Top 10 Strangest Coffee Types & Beans

– Special Coffee Experiences You Must Try –

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.

The colorful coffee culture and its ever-growing variety has found a place in every society and aspect of our daily lives.

Wherever you travel you can grab a cup of coffee. Of course, popular drinks like Espressos, Cappuccinos and Lattes are available almost everywhere these days.

On top, in every country and community you can encounter very own and unique coffee drink variations and preferences.

Besides the universal classic Black Coffee, there are many strange coffee types and beans out there.

Let me share with you some very special coffee experiences you must try.

Here are the Top 10 Strangest Coffee Types and Beans for you to explore.

1. Elephant Dung Coffee – Also Known as Black Ivory Coffee

Please let me introduce to you the most expensive coffee in the world.

Yes, you have read correctly. Elephants are the actual main factor and coffee producer of this strangest coffee type. A truly special coffee experience to start off our list.

The origin of elephant dung coffee is very likely inspired by the civet coffee phenomena. Kopi Luwak has become very popular over the last few decades. We are going to have a look at Kopi Luwak a bit later.

There are still only very few products of elephant dung coffee available yet. If you can find it, like in our home country, namely Thailand, you will have to pay a high price.

Currently, you can get it for around 50 US dollars per cup. This would result in a total cost of 1.500$ per kilogram.

What is Elephant Dung Coffee?

The elephant coffee makers actually use very common or normal coffee. But this rather normal coffee will go through a not-so-typical production process.

Coffee beans are being fed to elephants.

Unlike humans for example, elephants are herbivores. They are animals that only eat plants. The fermentation happening in their guts, as they break down cellulose, helps to remove the bitterness in the coffee beans.

After passing through the digestive tract of each elephant, the beans are then harvested.

Local farmers will manually or with the help of simple sorting machines separate the elephant’s poop from the digested coffee beans.

Additionally, all beans are thoroughly and thankfully washed one more time.

I would say that this is definitely one of the strangest coffee types out there.

Are the Elephants Doing Okay?

The stomachs of elephants seem to be very robust and quite suitable for digesting coffee beans in the first place.

The main reason is, because the beans pass through the elephants’ digestive tracts with their shells still intact. The rather harmful for several animal digestive systems remains locked inside the beans.

As a result, eating the beans and pooping them out does not appear to harm the elephants at all.

However, more fundamental research still needs to be done.

If you want to learn more about the infamous elephant dung coffee, just click here (internal link).

2. Egg Coffee

There are actually two regions famous for drinking egg coffee. We will have a look at both.

Vietnamese Egg Coffee

In Vietnamese language, this strangest coffee type is called Ca Phe Trung.

It basically uses the traditional methods of making a Vietnamese coffee. Except, you would also make it with an egg.

There is a lot of incredible, delicious and exotic food to be found in Vietnam. Some of these dishes like fried bugs or grasshoppers, roasted snakes or lizards might be questionable or too strange. But the Vietnamese Egg Coffee is definitely worth a try.

How to Make it

When I first tried myself, I thought: scrambled eggs in coffee.

I really wasn’t sure what to think. But people around me kept assuring me that it will be like nothing else I had ever tasted.

The Vietnamese egg coffee is made by beating an egg yolk with sweetened condensed milk for about 10 minutes. The result will be an airy, creamy, meringue-like fluff. Sounds yummy, right?

Next, this eggy special coffee experience will then slowly be poured on top of a hot espresso. Alternatively, you can also work with iced coffee.

The egg cream on top of the coffee tastes rich and silky. But at the same time, it is not overly sweet as expected.

It is a perfect combination with the quite strong Vietnamese espresso underneath. You can definitely serve this drink as dessert coffee.

A crafty bartender from Hanoi by the name of Giang came up with this great invention. During the last century and when a milk shortage had struck Vietnam. He figured out that creamy egg yolks and sugar would make a perfect substitute.

Today, the Vietnamese egg coffee is a national signature coffee drink. Generations of Hanoians and many other Vietnamese have come to appreciate it.  And, also many visitors and tourists enjoy it, like myself.

