Beer on Kauai: 40 Years Later

My first trip to Kauai was 40 years ago. It's shocking to realize that. I was about to start my senior year of college and my mom talked me into joining her. She had been here several times prior to that 1978 trip and knew the lay of the land. The place had an unfinished look in those days; it's a little different today.

I wasn't particularly interested in the beer scene in 1978. Tennis was my addiction. For beer, about all you could find was standard issue macro brew. Kauai and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands did have Primo, a novelty we coveted at home mostly because we couldn't get it there.

If you're wondering, Primo is still around. Production on Oahu ended shortly after my first trip and the brand hopped from Schlitz to Stroh to Pabst, which currently owns it, in the intervening years. But it's still out there somewhere. It isn't worth the trouble, if you're thinking of looking for it. No.

My second trip to Kauai came in 1996. This was just four years after Hurricane Iniki turned the island upside down, and things were still a little sketchy. I had started homebrewing around that time, so I was more interested in the beer scene. We drank a lot of Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale on that trip. There were some imports, as well. The scene was mostly unchanged when I returned in 2001.

There have been a string of Kauai trips since. I've lost track of how many. At some point, I discovered decent beer at Waimea Brewing. That place, located next to the Plantation Cottages in Waimea and billed as the Westernmost Brewpub in the World, moved to Port Allen and became Kauai Island Brewing in 2012. It continues to attract locals and tourists.

Kauai Beer Company opened in 2013 in Lihue. I visited the brewery not long after it opened. The place was a shell, basically a tasting room. Owner and co-founder Jim Guerber, an avid homebrewer, got mixed up in craft beer when friends kept telling him his beer was too good to stay a secret. Owner of a software company, he didn't need the money or the headache. But he liked good beer. He took the plunge.

The transformation of KBC since 2013 is amazing. From basically nothing, they now have a variety of beers on tap and a full kitchen. They are open for lunch and dinner and they continue to do a Thursday evening promotion with local food trucks. The place was buzzing when I stopped in at lunchtime the other day.

I wrote about KBC for BeerAdvocate in 2014. They have a copy of the article framed and mounted in the pub. I've seen Guerber at beer events here and there. He was mingling with patrons when I visited the other day and I didn't speak to him. But I tapped him on the shoulder as I was leaving. He opened his arms wide and spun around like Vanna White, as if to say, "Look what we've built!"

It's true. KBC has gone from nothing to something. They've done it in what remains a craft beer desert. Most bars and restaurants in the resort areas are dominated by Kona and macro. The beer selection in grocery stores is shameful, dominated by AB swill. My beer of choice here is Maui Brewing's Bikini Blonde. It fits nicely with the tropical weather and Maui is independent.

I don't know how many small breweries Kauai could support. The emerging strong preference for local beer on the mainland may not translate here. Some (heavy) styles don't really jive with the climate and the full-time population (around 72,000) may not have caught the craft beer bug like people have at home. Maybe two craft breweries is enough here.

Regardless, it's great to see independent breweries doing well. I'm especially impressed with what they've done at Kauai Beer Company because they started with not much more than a plan and built it out from there. Plus, I watched the transformation, intermittently.

After 40 years, Kaua's beer scene is evolving in a positive way. Keep it up, folks.

Craft Beer Surf's Up at Kauai Island Brewing

This is one of those occasions where I get to pretend I'm somewhere I wouldn't mind being right now: Kauai. Despite the very decent weather we're having here in Portland at the moment, Kauai is a great place to be. There's just something about the tropics. And good beer.

Craft beer lovers who visit Kauai are discovering a new brewpub that recently opened. I'm talking about Kauai Island Brewing. The brewery opened a few weeks ago in Port Allen, which is down (or up) the road from the Poipu area (south side of the island). They fly small helicopters and ultralight aircraft out of Port Allen...a point of reference for some folks who've been there.

