It’s hard to believe that Kona Brewing Company is turning 21 this year. I was still in high school when they first started as a small brewpub in Kailua Kona. A lot has changed since then and to celebrate their 21st anniversary Kona Brewing Company is release four specialty beers called the Makana Series. Each … Continue reading
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Billy Smith, the newish head brewer at the Kona Brewing Pub in Kailua Kona. Billy was on Oahu for the day training the staff at the Koko Marina Pub about a number of new specialty beers the pub was serving. Billy is … Continue reading
My picks of beer news from around the web that you need to read and my two cents on the topics. Most of the time it’s Hawaii beer news topics, but every once in a while you’ll find other general beer related topics. Pacific Business News – The brewing scene on Oahu is going to get … Continue reading
Where did you grow up? I grew up in the Pacific NW, specifically Spokane and Portland. In fall 1996 I was managing an independent restaurant chain when Cameron Healy asked if I’d move from Portland to join Kona Brewing Company. They were looking to help grow craft beer awareness in the Islands as well as … Continue reading
Craft Beer Week is upon us and here are all of the events going on around the state. Sunday, May 11th Maui Brewing Company Flatbread Tap Takeover – Complete Tap Takeover with four Limited Ales on tap Maui Brewing Company BrewDogs Tasting Party – Filming the Maui episode of “BrewDogs” reality TV show about the guys from BrewDog … Continue reading
Billy Smith recently took over as the brewmaster at Kona Brewing Company and I thought I’d catch up with him to see what his plans were for the Big Island brewery. 1. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Indiana, and then I moved to Colorado where I started my professional brewing carrier … Continue reading
If you live in Hawaii, or have vacationed here, you may have had the chance to try Kona Brewing Company’s Castaway IPA. It’s one of the few beers that you could pretty much only find in Hawaii. That’s about to change as Kona Brewing plans to release Castaway IPA to all of its markets in … Continue reading
UPDATE: Tickets are SOLD OUT! The 2014 Kona Brewers Festival is coming up on Saturday, March 8th and I’ve just received the initial list of participating breweries. This is the 19th year of the festival held on the grounds of the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua, Kona. Tickets will go on sale January … Continue reading
Every beer lover (local and visiting) has to eventually make a trip the Kona Brewery and Pub on the Big Island. Aside from the picturesque bar with a wide array of beers you can only find in the Kona pub, you’ll also want to take a tour of the brewery around back. There you may … Continue reading
It’s November in my book that is the start of the holiday season. That also means holiday/Christmas/winter seasonal beers are already hitting the shelves. Here’s a quick list of some of the winter beers to look out for in Hawaii. This isn’t a comprehensive list, so be on the look out for any others. Anchor … Continue reading
Beer In Hawaii 