Steve Albini makes a delicious cup of kopi luwak

Steve Albini discusses the history and merits of Kopi Luwak (a.k.a. weasel coffee), one of the world's most prized coffee beans, before brewing up a delicious cup for his guest from Canada, Vish Khanna.
Video by Colin Medley and Vish Khanna
Shot in the client kitchen at Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL, U.S.A. on April 29, 2013
Thanks to Steve Albini, Bob Weston, Fucked Up, palm civet cats, and all Electrical staff.

[@MI-jp4nq]

I'm trying to imagine what Steve would think if we showed him this clip in 1981.

[@MI-jp4nq]

Glowing Red Brain Haha I was thinking "Who the fuck is this guy?" I love young Steve and current Steve, don't get me wrong.

[@thomasgambroadamsson3650]

He'd think "yeah, that's about right" what's special is the way it's processed. make a neat espresso.

[@thepuppethead1188]

on one hand he'd be shocked that he cares about espresso terminology and on the other he'd be impressed by the machinery and the fact that it's weasel shit coffee

[@milesdufourny4813]

He'd say; "Am I on an episode of the Twilight Zone?"

[@yasuhitosaito8443]

"jesus i filled out"

[@mr.lovekat7772]

RIP 2 u kind sir! This is how I want to remember SA. Talking about civet poop coffee but in such a casually entertaining way! So many good memories and such a huge influence on my early and young music listening life.

[@mikesilva5085]

During chemotherspy last summer i would watch this over and over snd salivate- because of the meds i couldnt enjoy my usual double espresso each morning. Listening to Steve talk this thru was the nearest thing .

[@bruceburns1525]

Mike Silva I'm watching this video while feeling sick from hangover. I thought I was pretty ill until I came along your comment. I hope you have the support of friends and family and that you are doing well these days.

[@johnnyluna7824]

have you had an espresso since?

[@BenjaminFrock]

❤️

[@mikesilva5085]

@@johnnyluna7824 yes maybe too many but back on chemotherapy again. Yikes!

[@ccgbassandmore3]

@@mikesilva5085 how are you now?

[@AnalogOpher]

Albini is the last renaissance man on earth.

[@michaszeremeta4745]

AnalogOpher there is also Mike Patton.

[@markdeming6224]

Yeah, but where is HIS great video about making a weird kind of coffee? :)

[@fleshrags]

Well

[@billyghostal]

guess were fucked now.

[@llliiliiiiiililiiiliiiilllllli]

damn

[@LeslieDugger]

Professor Albini was born to lecture

[@pandanurse]

I never thought someone talking so eloquently about cat shit coffee would be such a turn on

[@djefferson5669]

Gay

[@VictorRochaGaming]

That was great. Thanks for sharing.

[@ghostfires]

did he make that coffee in a harmonic percolator?

[@discodave6153]

This comment deserves a LOT more love ✊🏼

[@Oveneise]

Sweet! More Steve Albini is always appreciated. Thanks for the upload!

[@krystianluniewicz3881]

brilliant as usual...listening to him just refreshes my mind

[@raindogred]

When I first lived in Sumatra for 5 years I drank the real Kopi Luwak, naturally harvested..not the cruel farmed kind..it was great but kind of overpowering and acidic. After talking with many locals in the town of Bengkulu where I lived I eventually discovered the good stuff, which wasn't Kopi Luwak, but a natural blend called Seribu satu (1001) brand. Mostly Robusta, acidic and drank with the grits in the bottom of the glass and liberal dash of condensed milk..heaven in a glass. Sumatran Kopi Luwak is digested Robusta beans, which are way more acidic and the gut enzymes help break down that acidity. Interesting Steve identified that sweet, milk based kopi is the best way to drink, same as the Indonesians.

[@LRCDetroit]

I LOVE kopi luwak…seen them at the Pitchfork fest in Chicago. I didn’t know they recorded at Electrical 😮 the snare sound on their sophomore effort is AMAZING.

[@peterbingen1728]

He had me at “arboreal weasels “

[@autodidacticprofessor869]

It doesn't matter what horrific things happened to those beans... if Steve Albini offers you coffee, you drink it!

[@edmiglia]

This makes me happy 😊 so long, Steve

[@operationivy1000]

"Would you like to be filmed sipping it?"

[@shayneoneill1506]

I have an uncle in vietnam. I think I know what I'm gonna ask him to bring me next time he visits. Also Steve was a coffee buff? Man after my own heart. RIP punk rocker.

