Tucked away in Osaka, Japan, a small and humble café named The Münch is known for serving one of the rarest — and most expensive — cups of coffee in the world: a brew that’s been aging for 22 years and costs 914 USD per serving.
The story behind this extraordinary coffee began decades ago — and quite accidentally. Kanji Tanaka, the café’s owner and sole barista, once brewed a batch of coffee in advance and stored it in the refrigerator for convenience. However, he forgot about it for more than six months.
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When he eventually rediscovered the forgotten brew, Tanaka initially intended to discard it. But curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to take a sip. Surprisingly, the coffee still tasted good — in fact, it had developed a unique and pleasant flavor.
At the time, Japan was experiencing a trend of aging alcoholic beverages in small wooden barrels to enhance their taste. Inspired by this, Tanaka decided to experiment with aging coffee in the same way.
He placed the neglected batch into one of these wooden barrels and let it rest for another ten years. Upon tasting it again, he found that the coffee had become sweet and syrupy, with rich, complex notes unlike anything he’d tasted before.
From that moment on, Tanaka began crafting his signature coffee using raw beans aged for two decades. He roasts and grinds them himself, then brews them slowly using a traditional drip method, letting the coffee filter directly into wooden barrels. It takes about 30 minutes for the first drop of coffee to emerge from the filter.
This lengthy brewing and aging process allows the coffee to mellow over time, reducing bitterness while enhancing its natural sweetness and aroma. Once aged to perfection, the coffee is served to customers straight from the barrel via a tap, poured into an exclusive porcelain cup known as a Miessen.
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Those lucky enough to try this rare brew describe its flavor as rich and fragrant, with notes reminiscent of chocolate. Some compare it to a dessert wine with cocoa undertones. Regardless of how they describe it, everyone agrees: it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.
However, with a price tag of 100,000 yen (approximately 914 USD) per cup, this luxury coffee remains out of reach for most people. Still, for those with a taste for the extraordinary — or a very generous budget — The Münch offers a unique chance to savor a drink decades in the making.
You might wonder how Tanaka manages to keep his café running, considering that few customers can afford such an extravagant cup on a regular basis. The answer lies in the rest of his menu.
In addition to the famed aged coffee, The Münch serves a variety of more affordable drinks, typically priced between $10 and $20. According to user reviews on travel platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor, the café’s other offerings are also delicious — making it a worthwhile stop even for those not seeking the world’s most expensive cup.
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