Good Hawaiian Beers?

[nitrousjunkie]

From what I've heard, kona has an ipa at there restaurant in Hawaii Kai. You can only get it on the island. Also, I was told there is a new brew pub near wakiki on Nimitz near lowes.

 

[nitrousjunkie]

And I'm also on the island. Will be deploying in April, but will be back around sep Oct time frame.

 

[C-Rider]

I'm headed to Oahu on Saturday with my family. Not planning much in advance other than relaxing. My daughter just turned 1. I'm sure she'll eat sand and have a good time. We're staying within walking distance of the zoo so will probably go there too.

Thanks for the tip on PH and no bags. I hope to be able to go there on this trip.

I'll post again about any good beers I find.

Another Tip. You may be in Paradise, but we still have crooks. Don't leave ANYTHING of value in y our car as you drive around the island and stop to look at the sights or go in for a swim.

 

[nitrousjunkie]

Another Tip. You may be in Paradise, but we still have crooks. Don't leave ANYTHING of value in y our car as you drive around the island and stop to look at the sights or go in for a swim.

Yeah, no joke. My rental I had was broken into when I first got here. Wasn't even a week. I thought my stuff would be ok in the trunk since it was out of sight. Nope, them meth heads target rental cars. From what I was told by HPD, the dodge charger is the most broken into car here.

 

[C-Rider]

Ok just bought a 6 pack of Kona's Coconut Porter and I don't like it. It's not bad, just not my type of porter.

I has lots of mouth feel, almost "thick". Color is reddish. My taste buds are shot so I only know if I like something or not. Can't describe it at all. But what the heck do I know? I'm just an almost 70 year old. LOL..

After getting deeper into the glass I decided I don't like it at all. Poured the last half down the drain. What can I say?

 

[malweth]

Note: I haven't read the thread through... yet. I've spent a lot of time in Hawai'i recently.

My absolute favorite island beer is Maui Mana Wheat. Light pineapple flavor makes it taste really Hawaiian. All the Maui offerings are pretty good, and they do a lot of great collaborations. Hawai'i doesn't seem to have a great IPA, IMO, but some are pretty good.

Mehana is meh. They're OK, but that's about it. I had one . . . interesting . . . beer that tasted like Tomato: Mehana / Hawai'i Nui Sunset Amber.

Bottles of Kona are not Hawaiian. On tap, it is local. They're pretty good, better than Mehana, but not too exciting. Maui's where it's at.

Primo? Ha!

 

[C-Rider]

Yea Primo has not been a Hawaiian beer for decades. On tap at the brewery on the shore of Pearl Harbor it was pretty good.

 

[mathin]

The best I've had so far is Maui brewing's Big Swell IPA. I may try to find their wheat ... Sounds interesting. The Kona I've tried were ok, but not great.

Big Swell kind of reminds me of Ninkasi Total Domination IPA.

 

[bluemoose]

Big swell isn't too bad. Tried the golden alw and the lager as well.

 

[Hawaiibboy]

The best I've had so far is Maui brewing's Big Swell IPA. I may try to find their wheat ... Sounds interesting. The Kona I've tried were ok, but not great.

Big Swell kind of reminds me of Ninkasi Total Domination IPA.

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.

 

[cody6173]

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.

 

[Ply318ci]

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.

 

[Hawaiibboy]

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.

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.

 

[bluemoose]

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.

Couldn't find the pub on oahu.

 

[Hawaiibboy]

Couldn't find the pub on oahu.

It is at koko marina

 

[bluemoose]

It is at koko marina

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.

 

[J-Pizzel]

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.

+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.

 

[Hawaiibboy]

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.

As deep as a tide pool?

 

[atreid]

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-)

 

[Hawaiibboy]

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-)

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!

 

[schristian619]

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.

 

[QueenOfBattle]

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.

 

[blakelyc]

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.

 

[malweth]

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.

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

 

[bluemoose]

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

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

 

[Hawaiibboy]

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.

 

[UnDeFiNeD_EK-808]

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.

 

[atreid]

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.