The United States might be the birthplace of third wave, artisan coffee (there are three waves of coffee: first, second, and third) and Americans are certainly big fans of the bold and fruity caffeinated beverage. Yet historically, most of the coffee consumed in the States has been imported from places like Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, or transported to the mainland from Hawaii. In recent years, though, producers in a mainland U.S. state decided to try growing small-batch coffee themselves. The state in question? It’s the same state producing the most strawberries, almonds, lemons, pistachios, pomegranates, raspberries, walnuts, and more — none other than California.
There’s a reason why until recently, coffee wasn’t grown in any of the contiguous 48 states — the plant needs specific weather conditions to thrive, which are most readily found in an area circling the equator known as the coffee belt. But as it turns out, the balmy, consistent warmth of Southern California is just similar enough to these tropical environments to make coffee farming possible, albeit with a little bit of modification. The first commercially viable coffee harvest in California was in 2017 by a group called FRINJ Coffee, and while there are still relatively few coffee farms in the Golden State, the market has certainly grown since then, expanding to include more than 70 farms throughout the foothills of Southern California.
What makes Californian coffee different?
The foothills near Santa Barbara and San Diego, where several Frinj farms are located, provide mild temperatures year round, one of the key factors in a traditional coffee farm. Still, California coffee is a little different. On the plus side, FRINJ’s website says that the long, hot summers result in remarkably sweet coffee that’s earned them acclaim among coffee critics. On the side of difficulty, these farmers have to supplement their meager rainfall with irrigation, using the same watering systems created for use in growing other commercial fruit trees. This method certainly works, but with constant concerns about water shortages in the coastal state (and coffee trees being considered a water-heavy crop), adding yet another crop to the mix has been somewhat controversial — and likely contributes to the high prices of California-grown beans.
But if you are willing to pay a premium, the coffee is also processed and sold in California, including in some of the best U.S. coffee cities like Santa Cruz — so if you’re in the area, you can try a cup at Blue Bottle or Bird Rock. And if you live somewhere else? Florida also currently has experimental coffee-growing projects underway. But until the state works out the kinks of the operation, FRINJ coffee ships nationwide if you want to try a taste of sunny California in your morning brew.
