Time to Freak, Coffee Snobs: New York Gets Über-Pricey Panamanian Beans

By Chantal Martineau Wed., Aug. 11 2010 at 4:35 PM

Categories: Featured, Good Stuff

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Quite the cupping.

It's no civet coffee -- you know, that crazy expensive coffee made from beans that have been pooped out of a tropical cat -- but beans grown by Hacienda la Esmeralda make nearly as coveted a cup of joe.

Diner's Journal is reporting that Stumptown Coffee Roasters is one of the few roasters in the U.S. that was able to secure itself some of the estate's Mario Carnaval, which it's selling for $75 per 12-ounce jar. You can purchase this caffeinated gem at the Ace Hotel location.

Meanwhile, Counter Culture Coffee is giving the stuff away for free. It snagged itself some Mario San José, harvested from the same part of the estate as the Mario Carnaval, which it's including in this Friday's weekly cupping at its New York training center (37 West 26th Street, Suite 400). It's open to the public, so go ahead, give your coffee elitism a jolt.

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