B on Hawaii

With the harsh news of droughts and other plights on the farmers and ranchers of Hawai‘i's Big Island, we welcome some positive news from that community. Thanks to some entrepreneurship paired with good environmental practices and dedicated farming, select Starbucks locations will carry Ka‘u-grown and harvested coffee under their special "Starbucks Reserve" program. The effort will continue through November. 

With summer in full swing, anyone not embarking on a European holiday or mainland sojourn tshould consider a neighbor island jaunt to one of many inn experiences we are lucky to have among us. We’ve written at length about the quaint (and historic) Shipman House in lush Hilo; you’ve drooled over the elite homes of Pure Kauai, as well as some stunning oceanfront estates on O‘ahu. But it’s been a while since we directed our gaze towards the coffee-laden hillsides above Kona—and the sublimely serene Holualoa Inn.

For a town the size of Honolulu, let’s agree that we have an acceptable number of coffee shops. Yet, when we factor in that Hawaii is the only state in the nation that produces coffee, it’s safe to say that there’s no harm in lauding another into the mix. Especially when its owner aims to provide patrons with the best possible cup o’ joe, procured using a variety of methods, yet each utilizing 100 percent Hawaii-grown coffee.

There are those who think of that morning cup o’ joe as something more than a quick pick-me-up. Coffee—especially to those of us who have explored the “kona typica” varietals that thrive here in Hawai`i—can be as intricate as a fine wine to the right palate. And while many know that we’re blessed with the only coffee-producing region in North America, not as many are aware that farmers throughout Hawai`i have “stepped it up” over the last decade.

In the midst of next week's Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Island of Hawai`i, three special seminars will be given by the State of Hawai`i's leading coffee expert, Dr. Shawn Steiman. Open to all, his seminars at three premiere coffee houses in the Kailua-Kona area will demonstrate the ins and outs of brewing the best coffee. On Tuesday, November 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival kicks off this year on Friday, November 6, with events stretching through November 15th. Festival organizers seem to be taking advantage of the "cultural" aspect of the festival this go-around, to spotlight a number of unique offerings in and surrounding the Kona location, on Hawai`i's Big Island.

Git out yer cowboy boots and lo'i waders: This Saturday and Sunday marks the 37th annual Hawaii State Farm Fair, held at the Bishop Museum, on O'ahu. If you've never been, you're in for a treat. First and foremost, there will be no shortage of edibles to sample; from Ka'u coffee and Ho Farms tomatoes, to Naked Cow Dairy's flavored butters and abalone harvested on the Big Island of Hawai`i.

Last year at this time, we at B on Hawaii were made privy to a little known secret, the origins of which came wafting through the sulfur-tinged air of south Hawai'i. A handful of farmers in the Ka'u district of Hawaiii Island (a.k.a. "The Big Island") were giving more than the ole college try at growing, harvesting and roasting coffee.

For those who haven't heard the rather electrifying news, two of our own Hawaii-grown coffee farms ranked among the world's best specialty coffees at a recent global competition.

The 2005 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival at the Outrigger Keauhou is rapidly approaching. If you're looking for an excuse to save some shipping charges on Kona coffee, swing by the Big Island between November 3 - 12th, and can pick up a case of the island's top-rated brew.