the hotel had not fully completed the process to get a refund issued. Angela Cavis, Booking’s director of communications for North America, also issued a statement.

“While we are not responsible for check-in as that is up to our property partners, we have issued a credit for the guest to use toward a future trip given the experience did not meet the expectations we have for our guests,” she wrote.

You have told me you received the refund and credit and are happy with the outcome, and that the rest of your stay in the hotel was pleasant — you especially enjoyed the Ridge’s outdoor patio — though you said you would not stay there again.

Ms. Gladstein explained to me at length the company’s decision to reduce staff and allow customers to head straight for their rooms.

She said that when the pandemic hit in 2020, the Ridge reopened without a manned front desk for most of the day out of health concerns for workers and guests. Instead, the hotel sent guests door codes by email or through the agency with which they made the reservation. The company has increased the hours reception staff are physically present at either the Ridge or the group’s other New York hotel, the Chelsea Inn, to 20 hours a day. A designated “fire and life safety director” was present 24 hours a day as required by law, she said, although he or she may have been in the basement when you arrived.

Not having 24-hour staff at each location saves the company on labor costs, Ms. Gladstein said, and they can pass that savings onto customers.

The CS Hospitality Group is not the only hotel company moving in that direction, said Jordan Hollander, a co-founder of the Hotel Tech Report , a site that reviews technology used by hotels.

He has seen an increasing number of hospitality companies work toward lowering room prices by reducing staffing — which means in some places, there’s no longer a coffee-drinking, TV-watching front desk clerk on duty through the wee hours.

“There are limited-services hotels where you’re not really trying to deliver this elevated guest experience,” Mr. Hollander said. “They have been able eliminate a lot of the on-property labor that you would ordinarily have.”

These limited-personnel hotels, along with many hotel chains and Airbnbs, frequently provide guests mobile keys, often through smartphone apps, to allow them to bypass the front desk. The Ridge Hotel has so far not invested in those, in part because of the expense, said Ms. Gladstein, and has stuck with the code-via-email approach.

But at the end of the day — or in your case, deep into the night — this was a customer service issue.

“It’s also just unacceptable for the hotel not to have a process for what happens in this instance,” Mr. Hollander said.

If you need advice about a best-laid travel plan that went awry, send an email to [email protected] .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

Seth Kugel is the columnist for “ Tripped Up ,” an advice column that helps readers navigate the often confusing world of travel. More about Seth Kugel

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Switzerland: Nostalgic for a time before ubiquitous connectivity, a writer ditched his phone and relied instead on serendipity — and hand-drawn maps made by people he met along the way .

Paris: These six Parisian boulangeries will satisfy your cravings for the crustiest baguettes, the airiest brioches and the flakiest viennoiseries.

Athens and Crete: On a family tour of Greece, a writer followed the small footsteps of some of ancient mythology’s biggest fans.

Izmir, Turkey: The vibrant, 8,500-year-old “Pearl of the Aegean” has again redefined itself as a hub for international explorers , with a 2,400-year-old bazaar and the ancient Agora as chief attractions.

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Make a plan to attend the Maine Lobster Festival, July 31 to Aug. 4

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A fresh batch of lobster at the food tent during the 2018 Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland. Ariana van den Akker/Staff Photographer

You’ll have a shell of a good time celebrating the state’s star crustacean during the annual Maine Lobster Festival, happening July 31 to Aug. 4 at Harbor Park in Rockland.

The festival’s five-day schedule features an arts and crafts show, parade and tasting event.

Other highlights of the Maine Lobster Festival include the International Great Crate Race, during which participants attempt to race across a string of lobster traps in Rockland Harbor. There’s also a seafood cooking contest, road race and plenty of kids’ activities.

Some of the musical acts performing over the five days are Paddy Mills, Rigometrics, Charlie and The Hustle and Julia Gagnon.

Don’t forget about the actual lobsters. You’ll have plenty of chances to eat your fill.

For the full schedule, head to mainelobsterfestival.com .

