Americans are addicted to coffee.
And many joe junkies believe the world’s best coffee is grown right here in the United States, often on small family farms along the coasts of Hawaii.
"We brew literally the most beautiful pour-over you’ve ever had," said Abby Munoz of Monarch Coffee.
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Her California parents, Greg and Susy Stille, began growing coffee on Maui in 2004.
They established Monarch on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2013, planted trees in 2015 and plucked their first crop of coffee berries in 2018.
Their coffee trees cover just seven acres and produce about 8,000 pounds of coffee each year.
Monarch and other Kona coffee farms have grown into coveted travel destinations – places for people to see the real-life workings of an American family farm and taste the delicious results.
"We do come from a background of family farming, culture and tradition," said Munoz.
She operates the farm with her husband, Sal, while their 15-year-old son, Joshus, "is our most requested tour guide."
Coffee is actually a fruit that grows on small shrub-like trees. The reddish cherry-like berries contain two small green seeds. They’re hard as rocks.
The magic comes in the roasting process, which activates the natural flavors and oils within the hard little green seed and makes them pop and soften.
It’s almost like the way corn kernels explode to make popcorn – though quite a bit more complex, said Munoz.
Monarch, she said, is "a closed-loop farm" that does everything from grow the trees to dry the beans — then roast, grind and sell the coffee.
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The United States today is the only First World nation that grows coffee.
The combination of labor and travel costs, the hyper-regulation of American agriculture, and the typical challenges of small farms competing in a global marketplace makes Hawaiian coffee more expensive than cheap supermarket blends.
Monarch Coffee costs up to $50 per half-pound for its exclusive signature Estate Gesha roast.
Coffee first arrived in Hawaii in the early 1800s, according to the Hawaii Coffee Association.
But its explosion as an industry came only in the 1980s, when sugarcane and pineapple growers began seeking alternative crops.
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"Coffee was a logical choice because of its suitability, local history, innovations in harvesting technology, and the burgeoning specialty coffee movement," the association reported.
"What makes Kona coffee really special is the microclimate that’s unique to Hawaii," said Munoz, citing the state’s volcanic soil and the constant arrival of afternoon clouds.
Coffee in much of the rest of the world is grown under shade to protect the fruit from the incessant beat of the hot tropical sun.
"We have this natural shade," she said.
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