Red Coral Coffee began in the early years of Ben’s childhood, while being raised on the island of Taiwan. An island that enticed curiosity and adventure. Ben first found curiosity in beverages when he had a glass of lavender milk tea at the age of 9. The floral notes of lavender opened a desire to continue to chase things that blew his mind. Around the same time, he was growing tired of his father drinking a pot of coffee every morning without him, saying it would stunt his growth. So he would sneak over to the neighbor auntie’s house in hopes of discovery. And there, the whole world was hidden. She had a vintage manual hand grinder with a copper bowl on top and a hand crank that dispensed the grounds into a little wooden drawer. She spoke of distant lands that Ben could not comprehend. Then she would make a pour over and that’s when Ben found his love for coffee. To rebel, for a metaphysical exploration.
Fast forward to Spring of 2023 on a return trip to Taiwan, driving up into a mountainous village of Wutai on the southern side of the island. Ben heard rumors of the coffee they imported and began growing. After a few years of being in and out of the coffee industry, he was feeling unsatisfied with his career choices and dreaming of being by coffee again. This was an opportunity to tie his life in the West with his upbringing in Taiwan. To his surprise, there was a coffee shop listed on Google Maps toward the end of the road. The next morning he drove up and found it in the mists of the mountains, sitting on the edge of the mountain, and right under the shop as the hill descended were coffee beans, and a lovely couple that farmed the beans, gave it to a son to roast, and served it right there, as fresh as can be. Although perhaps the water parameter wasn’t perfect, or the grinder was never cleaned, it was the best cup of hot coffee he could remember. It was as fresh as a cup of coffee you could find.
2 days later he is staying at a cousin's house after 15 years of being apart. And in the morning he finds a drawer of gifted coffee pouches and a Japanese hot water dispenser, and curious how they actually taste he found the best quality looking pouch and gave it a go. To his surprise, it was quite wonderful. In his confusion he purchased some from a local shop and tried recreating it. And found that the coffee tasted delicious because of fresh coffee and water that was not too hot. Since the dispenser holds water at 201F, the water was always kept cooler than right out of a water kettle he was used to using. Realizing grocery stores had shelves and shelves of these coffee packs, he went on a hunt to source them, and with the help of his cousin, they found a whole trading company dedicated to packet coffees. And after that, Red Coral Coffee was founded.
Red coral is a type of coral reef that grows in shady habitats outside the coasts of Taitung where Ben spent his childhood. Red coral grows at 8mm a year, it can weigh only a few grams after decades. Making it extremely rare, and needing protection.
We hope through Red Coral Coffee’s Hover filters, you can also explore fresh coffee as Ben once did, and find the metaphysical adventures in today's fast paced life. Find quietness and quality in sipping on a hot cup of coffee, wherever you go.