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Global IT outage: More than 5,000 flights cancelled; how security 'arms race' led to crash | As it happened

A software update has resulted in worldwide IT chaos, causing cancelled flights, healthcare disruption and potential payroll problems. The firm responsible has apologised, but an industry expert warns it could take weeks to fix "blue screens of death" and endless loops.

Friday 19 July 2024 23:00, UK

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News roundup as worldwide IT outage hits airports, business, NHS and TV
CrowdStrike update triggered Microsoft system errors - prompting apology
More than 5,000 flights cancelled worldwide
Expert explains how security 'arms race' led to crash
Could take 'weeks' for systems to recover, expert warns
Most GPs in England disrupted |' Critical incident' at hospital trust
In-depth analysis: The firm behind the world's worst IT outage | The costly cautionary tale of how CrowdStrike came to dominate
Data & Forensics: Search data reveals scale of global IT disruption
Watch tonight: A Sky News special on the crisis at 8pm

That's it for our live coverage of the global IT outage today.

Services from airlines to healthcare, shipping and finance have been coming back online after computer systems were disrupted for hours.

Even with the glitch fixed, companies were dealing with backlogs of delayed and cancelled flights and medical appointments, missed orders and other issues that could take days to resolve.

Businesses also face questions about how to avoid future blackouts triggered by technology meant to safeguard their systems.

An earlier software update by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, one of the largest operators in the industry, had triggered systems problems that grounded flights, forced broadcasters off air and left customers without access to services such as healthcare or banking.

It was not a security incident or cyber attack, according to the firm and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre.

The outage shone a spotlight on CrowdStrike, an $83bn company that is not a household name but has more than 20,000 subscribers around the world including Amazon and Microsoft.

The UK government responded with its COBRA emergency team.

Here's a look at some of the services affected...

As of 8pm, more than 5,000 were cancelled across the globe - out 110,000 scheduled;
There were long queues at multiple UK airports, but Heathrow and Edinburgh say operations are now returning to normal;
Ryanair told customers whose flights have been cancelled to leave airports;
Some airlines issued handwritten tickets, while some airports - like Belfast International - are relied on whiteboards to update passengers;
Many US carriers grounded their planes, while airports worldwide were impacted in Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany and elsewhere;
Train services were also affected - including operators such as Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, Southern and Thameslink.

Hospitals and emergency services

Some people were experiencing difficulties booking appointments at GP surgeries, with practices across England affected, according to the NHS;
Pharmacies warned disruption could continue over the weekend;
The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident as IT issues are affecting its services;
A few hospitals warned of delays and disruption, but others said services were running normally;
The London Ambulance Service said it experienced "huge increases" in the number of calls to its 999 and 111 services following;
NHS Blood and Transplant urged people to keep their blood donor appointments, as there remains an "urgent need for O negative blood".
Major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose reported issues with online services;
One Waitrose in Hampshire was accepting cash only, in an example of what was thought to be a wider issue;
Many businesses were left with issues with their payroll software, which could potentially pose problems for companies that pay weekly.

The CEO of CrowdStrike has warned "adversaries and bad actors" will try to exploit the crash.

George Kurtz encouraged "everyone to remain vigilant" and ensure they are engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives.

He promised "full transparency" on how the crash occurred.

The company was working on a technical update and root cause analysis that will be shared with everyone.

The outage was caused by a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts, he said, meaning Mac and Linux hosts were not impacted.

"All of CrowdStrike understands the gravity and impact of the situation," he said.

"As we resolve this incident, you have my commitment to provide full transparency on how this occurred and steps we’re taking to prevent anything like this from happening again."

By Ed Conway , economics and data editor

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

We were told that as the internet matured, that this kind of thing - a single error causing a domino effect taking out millions of machines - was supposed to become less and less likely. There would be more and more servers and cables distributed in more and more places, making a single point of failure increasingly unlikely.

Instead, what today’s episode - in which an update from a company called CrowdStrike to customers using its services around the world essentially broke the Windows operating system on their computers - has underlined is that often the more complex a system becomes, the more vulnerable it is to collapse.

