The owners of Kona Joe Coffee, who grow their award-winning beans on the slopes of Hualalai in South Kona, have produced a special "Barack. O Blend" coffee to honor the Hawai'i-born president-elect.

Joe and deepa Tiare Alban, who own the 20-acre Big Island coffee plantation, said they were inspired to create the blend after closely following Barack Obama's path to the White House during the past year.

The blend includes a mix of coffee beans grown in Hawai'i, Kenya and Indonesia "blended into a rich, smooth cup of joe," said deepa Tiare Alban, who manages the business.

"The presidential blend honors Hawai'i and Kenya, two of the great coffee growing regions in the world," Alban said. "It also is a way to honor Barack Obama's personal story, which goes from Hawai'i to Indonesia and back again, and now reaches all the way to the White House. It's a way to recognize his place in history," she said.

"Like everyone else, my husband and I were excited, and we wanted to create something for our native-born son of Hawai'i."

The coffee is packed by participants in New Directions, a program that provides a wide variety of services for homeless veterans, including job training and placement, she said.

The Albans have been growing award-winning coffee beans for more than a decade on their plantation on the southwestern slopes of Hualalai, 1,000 feet above Kealakekua Bay.

The special blend will be available for sale beginning Jan. 20, the date of Obama's inauguration. It can be purchased at the plantation or on the Internet at www.konajoe.com.