Hawaii is the only state in the United States with significant commercial coffee production. Gourmet Kona coffee is what first comes to mind when thinking about Hawaii and coffee, but there are many other island-grown varieties that have made names of their own in recent years.
The first coffee plant was introduced to Hawaii through King Kamehameha I's Spanish advisor, Don Francisco de Paula Marin, in 1817. However, the coffee he planted did not succeed. In 1825, the governor of Oahu, Chief Boki, brought coffee plants from Brazil and successfully planted them in Oahu's Manoa Valley. From that time on, people started planting coffee in different regions in the Islands.
In 1828, missionary Samuel Ruggles planted the first coffee tree in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. The first commercial coffee operation started in Koloa, Kauai, in 1836. Today, coffee is grown on five Hawaiian islands: Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai and the Big Island. Hawaii's 2023-2024 coffee season included about 1,000 farms across roughly 7,400 acres.
Agriculture used to be the main industry in Hawaii, and many workers from countries including China, the Philippines, Japan, Korea and Portugal were brought here to work in the sugarcane and pineapple fields, which were the predominant crops grown in Hawaii in the past. At one point, Hawaii produced much of the world's pineapple. But over time, as land prices, labor costs and the cost of living increased in the Islands, many crops produced in Hawaii could no longer compete on the world market.
Since coffee can be grown cheaper in many other places in the world, coffee farmers in Hawaii focus on producing high-quality coffee with distinctive island flavors. Hawaii coffee benefits from volcanic soils, varied elevations, sunny mornings, afternoon clouds and small-farm growing traditions.
Many coffee varieties are grown throughout Hawaii, but the six most common ones are:
- Catuai: Sweet aroma with earthy notes.
- Caturra: Silky texture with fruity, berry aromas.
- Kauai Blue Mountain: Chocolaty flavor with hints of caramel.
- Mokka: Cocoa and fruity flavors with hints of wood and black cherry.
- Mundo Novo: Spicy aroma with hints of clove.
- Typica: Chocolaty as well as spicy flavors with hints of caramel, wood and nuts.
When it comes to the final product, many different varieties and blends are available on the market. Some coffees are purely from a single farm or region, others are a blend of different Hawaii regions, and others contain coffee from around the world with a certain percentage of Hawaii-grown coffee mixed in.
In Hawaii, one can find many blends in stores that contain Kona coffee and coffee from elsewhere. Current Hawaii labeling rules require coffee blends using a Hawaii geographic name, such as Kona, to include at least 10% coffee from that named region and to disclose the origin of the rest of the coffee. Beginning July 1, 2027, the required share for Hawaii geographic-origin coffee products increases to 51%.
Many coffee farms in Hawaii offer tours and coffee tastings.