The great irony, of course, is that CrowdStrike’s raison d’être is to prevent moments like this from happening. The company’s Falcon Sensor is a product used to prevent cyber attacks - a complex program best thought of as a kind of super anti-virus package, which, in order to do its job, gets privileged access to more parts of your machine than regular software.

But it so happens the latest update to Falcon Sensor, uploaded overnight to computers around the world, had a dodgy bit of code in it, which caused Windows machines to crash.

Right now, it looks as if the only way it can be resolved is by technicians rebooting each machine and manually deleting a particular file (C-00000291*.sys - since you asked).

In other words, spare a thought for your company’s technicians, because they’re about to have a long weekend.

The more complex we get, the more vulnerable we are

But perhaps the most striking lesson from the episode is a more ancient one, laid out by historian Joseph Tainter in his 1988 book The Collapse Of Complex Societies.

The more complex societies and systems become, the more vulnerable they are to collapse. Tainter was referring to examples like the fall of Rome or the collapse of ancient Mesopotamian civilisation, but one could just as easily apply the logic to modern examples.

Lurking beneath Tainter’s thesis was the point that often in a complex society of organisation actors might make decisions which seem sensible but, due to the complexity of the system and their inability to understand it, could actually make it more vulnerable.

Consider the subprime crisis which triggered the financial crisis of 2008. Mortgages were packaged and repackaged into assets sold, eventually, to banks - which had little understanding of their actual value and their risks. The more complex the system became, the less able people were to comprehend how exposed they were to a catastrophic failure, and the more vulnerable the entire edifice was to collapse.

How all roads led to CrowdStrike

Now let’s ponder the current IT malaise. Let’s ask ourselves: how did it come to be that so many companies around the world had the very same bit of software installed on their systems, making them vulnerable to the very same lines of duff code?

After all, the vast majority of people working at the companies affected will never have heard of CrowdStrike. Like the bankers presiding over the financial crisis, they had no idea of the potential vulnerabilities lying within their systems.

But in recent years, as businesses have become more and more concerned about the risk of cyber attacks, they have begun to implement cyber security checks and regulations.

These often took the form of a checklist some poor operative had to fill out: how many computers have you got? What operating system? Are they all online?

What forms of cyberprotection do they have? And so on.

Now, this might sound like frustrating red tape to many of you, but the reality is that these days some companies stipulate that anyone doing business with them must have fulfilled all the items on the checklist.

So all of a sudden, salespeople trying to do a deal would discover that they couldn’t do it without complying with the checklist. The company’s financial survival depended on being able to tick the boxes!

And invariably one of the boxes in those checklists was: do you have an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution? And if you didn’t have an EDR solution (or, more likely, didn’t know what one was) then invariably you googled EDR and looked for the world’s biggest provider, which just so happened to be… CrowdStrike.

Perhaps you spoke to your IT provider and insisted that you needed an EDR. Perhaps they said: "Oh I wouldn’t do that if I were you” - but then… no EDR no sale. This is a stylised example, of course, but you see how this kind of thing can happen.

And hence, gradually and imperceptibly, a large proportion of the world’s companies came - mostly unbeknownst to their leaders - to be running the very same piece of software with direct access to the most privileged parts of their computers.

And then all it took was a few lines of code and all of those machines were instantly dead - or rather, they faced the 'Blue Screen of Death'.

A costly cautionary tale

So there’s a reminder here about the risks of complexity. It's way too early to put a figure on how much disruption this episode has caused and how much economic damage wrought. The short answer is almost certainly: a lot.

Millions of people around the world have been unable to travel, to communicate, to transact. It may well transpire that it has put lives at risk, given it has affected many doctors’ ability to do their job.

Perhaps the best thing that can be taken from today’s chaos is that it might just serve as a cautionary tale which could make our computers that bit safer and more stable in the future.

It might remind bosses that cyber security decisions are more than box-ticking exercises - and sometimes installing cyber security software can backfire.

