Photo by Martin Behrman / Behrman Photography
Coming soon to a Nespresso machine near you (if you happen to reside or frequent some of London’s tonier quarters anyway) is a selection of the highest quality, most award winning, and rarest coffees on the planet – all of single estate origin and offered in the form of limited edition, Nespresso-ready capsules.
Entrepreneur Amir Gehl is on a mission to create the “ultimate terroir-led coffee collection” not to mention what’s got to the be the world’s most expensive collection of coffee capsules, with his new venture Difference Coffee Company. There’s a Jamaican Blue Mountain capsule, a Hawaiian Kona capsule, and an Indonesian Kopi Luwak capsule, with the promise of Panamanian Geisha capsule on the way. Those with a knowledgeable nose for coffee should recognise such a lineup as the crème de la crème of beans produced in the most rarified conditions.
At the moment, opportunities to taste the Difference (so to speak) are limited. Indeed, even the company’s website – differencecoffee.com – is little more than a placeholder with a simple message: “by invitation only.” But guess who snuck in a slurp or two in recently?
Yep, I got a preview at one of the very few places to serve Difference (if it’s not act actually the only one in fact): Mayfair’s private members’ club, Harry’s Bar. Harry’s has just started to offer members the chance to try the three existing Difference capsules. And I was there for a preview lunch with Amir as my host to sample the range.
Most notable is the kopi luwak, a coffee that’s (in)famous for being comprised of part-digested coffee cherries eaten and then pooped by civet cats. An acquired taste to be sure (but a deeply flavoursome one at that), kopi luwak is already a high price luxury item. Difference ups the exclusivity of a kopi luwak sip with coffee sourced from growers gathering wild civet cat droppings only. A cup of it at Harry’s costs £75.
Higher in price range and in potency, is Harry’s espresso martini. Made with kopi luwak, Beluga Gold Line Vodka and St George NOLA Coffee Liqueur, it’s a rich and revved up cocktail ideal for kicking off festivities or finding one’s second wind.
Harry’s is also using the Difference Blue Mountain coffee (that’s not been passed through any animal’s guts, but simply handpicked from trees in the uplands of Jamaica) for a subtly flavoured (and sublime) tiramisu.
Harry’s Bar is located at 26 South Audley Street, W1K 2PD. Find out more at harrysbar.co.uk.