[@emili0x]

one sip of this acclimated him to black midi

[@fives.]

RIP to the GOAT

[@Hermiel]

Kirkland maple syrup in his highbrow coffee drink?! I feel more connected this man now than I ever did before. If I find out that he Marie-Kondos his t-shirt drawer I might lose my mind.

[@Tomix098]

Steve is making coffee the same way he mixes and it is awesome

[@dominicparker3245]

What so it tastes flat like his mixes sound?

[@Tomix098]

@@dominicparker3245 I mean.. made with great precision, how about that

[@JeiElRai]

"This is a teradactyl carrying its surfboard to the beach"

[@zeguna]

I like mellow Steve

[@EzraClaverie]

If Nascent Koprolith is not yet the name of an Indonesian goregrind band, then Indonesia owes the world one latte with maple syrup.

[@davek8706]

Always found it cool and amusing that Steve is into gourmet food

[@thenewyorkpauls]

That's actually the kitchen/breakroom of his studio, Electrical Audio. Those brick walls you see in some shots are all over the interiors of the recording rooms.

[@user-wc9kt1qj9u]

love him

[@EdHorch]

Kopi Luwak is definitely in the "don't knock it until you've tried it" category. It really is amazing tasting stuff. And, because it's washed more thoroughly than conventional coffee, it actually has less bacteria than what's in your grinder now.

[@grapsta]

I've tried it ....nothing special

[@Koettnylle]

I'm glad to see Steve is eating again

[@AdamRainStopper]

My studio (to be fair, it's only a single floor, one 36x30 room) only has a Keurig. I really miss my stovetop percolator and grinding my own beans. It wasn't convenient or easy and the first cup out of the pot was the only one that was really fresh and hot, but that first cup sure was amazing. I do have a little screen filter that can be used in it so I can get some Sumatra from the local coffee shop and grind it, but..... The Keurig is good because you can make one cup at a time, it works if you drink multiple cups every day, and your coffee doesn't sit and get cold (if it's a perc) or sit on the burner and get gross (if it's a drip coffee maker), but the last band here drank shitloads of coffee, and I think I could get away with having a drip coffee pot for that reason, we would just brew a pot and everyone could have a cup out of it, then brew another to give us a second cup, and so on. See, I started this comment thinking it would be one sentence about being jealous of Albini's in-house coffee shop, but I've had too much coffee........WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@nathanossmann7038]

"Do people not find it somewhat unsavory that they're consuming something that was harvested in excrement?" "No--because it's delicious." Miss this man.

[@opuitbopetvnh5186]

What is the proper measurement for a 8.oz cup I tablesppon

[@Hmon160]

RIP

[@joshdorsey9054]

ive been in that Kitchen!

[@erickort1987]

i read in a video they keep civit cats captive in cages,some ppl in comments saying its cruel

[@Shhhring]

was that a ristretto shot as well? 16 seconds if im correct.

[@harrysmith5340]

This is on par with David Lynch makes Quinoa

[@eamobyrne1]

A great sound engineer who knows fuck all about coffee.

[@hojima]

He gets paid under 30K on average a year now. Whenever he gets a big project like that the money doesnt just go to him, there are multiple employees at electrical audio and there is also the issue of rent. Projects like that (IE: major label recordings) take way longer and are a huge fuckaround just to get the money from.

[@bulletbelt97]

Damn. Albini's house is nice.

[@benkata]

I wonder what Kurt would think about modern Coffee?

[@redwarblerz]

"No, because it's delicious"

[@afterceasetoexist]

rip

[@sirspookington]

"a lot of money" is such a relative term. i've known someone who got 100k just from their inheritance, it's really not that much money in today's world. back in 1920 it would be a hell of a lot of money.

[@hojima]

I know that, my point is that it is still a large amount of money for most people. Just because no one can fucking afford a house for a reasonable price doesnt mean that it isnt a lot of money.

[@chaoscat99]

Fluffies at Electrical are the best! But, for the really good ones you need the intern to make it, since they have all the experience. Yes -- I am aware of how this sounds, but it is unavoidable.

[@adencapps5700]

albini might be the most youtubed dude

[@CornpopWasaBadDude444]

Great. Anytime Albinis asked ANYthing. Expect a long drawn out answer , you didn’t ask for.

