GROUNDS FOR SUCCESS

The coffee is so flavorful, you have to drink it to believe it.

BY CIARA LAVELLE

Taste what's brewing in Puerto Rico's thriving coffee scene.

SAN JUAN APPEALS to connoisseurs of all sorts: fashionistas seeking the latest designer styles, foodies craving Latin flavors, beach lovers on the hunt for world-class surf. But coffee mavens?

Even some of the most educated coff ee connoisseurs don't know about Puerto Rico's locally grown beans. But that's not a reflection of the taste, says Adriana Vera of Hacienda El Jibarito (www.haciendaeljibarito.com), which roasts its own beans and has an onsite hotel for aficionados.

"We don't supply enough for our own demand," Vera says.

"We cannot ship anything because we don't even have enough for ourselves. It's very rare for coff ee from here to be exported to Europe or the US or even to the rest of the Caribbean. It's basically unique to here."

It's no wonder locals want to keep the beans to themselves. Each is hand-selected by cultivators in the island's central and western parts, especially in La Cordillera Central, a mountain range with optimal altitude and climate. Growers sell beans to coff ee haciendas, which roast and grind the beans, and may distribute them to restaurants and coff eeshops-if they have enough. El Jibarito, for example, only sells its coff ee at the hotel. But the beans are only one ingredient in Puerto Rico's gourmet cup of joe; preparation is just as important.

Ask for a café con leche, for example, and you'll get a traditional black coff ee with steamed milk. A Puerto Rican café expreso will beat the socks off the espresso you get from your local barista; the unique flavor and aroma of the island's beans are best appreciated in this potent brew. To look like a pro, try a café expreso black; otherwise, order a cortadito (derived from the Spanish word for "slightly cut"), which is a café expreso mixed with a tiny bit of hot milk.

No matter what you order, savor every sip -there's no telling when (if ever) you'll have it back home.

Caffeine Cravings

You can spend a night-or an entire vacation-at Hacienda El Jibarito, immersing yourself into the world of coffee production. But if you would rather just enjoy a cup, here are a few of San Juan's best spots.

Karamelos Coffee & Gallery An Old San Juan café with a side of culture
787-598-5152

La Bombonera
Bottomless coffee cups in turn-of-the-century surroundings
787-722-0658

La Mallorca
Simple, hearty diner food to match the traditional coffee
787-724-4607