NEDERLAND — Anyone for a “cafe’ poo’ lait?” Or how about a “capoocino?”

A local bakery is serving samples of the world’s most expensive and rarest coffee Thursday while hoping Southeast Texans will enjoy the taste as much as the story behind the exotic coffee bean.

Rao’s Bakery employees will offer samples of Kopi Luwak — an Indonesian coffee featured on the movie, “A Bucket List” as well as “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” From 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday the coffee shop’s owner, Jake Tortorice plans to offer the gourmet treat from the first to the very last drop.

Tortorice, a self-professed coffee connoisseur, said he is as enthralled by the taste as he is the bean’s journey to his coffee shops in Nederland, Beaumont and Houston.

According to a press statement issued by Rao’s, Kopi Luwak is untreated coffee gathered from animal droppings from the exotic islands of Indonesia. Although the Indonesian coffee bean may seem repulsive, scientists and coffee connoisseurs from around the world agree that it is one of the most complex and delicious coffee brews available.

In Indonesia, the “luwak” is an indigenous animal also known as an Asian palm civit. This omnivorous creature sniffs out the best of the ripe coffee berries, swallowing the berry and bean, according to the release.

The bean passes through the animal’s digestive tract, where enzymes remove bitterness. Once the indigestible bean is defecated by the animal, locals collect the “processed” beans. After the bean is thoroughly cleansed, it undergoes a light roasting process and is then ground for coffee.

The resulting brew is praised by coffee aficionados around the globe as having a unique bouquet, a rich quality without bitterness and an “earthy” and “smooth” taste.

Because of it’s rarity, Kopi Luwak sells for $200 to $300 a pound. The four-ounce samples Rao’s is giving away would retail for somewhere around $10 a cup.

Will Southeast Texans be willing to sample the exotic brew? Tortorice believes they will. Fact is, the phones have been ringing this week with customers inquiring about the delicacy, he said.

“People can actually go to work and say I just had the most expensive coffee in the world,” Tortorice said.

Since the coffebean derives from such an unusual territory and is such a costly investment, Tortorice expects consumers to treat the coffee with the uttermost sensitivity.

Tortorice said he spontaneously decided to host the event out of sheer boredom and because he genuinely loves great tasting coffee like the Kopi luwak, and would like to share the tasty delight with others.

“Sometimes you just want to do something different, you get bored of doing the same thing over and over again, sometimes it’s just fun to do things differently,” Tortorice said. “You have use a French press to make this coffee, and nothing less in order for it to brew just right,” he said. “Otherwise it will not taste right.”

All Rao Bakery employees will taste the exquisite liquid-luxury Wednesday for the first time as they prepare to clean out the brewers and take the first sumptuous sip.

rbrown@panews.com