Kona Coffee is The Best!

Besides tourism, a major part of what drives the local economy is Kona coffee. It's grown on the slopes of Mt. Hualalai in a corridor that is about 20 miles long and 3 or so miles wide and starts once you start heading towards Kainalinu just a few miles south of Kailua Kona.

Because of the topography of this area where the coffee is grown, early morning sun and late afternoon showers are almost a daily occurrence which makes the area a perfect area to grow coffee in.

These unique weather conditions are part of what gives the coffee it's truly gourmet flavor. The other factor in the delicious taste is the hand crafting that takes place from picking the coffee cherry to the actual roasting of the beans. It's truly a labor of love for the local coffee farmers. I've done a lot of work over the years for them and I can tell you they don't do it for the money.

There are over 100 different coffee farms in south Kona most of them are very small operations. Each year there is the Kona coffee cupping contest held around November and it's quite the big deal. All the different coffee farms enter their coffee in the cupping contest in hopes of being voted the best Kona coffee.

The competition is a week long and there are seminars on everything related to the coffee industry and there's also a big parade called the Kona coffee parade they also select the annual Kona coffee queen for the next year.

Below are videos I've shot during the Kona Coffee Festival.

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