Buddha's Cup

Four different ways to grow coffee and four different reasons why

Visitors who follow the brightly colored flags up the 1000-foot slope to the top of the Buddha’s Cup farm, past all five of their major coffee fields, will be well rewarded at the top. 

Coffee adventurers can start with a tasting of two of the farm’s coffees, and more on request. 

Those who don’t like or can’t tolerate coffee but are along for the ride get their own tasting of site-grown mamaki tea (a revered Hawaiian herb with medicinal properties and here paired with fresh lemongrass), Hawaiian black tea, and a remarkable ground green coffee bean tea, said to cause a mild euphoria and clear-minded alertness. 

The owners, Christine and Manny, are passionate and personable, and the tour includes watching the roaster in action, the drier as well (from Oct. to Dec.), and the wet milling process is on display between August and January. 

The coffee ripens from the lower elevations to the higher, with coffee grown in open fields, or under mac nut trees, or even under the native ‘ohi’a tree — said to subtly influence the flavor. 

For the more adventurous, the driving tour piles everyone into the farm “mule” for a fun ride down through the farms. Visitors can say hi to the honey hives (and buy some honey later), pick whichever fruit is in season and discover cinnamon trees, and haul the fruit back to keep or to leave for the next visitors. 

Visit the website for the lengthy and impressive list of awards accrued to this grower.

Mon.-Fri. 9 am to 4 pm, Sat. 10 am to 2 pm. 

Complimentary tastings. Driving tour is $20 or $40 for a deluxe tour.