[@kanacubana827]

instead of being fermented in vats or out in the open air it is fermented inside the gut of the animal

[@sewerrat6625]

he got paid 100k to produce In Utero

[@joshkorody7376]

XOXO

[@sirspookington]

my statement still stands. 100k is barely any money in today's market, even for back when In Utero was made. I'm sure steve lives pretty comfortably but he ain't no millionaire. my statement still stands.

[@andrealuis301]

wish the dude didn't talk so I could pretend he was making the coffee for me

[@victorvague3751]

"and so i consume it out of this?"

[@KreativeKontrol]

haha

[@Sambob79]

you can really taste the weasel LOL

[@vonclohk507]

I keep hearing about people (and some were close friends of mine) that are dying that ate healthy and didn't even drink or do drugs. Bummer.

[@xTheOxx]

"Plus whatever else comes out in poop". AKA "poop"

[@infjard]

holy shit did i laugh at this lol

[@Rockstafar]

the dirtiest most abrasive coffee imaginable

[@Pseudodef]

i have NEVER heard him talking about nirvana, not a single line and yet, now he's talking about coffee beans which are defecated from civets? this is extremely outfuckingrageous! i am in south east asia and i've never tasted the coffee!

[@swettyspaghtti]

He close mic'd the steamer with a lavalier ...would have liked a room mic for that. Too much 2-5 k going on for my taste Steve .

[@grapsta]

Only in the USA would someone pay big dollars for Kopi Luwak beans....and then put that much milk with it.

[@UhhhhhnooOOo00oO]

Put milk and syrup on my...well anything and it will taste good. Hmm. .

[@alanduncan1980]

Dude speaks like Naom Chomsky

[@vars666]

oh Steve when did you become a Melbourne hipster. Your ripples are screaming

[@cheesymcheisenburg6964]

I love when people only have the IQ to produce enough cognitive dissonance to type "hipster" in the comment box

[@vars666]

Cheesy McHeisenburg nice work arse clown

[@johnnyscifi]

Ohh do keep talking, you keep proving him correct

[@vars666]

johnnyscifi I would love to hear your reasons why?

[@douchecraft3113]

That's like mixing high-end bourbon with coke for a jack n' coke. What a friggin' waste, man!

[@jonathansutcliffe3401]

cracklin nut crud...

[@jonathansutcliffe3401]

hurry up steve that coffee's gettin cold...

[@klarinetta]

I would rather drink world class coffee from Finca El Injerto in Guatemala than paying ridiculous amount for this overly hyped coffee. It's so boring. Nothing going on. I guess people like it for it's lack of acidity. But acidity in my opinion is what makes coffee interesting.

[@redshaftedflicker]

Kopi is some expen$ive $hit!!!

[@jossmo]

Aye. See the Guardian 13th Sept 2013: Cut The Crap.

[@sirspookington]

nope, just living in reality. considering the richest people in the world's net worths are around 100 billion, not even a million dollars is "a lot of money" in today's day and age. millionaires are playground children compared to the numerous billionaires in today's day. a brand new car is around 30,000$.

[@vollsticks]

Oh is this the mammal-shit coffee?

[@tugboathk]

It is animal cruelty! How come I can't "dislike" it? sprudge dot com (slash) say-no-to-kopi-luwak.html And you add maple syrup to your coffee? LOL

[@benjaminrawson3386]

Tip your barista.

[@theblakex]

Too much caffeine killed Steve unfortunately

[@AndreaAustoni]

Show some respect by keeping your dumb mouth shut.

[@dogpetdog]

that's some CRAP coffee...see what I did there? terrible. sorry.

[@robair9911]

that looks like way too much milk

[@elektriccobra]

robair9911 that shit's too strong so you gotta put too much milk

[@sirspookington]

you would qualify steve as rich? ahhhhahaha i'm sure he makes a very decent amount of money, but i wouldn't call him "rich."

[@ninetimespluto]

He take’s everything too serious

[@RDFB101]

civit poop coffee I'm ok with, rag-wiped glass less so 😅🤢

[@bigmanstevens592]

This guy is the punk Morrissey

[@jacobrodriguez9144]

Triggered By Triggers I always called him the punk Trent Reznor lol

[@codymcgrew4015]

He’s the Punk Steve Albini lol no one else

[@Whiskel]

Dutty bastid.

[@cassius3745]

How much goddamn FULL FAT milk is used in this? Unhealthy-fat overload.

[@tykenminator]

It is not fucking handselected!!!!!!!!!!

[@Chris-is1rd]

He is being such a pretentious coffee hipster here.

[@TheNeverposts]

RIP

[@craigstahl1874]

RIP