Harmony and Balance: The Story of Lokahi

A cup of our Lokahi espresso blend sitting on rocks

At Honolulu Coffee, it's easy for us to get lost in our farm-grown Kona. We grow it, we take pride in its world-class quality, and then we are overjoyed to share it with our guests. But the truth is that our non-Kona coffees take just as much pride and passion to produce, and today we'd like to give one of our blends the spotlight: Lokahi.

Bag of 12oz Lokahi Blend

HISTORY:

Lokahi was designed to taste great as espresso, whether at our cafes or in your home set-up. Our ideal espresso blend is medium-roast, easy to dial in, and gives that great chocolate and caramel taste while leaving in a backdrop of the distinct fruity characteristics of the coffees. When we source the components of Lokahi, these are the tastes we are specifically looking for. 

So what’s with the name? Lokahi means unity and balance and these words that encompass what we are as a company and what best represents our coffee experience.

QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY:

All of our blends are subject to thorough and routine quality controls for taste and consistency. We cup our lineup of coffees almost every day to ensure tastes are up to par, green coffee is holding up, etc… but Lokahi gets a little extra attention, or an extra cupping bowl, or an extra roast profile to see what temp and times during the roasting process is bringing out the best flavors. And we don’t stop there.

Our Roasting and Quality Control teams spend ample time dialing our roasts with our espresso grinders and espresso machine, and then share the best practices with our cafe teams to help them ensure wherever it is served, it is tasting great.

The Cupping Table filled with coffee cupping bowls and cupping spoons in our Experience Center cafe in downtown Honolulu, HI.

What does this mean for you? When you get Lokahi in your cup, you are drinking the product of rigorous attention to detail from start to finish. 

A BLEND THAT’S MORE THAN A BLEND:

Like all of our blends, the components of Lokahi change throughout the year based on harvest schedules and crop freshness. But generally speaking, there is always at least one coffee in Lokahi that represents a long, fruitful relationship with our producing partners. 

  • Colombia Monserrate: Relationship since 2007, visits about once a year.
  • El Salvador Manzano: Relationship since about 2010 or 2011, visits about every other year. 

Relationships are vital to the way we operate, and great coffee starts with these great relationships. Lokahi is no different. With each iteration, there is a years long story to be told and the importance of this blend goes well beyond the final taste.

Lokahi bend in a metal tray

BEYOND LOKAHI

Coffee is a funny thing. It’s an everyday, ubiquitous, oftentimes mindless part of people’s lives, but behind every cup is a long story of human connection, hard work, and dedication. Lokahi is a part of the much larger coffee story, but it’s one that has meant the world to us and has come to represent so much of our philosophy and identity.

The next time it’s in your mug as drip coffee, or a latte, or as an espresso shot, know that there’s a story unfolding before you, and enjoy your moment of harmony and balance with it. 

Lokahi Blend 12oz Bag

SHOP LOKAHI BLEND

 -

Related Content:


Older post Newer post

From the blog

Full spread of spring releases in Honolulu Coffee cafes

See What's New for Spring!

See our new releases for spring and summer '23! From beautiful aromatic herbs and newly grown fresh fruits and vegetables...

A 12oz bag of Kona Estate Selection next to a Honolulu Coffee Tumbler

Making a Kona Coffee Subscription Work for You

Kona coffee, one of the most prized coffee varieties in the world, doesn’t come easy.  But getting the freshest Kona...

2022

Honolulu Coffee 2022, A Year in Review

See all of our favorite moments by month as we look back at 2022. 2022 was our 30th year of Brewing...

Full spread of spring releases in Honolulu Coffee cafes

See What's New for Spring!

See our new releases for spring and summer '23! From beautiful aromatic herbs and newly grown fresh fruits and vegetables to indulgently sweet honey and bright colorful flowers, the islands give us endless inspiration.
A 12oz bag of Kona Estate Selection next to a Honolulu Coffee Tumbler

Making a Kona Coffee Subscription Work for You

Kona coffee, one of the most prized coffee varieties in the world, doesn’t come easy.  But getting the freshest Kona coffee to your doorstep is now easier than ever! Check out all the ways you can make a Kona coffee subscription fit your life and needs.
2022

Honolulu Coffee 2022, A Year in Review

See all of our favorite moments by month as we look back at 2022. 2022 was our 30th year of Brewing with Aloha, and we wanted to savor every moment of goodness the year brought us.