A new meaning for 'coffeemaker'.

Do you know where that cup of coffee you're drinking came from?

And I don't mean Dunks, Starbucks or Maxwell House. I mean, do you know how that morning cup of joe got to your cup? Was it hand-picked by Juan Valdez in the hills of Colombia? Did it grow in the perfect coffee climes of the Jamaica mountainsides'?

Do you even care where your coffee began its journey?

Well, if someone offers you a brew called kopi luwak, you might just decline it in favor of the sludge that gurgles out of your office vending machine. You see, kopi luwak beans not only cost well over $100 a pound, those beans spent some time in the digestive tract of a weasel-like mammal from Southeast Asia called the palm civet. We're talking recycled coffee beans.

Now, how much would you pay?

The house cat-sized omnivore has this thing for the red coffee berries that grow in its native jungle habitat of Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Our tree-dwelling mammal scarfs down a load of coffee berries, and quicker than you can say "good to the last dropping," nature takes its course and the "end" result is, uh, partially digested coffee beans waiting to be scooped by local natives off the jungle floors. Just add water and you're good to go.

You're not really grossed out by this revelation, are you'?

Hey. I've seen contestants consume much worse things on TV's "Fear Factor." At least the guy gulping guppies while sitting in a box of scorpions has a shot a big cash prize. With kopi luwak coffee, you pay big bucks for the pleasure of consuming an earth-friendly beverage. Al Gore would be proud. I wonder if Al drinks his coffee black so he can savor the dark chocolate and plum flavor with its subtle overtones of hazelnut. Talk about an inconvenient cup of coffee.

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, you're probably dying to be the first on your block to buy a pound or two of kopi luwak. A Google search on line will link you with lnternet retail suppliers of this morning treat.

This ain't your father's Folgers, you know. At up to a couple hundred bucks a pound, chances are you may never catch a whiff of Mother Nature's most ingenious coffee product.

So here's my idea to put kopi luwak within reach of the working man's budget. First, we domesticate the palm civet the way cats were turned into house pets thousands of years ago. Instead of cat chow, your civet gets raw coffee berries. Before long, pet supply manufacturers benefit because they will be selling millions of coffee filters that fit into Fluffy's litter box. More jobs for Americans. We reduce the balance of trade deficit. Americans enjoy gourmet coffee for pennies instead of dollars a cup.

Baristas everywhere are installing cages next to their bean grinders, espresso machines, demitasse spoons and frothing pitchers.

Hey, anyone want a Crappaccino? I'm buying.

You can hear Mike Morin weekdays from 5 to I0 a.m. on "New Hampshire in the Morning" on 95.7 WZID-FM. Contact him at [e-mail].