White House receptive WASHINGTON >> The brew perking in the White House may soon be Hawaii's finest, as Gov. Linda Lingle continues to push to make isle coffee the exclusive blend at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
to serving coffee
from Hawaii
By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comLingle said yesterday that she asked first lady Laura Bush at a White House dinner Sunday why they don't use Hawaii coffee. Lingle pointed out that Hawaii's brew is the only commercially cultivated coffee in the United States.
"I spoke to Mrs. Bush about our coffee and whether or not I could let people know we could count on them to serve our coffee, and she said I could," Lingle said.
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Corky's HawaiiThe first lady said the White House serves only American wines at official state dinners, so it made sense to also serve American coffee.
Yesterday, Lingle followed up during a conversation with Karl Rove, White House senior adviser and the president's key political strategist. Lingle said Rove thought serving Hawaii coffee at the White House was a good idea.
"I am confident we will be able to get this done," Lingle said.
"I think it's great that she proposed it," said David Gridley, president of the Hawaii Coffee Association and owner of Maui Oma Coffee Roasting Co. "We've talked about it before, but I didn't know she was going to promote it at the White House."
Lingle also distributed coffee grown in the islands to White House officials and the first lady.
Star-Bulletin reporter Rod Antone contributed to this report.
Office of the Governor
