What better way to celebrate National Coffee Day (Sept. 29) than by enjoying a tasty immersive experience? Whether you prefer lattes, espressos, frappes or cold brews, here are a few places around Oahu where you can see what goes on behind the scenes to make this “brew”-tiful beverage.
ChadLou’s Coffee Roasters
Husband-and-wife team Matt and Sheila Rosete opened ChadLou’s Coffee Roasters (45 Hoolai St. Ste. B) in 2010 in their hometown of Kailua. Since then, they have made it their mission to seek quality farm-to-cup coffee and cultivate relationships with award-winning local farmers.
Its roastery tour is led by ChadLou’s coffee connoisseurs, who have experience stewarding coffee at every step of its life cycle — from farmer to roaster to barista.
They lead guests through an in-depth tasting of different roasts and followed by a walk-through of the roasting area. Visitors also get to learn which countries the beans originated from and the history of coffee beans in Hawaii.
Visit chadlouscoffeeroasters.com/coffee-tastings.
Drip Studio HNL
Located in the heart of Chinatown, Drip Studio HNL (1146 Fort Street Mall Ste. B) is a multi-roaster coffee hub committed to educating customers about the art of specialty coffee from around the globe.
“Our mission is to provide access to specialty coffee for the novice and experienced, with a focus on true coffee culture, hospitality, sustainability and community,” says co-owner Kelsie Mercado-Uehara.
The biz is known for its specialty coffee omakase-like experience, which emphasizes single-origin coffees and specializes in manual pour-overs. Patrons can snag a seat at its coffee bar, let the staff know what their favorite coffees or preferences are and the baristas will work their magic to curate a unique coffee experience.
Follow @dripstudiohnl on Instagram or visit dripstudiohnl.com.
Green World Coffee Farm
Green World Coffee Farm (71-101 Kamehameha Hwy.) in Wahiawa offers independent, self-led tours of its 7-acre coffee farm. Afterward, guests may stop at its espresso bar and retail shop.
Tours operate on a first-come, first-served basis and are free. Visitors can explore the farm at their own pace and use the QR codes the biz has in place to learn more about the farm.
Green World Coffee Farm also offers free samples of its coffee and teas.
Visit greenworldcoffeefarm.com or call 808-622-2326.
Honolulu Coffee Experience Center
Coffee lovers still have time to enjoy the Honolulu Coffee Experience Center (1800 Kalakaua Ave.) before it closes on Oct. 13. The center — which first opened in 2015 as Honolulu Coffee’s flagship store to share a farm-to-cup Kona coffee experience — will be moving on to its next chapter with a brand new location at 2643 S. King St. that will focus on an artisanal bakery and café, and is set to open next year.
Until then, visitors can still partake in a self-guided tour of the biz’s Kona coffee process at the Experience Center. They will be able to see Honolulu Coffee’s roasters doing what they do best, as they roast the coffee to exact specifications on classic, cast-iron equipment that brings out Kona coffee’s natural, sweet, fruity flavors.
Stay up to date and follow @honolulucoffee on Instagram or visit honolulucoffee.com.
Tradition Coffee Roasters
Patrons of Tradition Coffee Roasters (905 Kalanianaole Hwy. Ste. 3201) in Kailua have a myriad of coffee experiences to choose from.
Its roastery tour and coffee tasting experience goes over the farming, processing and roasting process followed by a tasting. Guests also have the opportunity to taste coffee like a pro and dive deep into the different aromas and flavors of Tradition’s coffees. Visitors can also learn how to do a perfect pour-over, participate in a beginner roasting class, or even participate in a lei poo workshop with a roastery tour and tasting.
“Our passion and mission is to serve responsibly sourced, perfectly roasted and great tasting coffee,” says COO and owner Lindsey Burik. “We love to teach and educate people about the amazing journey from bean to cup.”
Visit traditioncoffeeroasters.com or call 808-207-7022.
Waialua Estate Coffee and Chocolate
Although tours of the coffee and cacao farms at Waialua Estate Coffee and Chocolate (1116 Whitmore Ave.) in Wahiawa are still in the works, guests can sample its coffee and chocolate at the Dole Farm Tour Store (across the street from Dole Plantation).
The store carries free samples of Waialua Estate’s freshly brewed coffee in several different roasts that are exclusive to the Dole Farm Tour Store, including blonde roast, medium roast and medium-dark roast.
To complement that coffee tasting, visitors can also try Waialua Estate’s chocolate. The free tasting includes milk, nib and dark chocolate.
Call 808-372-6760 or visit waialuaestate.com/coffee.
