World’s most expensive coffee goes on sale in Dubai at $1,300 a cup

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Barista Serkan Sagsoz, co-founder of Julith Coffee, prepares Nido 7FC Panama coffee that costs 3,600 dirhams (S$1,275) at his cafe in Dubai on Oct 30.

Mr Serkan Sagsoz, co-founder of Julith Coffee, plans to serve around 400 cups of the beverage.

PHOTO: AFP

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DUBAI – A cafe in Dubai is offering the world’s most expensive coffee, selling for almost $1,300 a cup, brewed from Panamanian beans sold at a premium price.

The wealthy emirate is known for its extravagant ventures, including an enormous mall with an indoor ski area, the world’s tallest building and an artificial island dotted with five-star hotels.

“We felt Dubai was the perfect place for our investment,” said Mr Serkan Sagsoz, co-founder of Julith Coffee.

Located in an industrial neighbourhood that has become a hot spot for coffee lovers, Julith plans to serve around 400 cups of the precious beverage from Nov 1, Mr Sagsoz said.

For a price tag of 3,600 dirhams (S$1,275), the brew offers an experience of floral and fruity flavours reminiscent of tea.

For a price tag of 3,600 dirhams (S$1,275), the brew offers an experience of floral and fruity flavours reminiscent of tea.

PHOTO: AFP

“There are white floral notes like jasmine, citrus flavours like orange and bergamot and a hint of apricot and peach,” said Mr Sagsoz, who previously ran a cafe in his native Turkey. “It’s like honey, delicate and sweet.”

Dubai notched a Guinness record for the world’s most expensive cup of coffee in September, when Roasters offered one for 2,500 dirhams.

The new record staggered some people, though residents said it was par for the course for the desert city with a luxury lifestyle.

“It’s shocking, but at the same time, it’s Dubai,” said Ines, who did not give her last name.

“For wealthy people, it’s just another experience they can boast about,” added another resident, Maeva.

Julith Coffee bought its beans at an auction in Panama after a tough battle that lasted many hours and drew hundreds of bids. It claimed to have paid the highest price for coffee.

Twenty kilograms of the beans went for around 2.2 million dirhams, Julith said in a press statement.

Asian buyers, Emirati coffee enthusiasts and coffee bean collectors have since reached out to the cafe in the hope of securing some of the “Nido 7 Geisha” beans, which are grown on a plantation near Panama’s Baru volcano.

But the cafe said it does not plan to share its treasure, beyond a small amount reserved for Dubai’s ruling family. AFP

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