I WROTE THIS STUFF.

As published by Tasting Table

Despite the country's reputation for fantastic coffee, it's nearly impossible to get a good cup of joe in Colombia. The second largest coffee exporter on earth sent $2.6 billion worth of beans to other countries around the world last year, forcing locals in most Colombian cities to brew imported beans from far-off places like Vietnam. But one man is not only bringing Colombian coffee back to Colombia—he's elevating coffee culture throughout the entire world. With rare devices and odd gadgets (hello, popcorn machine and blowtorch), David Arzayus roasts, grinds and brews dozens of varieties of local and international beans at Café del Mural, opened early last year on a little-traversed Cartagena side street. Using historical, traditional and experimental techniques in a makeshift laboratory, he offers customers multi-course tastings that run the gamut from the conventional to the bizarre.