It reminds us how dangerous it is if everyone in the world is relying on the same provider.

It reminds us about the need for redundancy - to have backup systems.

It reminds us of the dangers of complexity.

This probably won’t come as much consolation if you’re one of those people whose holiday plans have been disrupted or your business messed around by the IT outage today.

But it’s something.

The National Pharmacy Association has warned disruption is likely to continue through the weekend as outlets deal with a backlog of medicine deliveries.

Pharmacies reported issues with accessing prescriptions from GP surgeries and said this would affect the delivery of medicines to patients.

Patients with "minor ailments" were also being sent to pharmacies from GP surgeries earlier today, according to the Independent Pharmacies Association.

No "serious patient safety issues" have been identified during the outage, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said, urging people to "bear with" GPs after disruption to appointment bookings and other services.

The global IT outage has impacted the EMIS Web system, NHS England says, which is understood to be used by about 60% of practices in England.

The programme enables GP practices to book appointments, examine records and help with admin.

Around 3,700 GP practices may be affected, the Press Association reported.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: "Our members are telling us that today's outage is causing considerable disruption to GP practice bookings and IT systems – practices using EMIS IT systems appear to be particularly affected.

"Outages like this affect our access to important clinical information about our patients, as well as our ability to book tests, make referrals, and inform the most appropriate treatment plan."

There were issues with administrative systems in some hospitals while some ambulance services reported a surge in demand.

The disruption caused by the outage has been truly global - here are just a few examples.

Bradesco, one of the main banks in Brazil, notified its users via its app that digital services were unstable due to a global cyber outage, but its ATMs were working normally.

Azul Airlines, a Brazilian low-cost airline, said its check-in systems were affected, causing occasional flight delays.

Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, western Japan, said the global system outage will affect ticket sales at the park over the weekend. The park said its ticket booth sales will not be available on Saturday and Sunday.

The outage grounded some flights, disrupted hospitals and backed up border crossings in Canada.

Porter Airlines said it was cancelling its flights for several hours because of the outage.

Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, said there is no major impact to its operations, adding that it's monitoring the situation closely.

University Health Network, one of Canada's largest hospital networks, said that some of its systems had been impacted by the outage.

Windsor Police reported long delays at both the Canada-US border crossings at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.

The National Centre for Cyber Security in Sri Lanka says four information technology companies there have been affected.

Switzerland

Landings at Switzerland's Zurich Airport have returned to normal after being suspended earlier in the day.

A German regional grocery chain, Tegut, temporarily shut its 340 stores in the country this morning due to the impact on cash register systems. By early afternoon, more than half of the stores were open again.

South Africa

In South Africa, at least two major banks said they experienced service disruptions as customers complained they weren't able to make payments using their bank cards at grocery stores and gas stations or use ATMs. Both said they were able to restore services hours later.

Baltic Hub, a major container hub in the Baltic port of Gdansk, Poland, says it's battling problems resulting from the global system outage. Entry gates are temporarily closed and business has been suspended, the Baltic Hub said in a statement.

We have some updated figures now on the number of cancelled flights.

As of 8pm, 167 flights scheduled to depart UK airports have been cancelled, aviation analytics company Cirium said.

This equates to 5.4% of scheduled departures, the firm said.

Some 171 flights due to land in the UK were cancelled.

Globally 5,078 flights, or 4.6% of those scheduled, have been cancelled.

The crash occurred because the wrong file was distributed to computers, says an IT security expert.

Human error will have played a part because the faulty file must have been approved at some stage in the process, says Tim Rawlins, director of the NCC Group, a organisation which secures business data.

CrowdStrike will be "tearing their hair out" trying to find the cause of the crash. Only they will know why the wrong file was uploaded, but it will come out.

"I imagine somebody there is having an extraordinarily bad day," he said.

"It is really unfortunate, but imagine you are the person who is responsible for going: 'Right, here is the file, we have made all the changes, we've done all the testing, push it to the machine to do the distribution [and] the distributor has either grabbed the wrong file or the wrong file has been given to it.'"

