The Sacred Bean and the Obsessive Pour

Let's talk about what actually unites us: the cult of coffee.

The Coffee Landscape:

British Columbia:

• Per capita coffee consumption: Very high
• Coffee shops per capita: Absurd
• Style: Third-wave, single-origin obsession, latte art competitions
• Notable: JJ Bean, 49th Parallel, Timbertrain, countless independents
• Vancouver has more coffee shops than any Canadian city
• Vibe: Serious about coffee, will wait 8 minutes for a pour-over

Oregon:

• Portland: Ground zero for American third-wave coffee
• Notable: Stumptown (now owned by bigger company, we don't talk about it), Coava, Heart, Ristretto
• Style: Same third-wave obsession, maybe slightly more pretentious
• Roasters: Significant roasting industry, exports nationally
• Vibe: Invented much of modern coffee culture, slightly smug about it

Hawaii:

• ACTUALLY GROWS COFFEE (this is significant)
• Kona coffee: World-famous, distinctive, expensive
• Ka'u, Maui, Kauai: Other growing regions
• 100% Hawaiian-grown coffee: Legally protected designation
• Challenge: Labor costs make Hawaiian coffee expensive
• Vibe: "We don't just drink it, we grow it"

The Integration Opportunity:

Currently:

• BC imports all coffee
• Oregon imports all coffee (but roasts a lot)
• Hawaii grows coffee but can't meet its own demand

Partnership possibility:

• Hawaiian coffee gets preferential access to BC/Oregon markets
• Roasting partnerships — Hawaiian beans roasted by Portland/Vancouver experts
• "Cascadia-Hawaii Blend" — marketing opportunity
• Sustainable growing investment — BC/Oregon money funds Hawaiian coffee agriculture

The Craft Beverage Ecosystem:

It's not just coffee.

Craft Beer:

Partnership: Already happening informally. Brewers collaborate. Beers cross borders.

Craft Spirits:

Whiskey, gin, vodka — all three regions have growing distillery scenes.

Wine:

• BC: Okanagan Valley (excellent, underrated)
• Oregon: Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (world-class)
• Hawaii: Maui pineapple wine (it exists)

Cider:

BC and Oregon both have strong cider scenes. Apples don't grow well in Hawaii (wrong climate).

The Cultural Anchor:

Coffee shops are "third places" — not home, not work, but community space.

In all three regions, coffee shops serve as:

• Remote work locations
• Community gathering spaces
• Cultural venues (readings, music)
• Economic incubators (countless startups began in coffee shops)

A unified coffee culture means unified third-place culture. Social infrastructure.

Discussion Questions:

1. Should Hawaiian coffee get protected status and preferential trade terms?
2. How do we support small-scale coffee farmers against corporate consolidation?
3. Is there a "Cascadia-Hawaii" roast that could represent the partnership?
4. How do we prevent craft culture from becoming gentrification culture?
5. Coffee: How much is too much? (Trick question. There is no too much.)