The Big Island Coffee Roasters earned first place for the second straight year at the 2023 SCA U.S. Coffee Championship Prelims.
The Hawaii Coffee Association (HCA) announced the winner of the competition that took place on Oahu, according to an HCA press release. The event, according to the release, was “lively and energetic with music, food trucks, winery and distillery tours, lots of Hawaii-grown coffee beverages, and friendly competition.”
Dubbed the Roasters and Brewers Cup, competitors were allowed 20 minutes to make two brews of Hawaiian-grown coffee. Judges sampled the offering and rendered their decisions.
“Competitors utilized manual coffee brewers such as Hario V-60, Fellow Stagg, Clever Dripper and French Press, and then brewed coffee for the judges while giving an eight-minute presentation about their brewing process and the coffee selected,” the release stated.
The HCA also hosted the Roaster Competition: Cup-To-Profile Presentations, Judges Cupping and Audience Service. Mark Kove of White Nene Coffee Roasters in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island received first place. The next qualifying round will take place on the U.S. mainland with dates still being decided.
The HCA’s mission, according to its website, is to “represent all sectors of the Hawaii coffee industry, including growers, millers, wholesalers, roasters and retailers. The HCA’s primary objective is to increase awareness and consumption of Hawaiian coffees.”