Asked if human error was involved, he said: "It is probably a fully automated system but at some stage there will have been a person in the loop. Somebody would have gone 'yes I approve this one to go'.

"Who knows where that mistake is. It will come out. I'm sure CrowdStrike will be tearing their hair out trying to find that issue."

How did the mistake happen?

Mr Rawlins explained software that protects computer systems from threats, named end point detection and response (a more comprehensive package than simple anti-virus), went awry.

Update packages are constantly created and then uploaded and pushed out it out to "endpoints" - the computers - but it appears the distribution system took and pushed out "the wrong file".

"That's the file that is full of zeros, as people describe it - there is noting in there for the system to operate," said Mr Rawlins.

"And that has caused the system to glitch, which has led to this blue screen of death that everyone is talking about."

Constant security updates have to be released "because the bad guys and girls are constantly changing their attacks".

One computer will report a dodgy new file to Crowdstrike, which will then need to tell all it's other computers how to stop it.

"It's this classic arms race," said Mr Rawlins.

The IT crash has been an "early wake-up call" for the prime minister, perhaps damaging his honeymoon period, says chief political correspondent Jon Craig.

The outage overshadowed Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressing the cabinet - the first foreign leader to do so in person since Bill Clinton, he says on our special programme, Crash: The Global IT Outage.

The government will have to take a "very critical look" at precautions for this type of issue.

Craig adds there is every chance there will be a COBRA meeting with ministers over the weekend.

"The prime minister will want to be better prepared for a crisis of this sort or a different sort in the future," he says.

"I'm sure there will be a big inquest after today and the PM will bang a few heads together."

This will happen again, science and technology editor Tom Clarke says on our special programme, Crash: The Global IT Outage.

Continual updates and fixes are required to keep systems safe from cyberattacks, he explains.

If they are to work, those updates must be pushed out globally and immediately - or else leave networks vulnerable.

"Really the answer is: People have to rethink the way they are going to manage when they don't have access to their IT."

Much of everyday business needs to be connected, and backup systems are a question of cost, says Clarke.

Many shops and restaurants are cashless, but it may be time to think about "how do we revert to some other form of payment if we lose that".

Tune in soon for a special programme on the global IT outage, including the latest developments and analysis.

Crash: The Global IT Outage - will air on Sky News at 8pm.

It's free to watch on TV and you can catch it on YouTube as well.

We'll be covering the key moments right here.

Be the first to get Breaking News

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Cafe Imports is an independent importer and developer of some of the world's finest specialty green coffees. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with international representation and warehousing, we source, sell, and ship green coffee around the globe. Coffee roasters interested in buying green coffee can access our offerings, coffee education materials, coffee origin and coffee sourcing ...
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Coffee Tourism: The Best Travel Destinations & Countries For Coffee Lovers

Love coffee?

Benefits of coffee tourism

What is coffee tourism?

Types of coffee tourism

Coffee farms

Coffee tasting

Coffee culture tours

Best coffee tourism destinations

The Americas

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Coffee Around the World

Some of the advice Davids gives is basic but bears repeating:

Every coffee has particular characteristics, but there are taste generalizations for the three major coffee-growing regions that can be helpful to keep in mind:

Jamaican Blue Mountain

East African

Central America

Hawaiian Kona

Pacific Rim

South American

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History & Culture

Best destinations for coffee lovers

Coffee Destinations in the Americas

Colombia: The Coffee Triangle

Argentina: Buenos Aires

Cuba: Havana

Panama: Boquete, Chiriquí

Canada: Vancouver

United States: Seattle

Coffee Destinations in Africa

Coffee Destinations in Europe

Italy: Rome

France: Paris

Ukraine: Lviv

Holland: Amsterdam

Turkey: Istanbul

Coffee Destinations in Asia

India: Chennai

Indonesia: Jakarta and Yogyakarta

Taiwan: Taipei

Coffee Destinations in Oceania

New Zealand: Wellington

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