Kopi Luwak is apparently the best coffee in the world. It’s also the most expensive. Passing by an upscale coffee shop in Hong Kong recently where the variety was on offer, this blogger decided to splurge and order a cup to try and decide whether the Asian civet cat’s gastric juices (where the coffee beans first ferment before being excreted, cleaned and roasted) live up to their reputation.
The brand was obviously not in high demand, because the order caused a bit of a flap at the counter and then I was told the coffee would take around ten minutes to prepare, although there was not a civet cat in sight. The coffee, when it finally arrived, was  served in a round-bottomed flask held on a stand with a clamp, a smaller version of flasks used in chemistry labs the world over. See the recent Economist article below for more about how and where the coffee is produced.
Unsurprisingly, to this untutored palate the coffee tasted thin and weak, so for the best coffee in the world, visit just about any coffee house in Vienna. Equally good, and tied for first place is South Indian filter coffee, particularly in Mysore, where one can order a 2 by 3 (2 cups served for 3 customers), a 2 by four, or any other desired fraction.
aviott 