Beach Trading Blog

We here at Beach Trading always have a pot of Lion Coffee brewing to keep us going, (personally we love Toasted Coconut and Original Lion coffees). Some of us got into researching and sharing some Hawaiian coffee facts and ended up with a list that we thought were interesting so we thought we’d share:

1. The first crop of Hawaiian coffee was produced in 1840 from Brazilian beans.
2. Hawaii is the only state in the US that produces and exports coffee.
3. Unlike other farmed beans which are machine picked, in Hawaii, the beans are hand-picked one by one – one reason why Kona coffee is so pricey.
4. In Hawaii, the beans grow into a ripe red coffee cherry between August-January and harvested between November-April.
5. Drying the beans to their optimal moisture content of 10%-13% usually takes 7-14 days.
6. Kona beans are only grown in a small area which is about 2 miles wide and 20 miles long, where climate is ideal. Another reason they’re so pricey.
7. Coffee experts say you should brew the beans using  a French Press, to get the full taste and flavor of the Hawaiian coffee bean.
8. Kona beans have 3 grades with Extra Fancy and Fancy being the 2 highest grades.
9. The middle grade of Kona bean is #1 which is considered to be the best quality hotel, resort, and restaurant beverage.
10. In accordance with Hawaiian law, a Kona Blend must contain at least 10% real Kona beans.

There you have it – our top 10 list  list of Hawaiian coffee facts! Got any we should add to the list??

Speaking of Hawaiian coffee don’t forget to pick up a bag or two of Hawaii’s favorite: Lion Coffee.