Scandinavian Egg Coffee

Now, this egg coffee creation is quite the opposite. If you compare it to the Vietnamese Egg Coffee originating from literally the other side of the world.

In my opinion, you can improve many things when you put an egg on it.

For example, your morning toasts, a delicious burger or a mouth-watering bowl of rice and beans.

But how about coffee? Well, let’s just ask the Scandinavians.

The ‘Church Basement Coffee’

The traditional brewing method for the Scandinavian egg coffee became first popular in Sweden and Norway. Later on, it also became common in parts of the American Midwest.

It is here where people also refer to the Scandinavian Egg Coffee as ‘Church Basement Coffee’. Since people assumed that the vast amount of coffee you can brew. It is quite perfect and suitable for big Sunday church ceremonies or any big social gatherings in general.

The essential technique calls for a whole egg to be mixed with coffee grounds. After, you would mix everything with boiling water in a cup or pot.

How it Works

The basic idea is that the egg will clarify the coffee. It helps to create a perfect separation between the grounds and the water that used to extract the grounds in the first place.

There are even versions that would include the crushed egg shells in your coffee mix as well. Others would also add a little salt crushed in to the slurry.

But maybe, we don’t move forward too quickly. Better to maybe try one thing at a time.

You will end up with a coffee resembling a minor beautiful golden-amber color. Quite remarkably, the end coffee result is pretty much clear of cloudiness or sediment.

One could maybe argue about the overall taste. But I will leave that to you and your friends.

The coffee commonly tastes a bit acrid, burnt and over-extracted. This is because you had to apply extreme heat and constant agitation.

However, the cup has an unmistakably clean and silky body. Because the egg causes the grounds to settle heavily in the bottom of the pot.

Be brave. Grab an egg and try yourself.

It certainly deserves a spot on our strangest coffee types’ list.

3. Monkey Spit Coffee – Not Just Another Strangest Coffee Type

Did the title grab your attention?

I really hope so. Only the name makes it sound like a real incredible and special coffee experience already.

Monkey coffee is a rare type of coffee bean from India and Taiwan. Although, sometimes, it is also called monkey poop coffee.

The most common name ‘Monkey Spit Coffee’ would be most accurate though.

Because the Rhesus monkeys and Formosan rock macaques who ‘process’ the beans do not actually ingest them.

Instead, they rather chew the coffee cherries. After, they just spit them out onto the ground. People will just have to pick them up then.

This maybe makes monkey coffee more pleasant than elephant or civet poop coffee. However, they all eventually have great and very unique tastes.

You could describe the taste of monkey coffee to be sweet and quite complex in itself. Like many exotic coffee types, it is pretty expensive and hard to find.

Coffee connoisseurs also describe monkey coffee to have the perfect amount of acidity.

Next time I am passing through India or Tawain. This special coffee experience will definitely be part of my visit.

4. Nitro Brew Coffee

Have you heard of nitro brew coffee yet?

Maybe you do not find it on the menu at your local coffee shop yet. But it will certainly be on it and available very soon.

It is a fairly new coffee drink innovation. It first came to people’s attention in 2012. And, it is already making its way into big chain coffee shops such as Starbucks or Dunkin Donots.

But What Exactly is Nitro Coffee

First of all, Nitro Brew Coffee is even more commonly known as Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.

How is it made? Does it taste good? Should I try it?

Basically, Nitro Coffee is cold brew coffee infused with colorless and odorless nitrogen gas.

That sounds pretty strange, right?

But actually, we already put gases in some of our most favorite daily drinks. Like the carbon dioxide gas in our coke or some energy drinks. It gives our soda drinks its characteristic bubbles, for example. This is actually the reason why we refer to these drinks as being ‘carbonated’.

Furthermore, we additionally also use nitrogen in some of our favorite alcoholic drinks as well. For example, the gas is already popularly used in certain beers. The most recognizable one would be the Guinness.

So, instead of calling these beverages ‘carbonated’. We of course refer to these beers as being ‘nitrogenated’ then.

In fact, there are quite a few beers that are already brewed with the dark flavors of coffee. You can learn more about beer coffee here (internal link). Beer coffee is of course also a very special coffee experience.

