As he watched he noticed some of them were eating an unfamiliar red berry off of a small bush with dark green leaves. The poor shepard tasted the small berrries and found them to be, although bitter, not unpleasent and gave him an energy boost. The shepard showed the Priest the berries. He shared the dark brown liquid with his fellow Priests at early morning prayer and they all found that they were less tired. This is believed to be as close to the true origins of coffee as can be traced.
Good coffee starts with fresh beans.
The type of bean is up to each individuals preference. For a good reference check The National Coffee Associations Bean Roasting Types but otherwise just make sure the beans are two weeks or less old. The experts say that it should be with in the week, but I have found the coffee bean to be forgiving of time provided it is stored ion an airtight container. My personal preferenc is for the kona bean from the foot of Mauna Loa in Hawaii. This bean has a mild, low acidity, almost sweet flavor.