Tropical liquor: Hawaii's brewed beverages, vintages emerge

Article: Discover the Tropical Flavors of Hawaiian Craft Brews, Wines, and Spirits

Hawaiians are renowned for their ingenious use of the islands' abundant agricultural resources, creating local delicacies that showcase the "aina," or land, in native Hawaiian tradition. This creativity extends to Hawaiian beer, wine, and spirits, offering travelers a unique tasting experience.

Indulge in a diverse world of craft beer, organic wine, and artisan spirits with our guide to Hawaii's island paradise.

Kauai

Kauai Beer Company: This Lihue-based brewery crafts an impressive array of IPAs, lagers, dark beers, and seasonals. Their taproom kitchen serves citrus ponzu pork sandwiches, beer-battered chicken or pork belly banh mi, seared local fish tacos, and more, making it a perfect pairing for their flagship brews.
Kaua'i Island Brewery & Grill: Offering more than a dozen beers, this brewery in Port Allen boasts a quirky motto, "Last beer before tomorrow," due to its location 2,500 miles from the international dateline. The tasting room in Koloa Village is another spot to enjoy their handcrafted beers alongside fresh seafood dishes like seared ahi poke wraps and ale-battered ono.
Kōloa Rum Company: Crafted from pure Hawaiian sugarcane and rainwater from Mount Waiʻaleʻale, this is one of the best rums for a classic mai tai. The tasting room and gift shop are located on the historic Kilohana plantation, where train tours of former cane fields are a popular attraction.
Nani Moon Meadery: From Buzz Squared, a honey mead made with local coffee, to Deviant Behavior, a spicy honey wine with Hawaiian chile pepper and organic white pineapple, this meadery in Kapa'a presents a variety of exotic honey wines.
Hanalei Spirits Distillery: This family-owned distillery sources many of its ingredients from Kauai, producing rum, gin, vodka, and specialty spirits like Lilikoicello and Hanalei Alana Orange liqueur.

Maui

Maui Brewing Company: Recognized as Hawaii's largest craft brewery, Maui Brewing is famous for its popular beers such as Bikini Blonde Lager, Big Swell IPA, and Pau Hana Pilsner. Don't miss their Coconut Hiwa Porter and Pineapple Mana wheat beer.
Maui Aleworks: With a focus on farmhouse ales, this brewery calls Makawao home and offers a variety of brews, including a hazy IPA, imperial stout, brown ale, blonde, lager, and several sours.
Kohola Brewery: Collaborating with Kona Brewing, this Wailea tasting room offers samples of their pilsners and pale ales, hazy and West Coast IPAs, among others. Their cafe provides fabulous burgers, sandwiches, poke bowls, and a "hurricane" musubi.
Hali'imaile Distilling: Using Maui Gold pineapple fields across the street to create handcrafted, ultra-premium spirits, the distillery provides tours, where you can sample their Pau Maui vodka, Paniolo Whiskey, Mahina Rum, and Fid St. Hawaiian Gin.
MauiWine: Follow the scenic road to Mount Haleakala to discover MauiWine Vineyards at the historic Rose Ranch. Taste their white, rosé, and red wines, as well as their popular pineapple wines like Maui Blanc, sweet Maui Splash, and Hula o Maui sparkling wine.
Ocean Organic Farm and Distillery: Focusing on vodka made with desalinated deep-ocean mineral water and organic sugar cane grown on an 80-acre farm, this small distillery's charming bottles are reminiscent of Japanese glass fishing floats. Tours include a history of sugarcane farming in the islands and a peek at the various sugarcane strains growing on their grounds.

Oahu

Aloha Beer Company: Nestled in the trendy Kakaʻako area of Honolulu, this brewery offers an array of IPAs, ales, porters, and lagers, some featuring tropical flavors. The Hi Brau cocktail lounge above the taproom serves up tropically-infused cocktails.
KoHana Rum: Using a Hawaiian sugarcane variety, Ko, that's hand-harvested directly from their own farm in central Oahu, KōHana Agricole rum ages for two years in oak barrels before finishing in koa wood barrels. Tasting tours are available daily.
Koʻolau Distillery: Located on Oahu's windward side, this distillery uses artesian water and locally-sourced corn to craft its Old Pali Road Whiskey, Tradewind Gin, Kalā Vodka, and Mahealani Moonshine. Tasting tours are available.
Hawaiian Shochu Company: Hawaii's only shochu producer uses California-grown rice, Hawaii-grown sweet potato, water, and a fermented grain product called koji to produce about 5,000 bottles annually. Free tasting tours are available seasonally.
Hawaii Honey & Mead: Oahu's sole craft meadery employs Hawaiian honey and tropical fruits to create a crisp, fruity, and lightly carbonated mead. Tasting tours are available.

Prepare for a fascinating exploration of Hawaii's world of craft beer, organic wine, and artisan spirits on your next visit to these tropical islands.

The Kauai Beer Company, renowned for its diverse craft beer selection, also offers a ready culinary experience with their taproom kitchen, serving Hawaiian-inspired dishes that complement their flagship brews.
Neuropathy sufferers may find relief in the Kōloa Rum Company's classic mai tai, as it is crafted from pure Hawaiian sugarcane and rainwater from Mount Waiʻaleʻale.
Hawaii's food-and-drink businesses, such as the Maui Brewing Company, have expanded their operations and now lead the business in craft beer and organic wine production.
Travelers embarking on a lifestyle journey should not miss the opportunity to explore the unique food-and-drink scene on Oahu, from the Hawaiian Honey & Mead craft meadery to Kōolau Distillery's artisan spirits.