Because of these connections between nitrogen and several beverages already existing. It was probably only a matter of time until someone drew further connections. It turned out that the creamy texture of Guinness beer would equally be well-suited to nitro cold brew coffee.

Like beer, nitrogenated coffee is only available ‘on tap’. This means that the infused nitrogen into the cold brew coffee is released through pressurized valves. These valves will have tiny holes. So, to create the creamy effect we are looking for.

So What Does it Taste Like

The overall taste is similar to the one for a typical cold brew. Nitro Coffee is extremely smooth and low in acidity. But it also has an usual and quite fascinating silky mouthfeel.

Many Nitro Coffee enthusiasts simply drink it black. Or, they might pour it over some ice. If you are a sweet tooth like me, you can also top it up with some sweet cream or vanilla syrup.

Add to Your Work Out

If you are not a sweet tooth like me or just like to work out on a regular basis. This interesting candidate of the strangest coffee types might especially be something for you.

In fact, many gyms are offering Nitro Coffee already now. It seems to be a healthier alternative to traditional coffee.

The argument is that by infusing a drink with nitrogen it already gives you a natural sweetness and inherent creaminess. When drinking, it hits certain tongue sensory receptors. These will cause the perception of sweetness without the further need of common sugar.

Now, that’s worth mentioning. No need for our daily morning spoon of sugar into our coffee anymore then.

Additionally, Nitro Coffee has a higher caffeine content than standard coffee. Basically, it contains less water than normal coffee.

This makes it an excellent choice to get your body and mind going before starting your workout.

5. Kopi Luwak (Cat Poop Coffee) – The Star of Strangest Coffee Types

Here comes another poop coffee.

Besides the Irish Coffee, which will come a bit further down our list. The Kopi Luwak is probably the most well-known, strangest coffee type on our list.

Even more so, before the elephant dung coffee entered the coffee universe. It was the Kopi Luwak, which was the most expensive coffee in the world. There exists a whole tourism industry around the very exclusive coffee and its coffee producing cats, nowadays.

But there are also growing controversies and concerns.

The word ‘kopi’ originates from the language of Indonesian Bahasa. You can literally translate it as simply ‘coffee’.

What is Kopi Luwak

To make it short, coffee beans are being fed to the Asian palm civet. These cute looking jungle cats were eating coffee beans in their natural jungle environments for centuries already.

Local farmers found out about it and began collecting them.

Quickly, the poop coffee gained fame around the world. Today, there are ‘coffee farms’ functioning as common tourist attractions and as general mass production facilities the same time.

After eating the coffee beans, farmers will collect the excreted droppings, roast and further produce various coffee types out of them.

Coffee drinkers often describe the taste as smooth. It is not bitter and has a complex aroma. Additionally, Kopi Luwak Coffee has nutty notes in it, combined with some hints of caramel and chocolate.

Overall, people find it very delicious.

Is it Safe for the Animal

Now, that is a completely different question and whole other story.

The fact that it is practically impossible to know if the animals are wild or caged is enough for me to say no to Kopi Luwak coffee. Regardless of how great it may taste.

It is already terrible enough that many of these amazing creatures are imprisoned in cages. But it is even worse. If you could actually see with your own eyes how tiny these cages are.

Exposed to tourists all day around. These rather shy jungle cats are exposed to constant disturbing noise.

Many of them are on strict coffee bean diets. So, they will produce as much as possible. This results in many of them hardly having access to any other food source.

On top, the cats have to stand or lay on wire floors the entire time. This constantly causes pain and discomfort.

There is a simple reason why the majority of plantation farmers is using wire floor cages. So, the poop can just fall through and collect it much faster and easier.

Of course, many traders claim to only sell ethically correct Kopi Luwak. Many claim that they solely use coffee beans  from wild jungle cats.

But it is quite difficult to exactly track down the exact source and origin of each product.

If you would like to learn more about Kopi Luwak in general. Here is an honest opinion about it. (internal link).

Kopi Luwak is actually the only strangest coffee type on our list. Where we genuinely have some doubts or concerns.