The now defunct Waimea Brewing Company

There's a bit of conflicting, confusing information out in internet land. The confusion stems from questions over whether Kauai Island Brewing is new or a transplant. Also, is it the only craft beer brewery on the island of Kauai? More issues naturally come up.

To clear some of these questions up, I called the brewery and spoke to Dave Curry, brewmaster and vice president. Dave was kind enough spend 15-20 minutes answering questions and explaining the situation there. I'll hopefully meet him when I make a trip out there in a few months. Looking forward to that.

The rundown
Who are these guys? Kauai Island Brewing was formerly known as the Waimea Brewing Company. It was located a few miles up the road inside the Plantation Cottages in Waimea. Anyone remember Waimea Brewing's tagline? World's Westernmost Brewpub. They've changed it to World's Westernmost Brewery, but you get the idea. These are the same folks. Curry has been the brewmaster for nine years.

The new location basks in the late afternoon sun

Who owns Kauai Island Brewing? Here's a surprise. The brewery is owned by Seattle-area couple, Bret and Janice Larson. Bret Larson is an engineer at Boeing, if you're wondering. Curry said the Larsons do not own a residence of any kind on Kauai...they simply fly out to the island a few times a year to vacation and check in on the business.

Why did they move to Port Allen? The simple version is the lease in Waimea expired in July 2011. Leases don't expire by accident and I'm sure there were reasons, but I didn't dig. It appears the Plantation Cottage owners had for some time wanted a more upscale dining spot in the vacated space...and you'll understand why if you visit. From a brewing standpoint, the Waimea space was small. I know because I visited several times. They were almost always low on beer choices. Not good. Curry said he and the Larsons wanted a larger space where they could put more effort into the beer. That could not have happened at the Waimea location.

The main floor looks comfortable enough

What's the new setup? The location that recently opened in Port Allen is a 4,000 square foot space that includes the brewery, the pub and a mezzanine. They have installed a 5 bbl brewhouse and several fermenters, including a 10 bbl. They also installed four 10 bbl serving tanks, which should help them keep up with demand at the pub.

What about the pub? It's turns out they are partnering with the Kauai Island Grill for the food part of the operation (they had a similar arrangement for several years in Waimea).Patrons would never know it, though. Curry said the pub and the brewery appear to operate as one. In fact, they are separate, cooperative entities. My sources (family members who just returned from Kauai) report that the food is quite good, but check them out on Yelp if you want more reviews.

Logo looks good on a good beer

What about the beers? If you ever visited Waimea Brewing, you'll recognize the beer list. Captain Cook's IPA, Leilani Light, Lilikoi Ale, Na Pali Pale Ale, Pakala Porter and several others were all on the beer menu at Waimea. Curry said he intends to have two IPAs on tap at all times in the pub once he gets production up to speed. With the larger brewing facility, he expects to develop some new recipes. There's a new English ale yeast on the way to help with that.

Any plans to distribute beers beyond the pub? The first goal is to make sure they keep up with demand at the pub, Curry said. After that, they may do some distribution to Kauai watering holes by keg. There are no plans to bottle, which makes good sense if you know anything about the very high taxes on beer and (empty) bottles in the state of Hawaii (see my earlier post on this topic here). 

A view at the interior from the mezzanine

What could be driving this? Kauai Island Brewing is currently the only craft brewery on Kauai. Its most recent competitor was Keoki Brewing. Keoki merged with Mehana Brewing in 2009 to form Hawaii Nei Brewing, based in Hilo on the island of Hawaii. Thus, you have a tourist and local population looking for craft beer and only one place to find it for now...Kauai Island Brewing. So the move to Port Allen and the expansion of the brewing facility would seem to make good sense. If you're wondering, Curry said another brewery plans/hopes to eventually open on Kauai, but it may be a while.

I'll have more to say about Kauai Island Brewing, particularly the beers, when I get out there later in the year. Until then, the craft beer surf is up on Kauai!