“Coffee that makes people cry”: Sydney cafe charges $1500 for a single brew
For most people, forking out $5 for a cup of coffee is to be expected, even threatening a daily budget in the midst of Australia’s cost of living crisis.
But for one Western Sydney cafe and its wealthier clientele, that $5 has shot to $1500.
Penrith’s Brew Lab Cafe is the place to be for coffee lovers seeking Australia’s “rarest coffee” in a unique after-hours experience that’s available by appointment only.
As for why the beans set customers back so much, they’re apparently found growing at the base of a Panamanian volcano that’s 1700 metres above sea level, rating well above a 90 - which apparently signifies that they’re some of the best when it comes to coffee beans.
And to top it all off, they fly first class.
There’s a precise formula behind brewing the coffee, too, with pre-dampened filter paper, water boiled to 94 degrees, and carefully timed “pour over” sessions. It’s intended to be served black, with no additional sweeteners or flavours.
“We order it once the customer has,” the cafe’s owner and barista Mitch Johnson told 9News. “We then get in contact with the guys in Panama, they’ll roast the order individually, and then they’ll send it over on their private jet.”
However, for those hoping for a hit of coffee flavour from their brew, they may find themselves a little disappointed.
As Johnson explained, “most people when they drink it, say their first impression is that it's more like a tea than a coffee.”
Unsurprisingly, they don’t see an awful lot of people flocking in to hand over $1500, but apparently do get “quite a few coming in once a week to try our $100 or $200 coffees.
"It's not rare for us at all. There is an underground coffee scene in Sydney that is actively pursuing exotic brews such as this.”
When speaking to The Daily Telegraph about their offering, Johnson added that it wasn’t just about the coffee itself, noting that “this is an after-hours experience, only served one-on-one where we close the doors and talk the person through the process.
“This particular coffee, you drink it as it cools down and the flavours change and evolve, giving way to tastes of peach, strawberry, lemonade, rose and juniper.
“It’s an exceptional coffee, the kind of coffee that makes people cry, I know that sounds crazy but it’s happened, it’s brought them to tears.”
Images: 9News / Nine