The others are all safe to drink. At least from an ethical point of view. Your common senses or belly might feel differently about one or the other special coffee experience.

Our next one might be harmful. So, watch out!

6. Flaming Waterfall of Coffee – A Very Special Coffee Experience

When coffee, booze and fire come together. Prepare yourself for a spectacular show!

This special coffee experience was reason alone for me to travel to Mexico.

Famous in the Mexican town of Puerto Panasco, this highly visual coffee preparation is a delight both for the eye and your taste buds.

Since this coffee creation comes from Mexico, of course there is Tequila involved.

A rather daring bartender will mix Tequila and Kahlua with your coffee. Right in front of your eyes, he will light a spark to it. And up goes your coffee drink in flames.

Like a circus acrobat, the coffee maker will pour the flaming drink from cup to cup.

You will witness a beautiful flaming waterfall. There is no chance that you will take your eyes or camera off this spectacle.

Once sufficiently mixed, the drink is poured in a cup. It still continues flaming in your mug. Lastly but not least, it is finished off with a dollop of heavy cream and a cherry on top.

I really recommend it to you. Please check out this amazing coffee waterfall in action.

Many coffee bars add a sprinkle of nutmeg and or cinnamon to it. Not only does it create a pretty sweet vibe to it. The flaming fire also helps to caramelize the sugar on the rim of your glass or cup.

It will bring out a very unique flavor in the spices.

Don’t wait and get fired up yourself!

7. Cheese Coffee

Imagine, it’s super freezing cold outside. You just came out of the sauna. And, now you are overlooking a majestic winter scene with snow white topped trees and a frozen lake spreading out in front you.

To top it all off, you are holding a deliciously warming ‘Kaffeost’ in your hands.

Welcome to Scandinavia and may I invite you to enjoy a hot and steaming cup of Cheese Coffee?

This very traditional drink definitely deserves a spot on our strangest coffee type list.

How to make a Kaffeost

The Cheese Coffee originates from the Sami people of Lapland. It soon became popular in other surrounding regions around northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia.

Juusto is the nickname for the dried cheese that is used. It perfectly absorbs the steaming coffee brew. The cheese remarkably and smoothly softens without entirely melting.

Eventually, you will have a rich and moist cheese sponge in your coffee mug.

Traditionally, reindeer milk was used to make the cheese for Kaffeost. These days, cheese coffee makers also often use goat or cow milk.

The cheese will get curdled, baked and dried in into thin rounds. This process allows the cheese to stay fresh for up to a year.

As a start, you place a cube of cheese at the bottom of your mug. In Scandinavia, local people usually like to use wooden mugs. Craftsmen carve these wooden mugs out of a birch burl. The end product of this drinking mug is called Kuksa Cup.

Once your cheese cube is inside your cup, you pour boiling coffee inside.

Drinkers can spoon the softened cheese as they sip. Or you can drink you coffee empty first. And after, you will spoon out the little cheesy pieces.

The taste is an interesting mix of strong, slightly bitter coffee. Combined with smooth and creamy cheese tones.

You can also try it at home yourself. You basically just need some proper cheese and normal black coffee.

Cheese coffee is surely a very special coffee experience for everyone.

Here to Stay

Maybe you have not experienced the cheese coffee yourself already. But the global cheese coffee trend and popularity has actually already begun a couple of years ago.

However, the modern or more mainstream method differs a bit compared to the original one.

Perhaps you are familiar with cheese tea already.

It is an iced tea beverage with a float of sweet or salty whipped cheese on top. This particular and refreshing beverage creation has made its way into many shops already.

Of course, it was just a matter of time until someone tried the same with coffee as well. And the result and taste is equally amazing and refreshing.

You can find many of these more ‘modern’ cheese coffees when especially traveling around Southern California.

8. Kopi Joss (Charcoal Coffee) – A Truly Strangest Coffee Type

Still remember the flaming coffee waterfall? It even gets hotter, now.

Ever heard of Kopi Joss? In short, it is charcoal coffee and, yes, it really exists.

You simply place a hot piece of charcoal into a black coffee. And, you are ready to go.

