Have you tried Kaʻū Coffee?
If Hawaii makes you think of Kona Coffee, we'd love to tell you about an equally cherished Hawaiian treasure. Kaʻū coffee is grown on the southern slopes of Mauna Loa in the Kaʻū district, which is right next to the Kona Coffee belt. Neighbors. Some people call Kaʻū Coffee the little cousin of Kona.
Kaʻū coffee may not have the name recognition of its famous cousin, but among those who know, Kaʻū coffee is also a very special coffee. Kaʻū Coffee isn't just about the flavor, although flavor alone would be plenty enough. It's also about the people, the land, and the history of Hawaii.
Much Like Kona, The Land Makes the Bean
The Kaʻū district is a rugged, rural discrict. A place where paniolo ride horseback and neighbors wave aloha from trucks, far away from Hawaiian resorts, cruise ship ports and tourist spots.
The Kaʻū district was sugarcane country long before it was a coffee district. For more than a hundred years, the Kaʻū Sugar Company dominated the Kaʻū region, employing generation after generation of workers.
In 1996, the sugar mill shut down and hundreds of Hawaiian people were laid off. Facing loss of jobs, income and a way of life, a handful of former plantation workers and their families saw an opportunity. With determination and aloha spirit, they began planting coffee trees.
Unlike Kona, Kaʻū didn’t have an established reputation. But they had beautiful land right next to where Kona Coffee was grown. Rich, volcanic land that was good for growing sugar cane -- but also ideal for coffee. The climate was perfect for coffee cultivation. Sitting right next to the Kona Coffee belt, it has the same sunny mornings, misty afternoons, and cool nights where Kona coffee trees flourished.
But perhaps most of all, they had aloha spirit and the belief that as a tiny community, they could start over and grow something beautiful to offer the world.
An Award-Winning Taste of Aloha
In 2007, Kaʻū coffee burst into the international coffee world when it placed in the top ten in the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s cupping competition. Since then, Kaʻū coffees have consistently won award after award for complexity and character. It's served at specialty cafés from Tokyo to San Francisco and has even been served at the White House.
This little "cousin of Kona" has become a source of local pride grounded in family farms, small-batch processing, and the spirit of aloha in every cup. Coffee connoisseurs describe Kaʻū as "elegant" and "luxurious."
What sets Kaʻū coffee apart isn’t just the bean. It’s also the people. Many Kaʻū farmers are Native Hawaiian or descendants of sugar plantation workers who made Hawaii their home. Most Kaʻū farms are small and family-run. Some are so tiny they're barely a few acres.
Their stories are woven into the land, and you can taste the aloha in every cup. There’s a deep respect for the land, known as the “āina” in Hawaii. It’s not just soil. It’s a love for home, family and respect in every sip. When you drink Kaʻū coffee, you’re not just sipping coffee. You’re supporting real people, real families, and a real livelihood for rural Hawaiʻi.
A Note for Connoisseurs
If you’re a coffee connoisseur, Kaʻū offers complexity you’ll want to pay close attention to. The region’s high elevations from 2,000–2,500 feet paired with frequent rains, and mineral-rich volcanic soils create a slow-growing environment that allows the coffee beans to develop rich, deep, and nuanced flavors.
Kaʻū coffee is more than a delicious drink—it’s a symbol of what our islands can accomplish when we support local agriculture, local business, and local families. Kaʻū farmers are our neighbors, our classmates, our ohana. They’ve taken a tough chapter in Hawaiʻi’s economic history and turned it into a success story without losing sight of Hawaiian tradition or community values.
Taste the story of Kaʻū coffee
Kaʻū coffee isn’t as widely available as Kona and it doesn't have the same name recognition yet, but that’s part of its charm. One sip is all it takes to understand why this humble bean from Hawaiʻi’s southern coast has captured the hearts of coffee lovers and connoisseur around the world.
Notes of citrus, floral honey, brown sugar, macadamia, and dark chocolate have wowed international judges. It’s not uncommon to hear Kaʻū described as "elegant" and "luxurious." It's a taste of the land, grown and nurtured by the people who live closest to it. A story brewed slowly, with patience and pride.
Next time you’re brewing your morning cup, consider a cup of Kaʻū. Not just for the flavor, but for the story and the people behind it. In every cup of Kaʻū, there’s resilience. There’s culture. There’s history. And there’s a deep-rooted love for the land and all it can offer. Taste the story of Kaʻū coffee. You won’t easily forget it.