I got to spend the better part of a year in Beirut. "Qawa arabiiya," i.e. the sort brewed in a small pot on an open flame, is still a favourite. Espresso will do as a substitute. I have taken to café au lait as a means to spin it out (I tend to want to slug espresso back) and to take in milk. North American coffee seems to be, as Germans accuse, just dirty water. My last boss in the regular army was a coffee snob (John Sawicki, where are you?) but he taught me to blend Kenyan and Arabica beans in the grinder (5:3 small scoops for 60 oz Braun filter pot). It comes out so that both our guests and I can drink it (but I would still rather espresso).