This very special coffee experience has its origin in the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Kopi Joss is a very popular street drink there. The local name is ‘Angkringan’ and you just buy it from rolling by street vendors.

Kopi can be translated as simply coffee from the Indonesian Bahasa language. Joss is more or less the synonym for the hot, buzzling and sizzling sound when you are putting your charcoal onto your coffee.

It even sometimes boils over and is a real spectacle to observe.

You better wait for a few moments before you remove the charcoal again. The taste can be described as woody burnt aftertaste.

However, it does not distract much from the overall and natural flavor of your chosen coffee.

The latest trend is to actually create charcoal lattes. Just imagine your next Cappuccino made with charcoal.

Is Charcoal Safe to Drink

Yes, it is.

In fact, charcoal even helps removing toxins from your system. This is due to it being a porous substance.

You might be surprised to learn that charcoal is usually in your normal drinking water already. It functions as a useful and natural filter in there.

Charcoal even helps cure gastrointestinal problems. It can also reduce bloating and gas, lower cholesterol. Many people in Asia also use it to help reduce the affects of hangover.

This all sounds great. But, there is a reason why Indonesian coffee street vendors serve Kopi Joss with added sugar to your drink. It helps to prevent discomfort and diarrhea.

As with every good thing in life. Some of it is good but maybe not too much of it after all. So, a small daily amount of charcoal in your coffee will not hurt you. But too much might extend your usual bathroom visit.

9. Irish Coffee – A Must Try Special Coffee Experience

This is definitely the most wide-spread and popular drink of our whole strangest coffee type list.

Since it comes from Ireland, you can expect a fair portion of alcohol in it.

The famous Irish Coffee was invented by someone called Joe Sheridan. He was working as a chef at the Foynes airport in, of course, Ireland.

At the beginning of transatlantic flights from Europe all the way to America, planes were still pretty small. This still made nonstop flights covering the full Atlantic Ocean distance at one time pretty much impossible.

Even worse, the planes were still not properly insulated making it very cold during the flight.

As it appeared, due to its geographical location, Ireland was one of the main intermediate stop stations. When people had to fly from Europe to America or vice versa. Ireland was one of the most frequented pit stops.

During these stops, passengers had to wait while the planes were refueled. Luckily, Irish coffee was served at the Foynes airport in particular.

It proved to be a very appropriate solution. Because passengers were looking for a drink that warmed up and stimulated mood the same time. It made these long airplane stops a lot more pleasant.

Probably also because there was a lot of alcohol involved. In fact, there is no real evidence to this claim. But I am still pretty sure about it.

These days, there are many different versions of Irish Coffee.

Yet, everyone more or less agrees that it should commonly be served as a hot drink containing coffee, whiskey, sugar and cream or even better whipped cream on top.

Whereas filtered coffee was in the original version. Espresso is more common to be used, nowadays.

10. Kopi Jahe (Ginger Coffee)

Indonesia is most definitely a hotspot when it comes to very special coffee experiences.

Here is another example.

We all know ginger, of course. Me for example, I am drinking ginger tea almost every day. But how many of us have actually tried ginger coffee?

For a start, it is really easy to make.

Go ahead and prepare one tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee. Add two bigger pieces of fresh, partially smashed ginger. And, sprinkle one tablespoon of palm sugar on top as well.

Bring all the ingredients to a boil with hot water into a small pot. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Strain and pour it into your favorite coffee mug.

There you go. It’s already done. Enjoy!

It will taste like caffeinated Christmas all over again. Especially the typical hot, zesty and biting yet sweet and warm ginger flavor will really upgrade your usual coffee time.

Benefits of Ginger

I will keep it short and only list the most outstanding health benefits of ginger here. But there are a lot more great aspects of this little powerful plant.

Ginger is a flowering plan that originates from China.

It already has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional or alternative medicine. People use it to help digestion, for example. Ginger reduces nausea and helps fighting the flu and common cold.

Indeed, many forms of nausea, like especially morning sickness, can be treated. It also helps having less muscle pain or soreness. Ginger has anti-inflammatory effects and is able to drastically lower blood pressure. And, it improves heart disease risk factors.

