Home of The Brave Brewing Company got it’s start several years ago contract brewing with Maui Brewing Company. They initially launched on Oahu delivering kegs of their Pilot Pale Ale to various bars and restaurants. Soon they expanded to 6 packs that were contract brewed out of Wisconsin. But for owner Glen Tomlinson, the goal was always to brew their own beer here in Hawaii at their unique American military themed museum.

A little over a year ago The Brewseum was opened. The military themed bar was an instant hit, serving up a variety of craft beers in a fun and unique environment. Replace the Rock and Roll theme of Hard Rock Cafe with American military history and you start to get a picture of the Brewseum. The final piece to the Brewseum, the brewery, has finally been turned on and Home of The Brave beer is now being brewed in Hawaii.

Tomlinson and his team have quietly just finished brewing their third batch on the new system. The tiny 1 barrel brewery only produces about 4 kegs per batch and the beers are only served at the Brewseum and the Home of The Brave Museum bar. Regular visitors of the Brewseum have been able to taste the new beers and provide feedback to the brewers, which is something Tomlinson welcomes.

Currently plans are to dial in their system and brew weekly. Pilot Pale, a more malt forward American Pale, will continue to be their core offering. The third batch that was recently released, Go For Broke Ale, is an Strong American Amber Ale coming in at a 6.9% above and 44 IBUs. Tomlinson has hopes of brewing multiple seasonals throughout the year to keep something new and fresh always on tap.

Early on Tomlinson noted that they had wanted to build a much larger brewery and run a full brew pub, but decided on starting off with a much smaller system. He still has plans to eventually grow into a larger system and facility. The small nano brewery is all electric and is squeezed into an incredible small space. The space is tight, but Tomlinson says they’ve learned to make it work and have had to come up with some unique solutions to problems.

Tomlinson credits the idea of opening a brewery to his two sons, Bear and Duke, both of whom attended college in Colorado and fell in love with craft beer there. Early on, he decided to bring on a consulting brewer, Odell’s Jeff Doyle, to help them formulate recipes and get going. It’s been a long and bumpy road, but they’ve finally got the kettles boiling and beer flowing.

The Brewseum is a one of a kind place. From the train running around the ceiling to the World War 2 jeep, there is something interesting to look at in every direction. And now, you can drink a pint of their very own beer brewed a mere 30 feet away.