Lipa's identity is inseparable from barako coffee — Coffea liberica, a robust, intensely aromatic variety that was the foundation of one of the world's great coffee industries in the 19th century. Philippine barako dominated world markets until coffee rust wiped out most of the crop in the 1880s. The industry never fully recovered, but Lipa and the Batangas highlands remain the heartland of what barako production survives.
Several farms in the hills around Lipa offer tours and tastings. The barako bean is larger than arabica, and the cup is darker, more bitter, and more pungent — an acquired taste that regulars find irreplaceable. You will find it served at breakfast all over the city, usually brewed in the traditional painstik method with a cloth strainer. A farm visit explains the process from picking to roasting, and lets you buy beans directly. Ask at your accommodation for current recommendations, as the farm tour scene changes seasonally.