Even after all of these, there are many more benefits. That’s pretty amazing, right?

The unique fragrance and flavor of ginger comes from its natural oils. The most important one of the oils is gingerol.

Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in this astonishing little plant. It is responsible for most of ginger’s medicinal properties.

With all of these great benefits of ginger. I think we should give it a try with our daily morning coffee as well.

Would you agree?

More Extra Honorable Mentions of Strangest Coffee Types

I know what you are thinking.

In the beginning, I was saying that this will be the Top 10 of special coffee experiences. But there are just too many fascinating strangest coffee types out there.

So, here are just a couple of them more. Especially the last one will sound or appear very peculiar.

11. Kopi Gu Yu (Butter Coffee) – A Delicious Special Coffee Experience?

Again, also the butter coffee has its origins in Indonesia.

However, this special coffee experience is becoming more and more mainstream while you are reading this article.

Big food and beverage chains like Nestle are already experimenting with several coffee butter products to successfully hit the market.

Okay, that’s great. But what on earth is butter coffee?

In short and firstly, a basic butter coffee recipe naturally calls for a tablespoon of regular grass-fed butter.

Secondly, you will add your butter to a regular cup of black coffee.

Thirdly and finally, you will further add one tablespoon of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil.

Now, I had to look up MCT oil myself, to be honest. Apparently, this powerful oil consists of plenty fatty acids.

Since not many of us have MCT oil at home. Many butter coffee makers just use a tablespoon of high quality coconut oil instead then.

In general, butter coffee boosts your metabolism and energy levels. In fact, many people include butter coffee in their daily diet routine, because of this reason alone.

Some of them even only drink butter coffee in the morning and nothing else anymore. They swear to easily lose fat this way. While the energy level and brain functionality will even be prolonged the same time.

You can get a clearer picture here, for example. Overall, most of the assumed effects or benefits have yet to be proven.

Nonetheless, it is at least worth a try. When I drank my own butter coffee, it reminded me of a frothy or creamy latte. I am not sure about all the benefits, though, especially the fat losing ones.

But the taste was not too bad. Actually, it was really good. Hence, it certainly deserves an honorable mention on our strangest coffee type list.

12. Coffee Enemas – The Weirdest and Strangest Coffee Type and Experience of ALL

Now, this coffee experience literally goes through your butt.

Many of us need their daily morning coffee and caffeine intake to get their day going.

However, many people also find their morning cup of coffee literally causing them to go to the bathroom shortly after.

As much as the caffeine keeps us going. It seems to stimulate our digestive system and ‘cleanse’ our interior at the same time. At least this is case for some of us.

Actually, the same principle of ‘cleansing’ is applied by people who use coffee enemas. As strange as it may sound, it is an alternative and quite established medicine technique.

This type of caffeine consumption is done to help cleansing the rectum and large intestines of your body. Just to make it perfectly clear.

Yes, the coffee is consumed through your arse. The coffee will be inserted into you by a large funnel. I think you are getting the picture very clearly by now.

Research suggests that this method has a ‘detoxifying’ element. It helps to prevent cancer and improves metabolism.

However, there is no real scientific evidence or medical support for this assumption yet. In fact, there is even more arguments against it at the moment.

Its supposedly negative effects include infections, salmonella, burning colons, or even heart failure.

Even though I am usually not shying away from any special coffee experience. I think I will pass on this on.

Nonetheless, no list of strangest coffee types would be complete without having coffee enemas on it.

The Bottom Line

For as many coffee drinkers there are in this world. There are just as many fun, interesting and sometimes very strange or unbelievable ways to drink coffee.

Hopefully, this list was able to even give you a much broader picture of our shared coffee universe.

I strongly encourage all of us to explore some these more colorful coffee experiences.

Maybe, some of the above strangest coffee types inspired you to try out on your own.

What do you think?

Is there any special or peculiar coffee experience still worth mentioning? Did we miss any?

What kind of strange, gross or wonderful coffee experience have you had already?

Feel free to share with us.

In the name of coffee and all its creations, cheers to life and you!