Good Hawaiian Beers?

The big three that I remember being good before I moved away in '09 were CoConut Porter, Big Swell IPA, and Bikini Blond. All from Maui Brewing.

If you can get to the Kona Brew Pub in Kona on the Big Island that is the best. They have limited release/experimental beers that are on draft only at the brew pub. Their Blowhole Barley Wine is awesome.

Ply318ci said:

If you can get to the Kona Brew Pub in Kona on the Big Island that is the best. They have limited release/experimental beers that are on draft only at the brew pub. Their Blowhole Barley Wine is awesome.

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Some of the draft stuff from kona isn't bad. I have been to the brew pub on Oahu. They do have some interesting stuff.

Hawaiibboy said:

Some of the draft stuff from kona isn't bad. I have been to the brew pub on Oahu. They do have some interesting stuff.

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Couldn't find the pub on oahu.

bluemoose said:

Couldn't find the pub on oahu.

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It is at koko marina

Hawaiibboy said:

It is at koko marina

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Just ate at the kona restaurant at the airport. Not a big fan of the brown. Fire rock, big swell abd the golden are my rop three in order.

Hawaiibboy said:

Of all the breweries in the islands I'd have to say Maui is the best. While Kona may have the farthest reach with "good" beer, Maui dominates them in every category.

The big issue I see here in Hawaii is that many, if not all breweries try to capitalize on "Hawaii" by adding a taste of the islands to their beers. Even Maui is guilty of this.

I have to agree though, the big swell is quite possibly the BEST commercial beer in Hawaii. I am a huge huge fan of Ninkasi's Total Domination and Tricerahops. Big Swell is vary similar to Total Domination and stands beside it in awesomeness as an IPA.

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+1, couldn't have said it better. I took Kona's tour and found it lacking in every aspect. It definitely catered to tourists and the tour guides knowledge was as deep as... as deep as... something really shallow for lack of better terminology. When i tried Maui's, i thought they'd be going overkill on the hawaii theme, i.e. pineapple wheat. But they were all pretty damn good and pulled it off with good taste. Kona's for the tourists. Maui,s for the beer geeks.

J-Pizzel said:

It definitely catered to tourists and the tour guides knowledge was as deep as... as deep as... something really shallow for lack of better terminology.

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As deep as a tide pool?

I'm in Hawaii as a tourist right now. Tried Kona's coco thingy and thought it tasted like watered down coconut juice mixed with beer... Pretty boring...

Tried Maui's IPA yesterday. Shared 3 cans with my girlfriend and couldn't drink enough of it. Very refreshing. It might benefit from a little more floral dryhoppiness but still pretty good.

Thx to this thread for the tips... B-)

atreid said:

I'm in Hawaii as a tourist right now. Tried Kona's coco thingy and thought it tasted like watered down coconut juice mixed with beer... Pretty boring...

Tried Maui's IPA yesterday. Shared 3 cans with my girlfriend and couldn't drink enough of it. Very refreshing. It might benefit from a little more floral dryhoppiness but still pretty good.

Thx to this thread for the tips... B-)

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Make sure you try the rest of Maui's line up, they don't disappoint. Their IPA is probably my favorite out of their line up but the mana wheat is also great for lounging by the pool!

Maui Brewings brewpub has a lot more offerings that don't get distributed. Many of them are better than their standard lineup. Definitely worth a visit.

man this thread has been beyond helpful. Wife and I are headed there in a week and now I have something to look forward to drinking pool side.

Just got back from Maui yesterday. Definitely discovered Maui Brewing Company! I wasn't a fan of the coconut Porter, though. Guess I am in the minority . Their widely distributed stuff like Bikini Blonde, Mana Wheat (with pineapple juice... Yum!), big swell ipa, all awesome.

I had their Pau Hana Pils at a bar.... Blew them all away. I could (and did) waste more than a little bit of time drinking many of 'em while eating opakapaka tacos.

bluemoose said:

Just ate at the kona restaurant at the airport. Not a big fan of the brown. Fire rock, big swell abd the golden are my rop three in order.

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"Do you want a side shot with that?"
...that bugs the heck out of me *every* time I have hours to kill at HNL.

malweth said:

"Do you want a side shot with that?"
...that bugs the heck out of me *every* time I have hours to kill at HNL.

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And what kinda place cooks a burger med well and well only? I mean, really?

I can't believe I forgot these to add to the list:

While they aren't brewed in Hawaii, they are brewed for people in Hawaii by Rogue and even when I was in Oregon, I wasn't able to find them.

The Side Street Inn Ale and one that I just tried two nights ago finally, Kolohe Na Ka Oi IPA. The Kolohe was brewed for one of the founders of REAL, the gastropub on Oahu, at Ward Market!

The IPA was amazing and to me the Side Street is ok, not amazing though.

*just did some research and Kolohe was made originally because the Beer Specialist at Whole Foods wanted a beer. You can find it there on the island in 22oz bottles.

If you guys like the maui brewing co. Big swell i also like this beer and think that kona brewing co. Fire rock is just as good if not better.

Just tried Kona's Fire Rock Pale Ale. Very decent. I would definitely classify it more as an English Pale Ale due to a slight malty character and no citrus side. Maui's Big Swell is more on the American IPA side.

With the heat I always prefer the citrus aspects... So absolutely Big Swell no1 for me so far in Hawaii.

Tasted Maui's Wheat pineapple beer too. Too much pineapple side. Feels to much like a juice/beer mix. Only drinkable on the beach with sun and high heat.