Hawaii Coffee Association Hosts Annual Cupping Competition on Kauai
The fields at Kauai Coffee. Daniel Lane photo
The 18th Hawaii Coffee Association (HCA) Conference and 5th Cupping Competition is July 18-20 at the Kauai Beach Resort. Offering a full lineup of informative activities, the annual event attracts statewide coffee industry growers, processors, roasters, wholesalers and retailers.
The gathering is also open to the public and the 2013-2014 season marks the 200th anniversary of coffee cultivation in Hawaii.
The conference includes workshops covering green grading, label compliance, quality control of roasting and packaging, cupping and eradication of the coffee berry borer beetle. Also on tap are legislative updates and reports from UH’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) and the Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council (SHAC).
Other activities include an expo, silent auction, election of HCA officers, tour of Kauai Coffee Company and networking reception at the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Winners of the cupping competition are announced Saturday at a dinner headlined by TV business reporter Howard Dicus.
Kauai Coffee grows five varietals of Arabica coffee, this is Yellow Catuai. Daniel Lane photo
The prestigious, annual cupping competition is an evaluation of coffee based on flavor, aroma, “mouth-feel,” acidity, sweetness and aftertaste. Last year, a panel of three lead judges, using standardized blind procedures, cupped a field of 117 Hawaiian coffees hailing from eight districts. Top honors were given to Heavenly Hawaiian Farms in Kona and the Big Isle’s Wood Valley Coffee Co. in Kau. Packages include:
- Conference – all days, all events – $199.00 Includes all events, Thursday Welcome Reception (cash bar, pupus; entry to exhibition and educational presentations; lunch on Friday and Saturday; Friday reception; Saturday banquet and awards ceremony; Sunday Kauai Coffee Tour and lunch.
- Conference – Friday only, all events – $100.00. Friday-only exhibition and educational presentations. Includes tour and barbecue
- Conference – Saturday and Sunday only, all events – $100.00. Saturday exhibition and educational presentations. Includes evening banquet and awards ceremony; Sunday Kauai Coffee Tour and Lunch.
- Conference – Saturday Banquet and Awards Ceremony – $75.00. Banquet and Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening. Does not include any other events.
- Conference – Sunday Tour and Lunch – $50.00. Sunday tour to Kauai Coffee. Includes bus transportation to/from hotel, lunch, tour of fields and operation including processing facility.
- Conference – Thursday, Welcome Reception – $60.00. Thursday evening pupus and cash bar
Early bird pricing is available through July 11th. On July 12th, all registration fees increase by $25.
For more information and to register, visit the Hawaii Coffee Association agenda page or events page.