Venturing Off The Beaten Path

If you thought the only shopping decision you'll need to make is whole bean or ground, think again. A diverse coffee marketplace has developed along with the rise in popularity of Kona's renown brew. As you travel from stop to stop along the Kona coffee belt, you'll find temptations lurking everywhere.

A few retail pointers:
Some of Kona's best coffee often appears in the plainest packages. Taste everything and find the beans that suit you best. Some people prefer a heartier, more robust taste, others look for sweetness or a certain flavor. Each of us has our personal favorites and half the fun is discovering the range of possibilities.

Hard-to-find private estate labels are available at several tour stops. Ask about mail order, an easy way to keep you supplied with Kona year-round. Bonus tip: many coffee farmers also grow and sell macadamia nuts.

You'll find coffee accessories from one-of-a-kind mugs, original coffee art, canisters, aprons, t-shirts to coffee pots and everything in between. Opera fans will delight in The Kona Coffee Cantata, a newly-released CD with music composed by Kona resident Jerre Tanner and recorded by the Prague Chamber Orchestra.

Buy Kona coffee by the cup or the pound, it's available packaged roasted or bulk green, retail and wholesale.