This tourist tick-off was invented in Yogyakarta in the 60s by a
coffee stall vendor called Mr Man, who remedied his stomach ache by
dropping hot coal in his cuppa – it’s believed that the charcoal
neutralises coffee’s acidity while giving the drink a smack of
burnt sugar. The name “kopi joss” comes from the sizzling sound
made when the coal is dropped in.

The Sami of Lapland, as well as people in
Finland, Norway
and
Sweden like their coffee poured over cubes of leipäjuusto or
“bread cheese”. Traditionally made from baked reindeer milk, it’s a
squeaky, halloumi-esque kind of curd that absorbs liquid (sorry, no
molten cheddar here), making for small, spongey mouthfuls. True
Scandis drink theirs from a wooden mug carved out of a birch burl
(a rustic tree growth).

When life gives you lemons, make this coffee-lemonade hybrid.
Legend has it that French soldiers stationed at Algeria’s Mazagran
fortress invented this zesty tipple in the 1840s to counter the hot
African nights. Today’s iteration is commonly knocked back (often
in one gulp) in Portugal,

Austria and France.
Cold, sweetened coffee and lemon juice are poured over ice –
optional add-ins include dark rum and sparkling water. The
combination isn’t that offbeat; an espresso Romano is served with a
twist of lemon to bring out java’s sweetness.

There are many riffs on spiced coffee around the world; what
makes this Sengalese variation stand out is that the spices –
typically grains of selim (a local, musky, peppery spice, available
from speciality grocers) – are roasted with the coffee beans before
being ground and prepared in a similar manner to drip coffee. The
resulting decoction is considered an aphrodisiac, with purported
medicinal properties to boot.

Arabic coffee, or Qahwa, is a Unesco-recognised Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Arab states. Preparation varies, but a typical
brew may consist of lightly roasted green coffee beans with
cardamom, saffron, rose water, cinnamon and cloves added for spice
and fragrance. In Arab custom, the coffee is served in a miniature
decorative cup – we’re talking a small mouthful – called a finjān,
along with a date, other dried fruit or candied nuts.

If Arabic coffee is a little pungent for your taste, opt for a
Turkish coffee, in which bitter spices are mellowed by sugar.
They’re combined with very finely ground coffee beans in a copper
cezve pot over moderate heat, brought to a boil (often a few times)
and poured into petite, ornate mugs – grounds and all. It’s a rich,
treacly drink, akin to Mexican hot chocolate.

Since French colonists introduced the first coffee trees in
Vietnam, the country has become one of the world’s largest coffee
producers. It’s coffee preparations veer towards the saccharine,
with condensed milk among the most common add-ins. Cà phê trứng
throws in whipped egg yolks too for extra creaminess – think
tiramisu, but drinkable.

Meaning “pot coffee”, café de olla is a spiced affair in which
ground beans are simmered in a clay pot with a piloncillo (raw cane
sugar) and a cinnamon stick – cloves, peppercorns and orange peel
are sometimes added too. It’s a comforting brew, most commonly
enjoyed in rural areas and served in a clay mug, which locals
believe brings out coffee’s flavours.

The Korean pick-me-up that’s become an Instagram sensation,
dalgona coffee is cappucino’s cool cousin, with hot or cold milk
(or alt mylk, because #dairyfree) crowned with frothed coffee.
Simply whisk together equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot
water to make the topping – we find a tablespoon of each is enough
for one serving. Like this? Try a Greek-style frappé, the
not-so-traditional invention of a Nescafé representative who, in
1957, shook instant coffee, water and sugar before serving over
ice.

On the subject of trends, this butter coffee has been popular
among carb naysayers since the early 2010s, when MCT oil (or “brain
octane”), coffee and butter (grass-fed, of course) were blended in
a bid to skip breakfast and give the body’s fat-burning function of
ketosis a kick. As with most health-food crazes – turmeric,
kombucha, coconut oil – this caffeine fix has been plucked from
history. Centuries before paleo enthusiasts and Whole 30 folk
jumped on the bandwagon, Tibetan monks have sipped bowls of tea
shaken with yak butter and salt – high calories for high
altitudes.

Great as an after-dinner tipple, this coffee-cocktail crossbreed
is made up of strong coffee, stronger whiskey, sugar and a head of
whipped cream. Like this? Other boozy coffees include a German
Pharisäer, spiked with rum, sugar and cream, and the luxurious
Austrian Kaisermelange, in which espresso is mixed with raw egg
yolk, honey and a shot of cognac.

Italians have had a huge influence in our global coffee culture,
from the words we use to order – espresso, macchiato, latte – to
the steam-driven espresso machine, which was invented in Turin in
the 1880s. Coffee shops are no-fuss affairs here; don’t bother
asking for a grande no-foam latte with vanilla syrup. Instead, a
“buongiorno” is often accompanied by cappuccino and pastry, as
locals take a brief pausa (pause) to imbibe by a counter. You won’t
find many Italians ordering milky coffees after 10am.

Like a small, grown-up latte, the harmonious blend of espresso
and silky microfoam is our go-to order. It was born in Sydney
in the 80s, brought to the world stage by Starbucks in the 2010s,
and has since been upgraded with alt mylks, matcha, turmeric and
the like. Spain’s café con leche is similar, but uses scalded milk
and has less of a flat white’s foamy head.

Indulge your sweet tooth with a café Cubano, in which a
dark-roast espresso is brewed with sugar (traditionally of a brown,
natural variety), as opposed to the sugar being added afterwards.
Knocking one back is a cornerstone of Cuban culture, and popular
among Cuban-American communities in Florida. Like this? Try the
Brazillian cafezinho. Translating to “little coffee”, it’s a
sweeter, more concentrated take on the espresso.

Since the Battle of Vienna in the 1680s, when Turkish soldiers
left behind bags of coffee beans, the Austrian capital has had a
deep-roasted love affair with its cup o’ joe – by the 19th century,
coffeehouse culture was booming and it has since been recognised by
Unesco. Sweet tooth? Order a Maria Theresia, an espresso with
orange liqueur topped with cream, chocolate shavings and orange
rind.

Yuenyeung is a kick of a beverage, made up from three parts
black coffee and seven parts Hong
Kong-style milk tea. Correspondingly, its name refers to the
mating of mandarin ducks, a Chinese symbol of conjugal love, in
which the male and female birds have very different appearances. A
tea-coffee mash-up is also enjoyed in Ethiopia, locally known as
“spreeze”.