brewery
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...
in
Kailua-Kona
Kailua-Kona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is also known as Kailua (a name it shares with a community located on the windward side of Oahu), as Kona (a name it share ...
on
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
Craft Brew Alliance
Craft Brew Alliance is a beer brewing company that originally was composed of five beer and cider brands:
* Redhook Ale Brewery, founded by Gordon Bowker and Paul Shipman in 1981 in Seattle, Washington;
* Widmer Brothers Brewery, founded by bro ...
, Kona is now owned by PV Brewing Partners since September 2020. Kona Brewing Company distributes its beers in 36 states and 10 different countries. Approximately 10 other styles of beer are brewed on a regular basis and served at Kona Brewing Company’s pubs, with a few being served in other restaurants all over the islands.
Company history
Kona Brewing Company was founded in the spring of 1994 by Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa. Kona Brewing Company's Kailua-Kona Pub on Hawaii's Big Island opened in November 1998. "A mahogany log lifted from the shores of Kailua Bay (used to adorn the
acacia koa
''Acacia koa'' or commonly known as koa is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu.
Name
The name ...
wood bar) and rusty corrugated tin from an old distillery helped transform the ink-smudged press room into little hops flavored oasis," said Kona president Mattson Davis in an interview with the ''
Honolulu Star Bulletin
The ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii (after the ''Honolu ...
'' in 2004.
In 2003, Kona Brewing Co. opened its second restaurant at the Koko Marina Center in
Hawaii Kai
Maunalua (Hawaii Kai) is a largely residential area located in the City & County of Honolulu, in the East Honolulu CDP, on the island of Oahu. Maunalua, (Hawaii Kai) is the largest of several communities at the eastern end of the island ...
on
Oahu
Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O†...
.
In July 2008, Kona Brewing Company opened its third restaurant location and first franchise at
Honolulu International Airport
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main airport of Oahu, Hawaii.solar energy contractor, to install a 229 kW solar energy generating system at its Kailua-Kona
brewery
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...
and
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, which was expected to be fully operational by April 2010. The project, a roof mounted, grid tied photovoltaic (PV) system, is estimated to produce a daily average of 900 kWh of electricity, which will allow Kona Brewing Company nearly 60 percent offset of its current electricity usage. The brewery held a private blessing of the system with Sunetric on Monday, October 18 led by Hawaiian cultural educator Kumu Keala Ching as its solar system became fully operational.
On February 14, 2022, Kona Brewing Company opened a 30,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Kailua-Kona. Plans for the facility began in 2015 and Kona officially broke ground on the facility in 2016.
Year-round beer offerings
Year-round beers
* Longboard Island Lager
* Big Wave Golden Ale
* Castaway IPA
* Fire Rock Pale Ale
* Kona Light Blonde Ale
* Gold Cliff IPA
* Hanalei Island IPA
* Starfruit Orange IPA
Island-only beers
* Island Colada Wheat Ale
* Mai Time Wheat Ale
* Hibiscus Brut IPA
Breweries and sourcing
In 2012, Kona Brewing Company produced of beer from its Kona brewery and other production facilities on the mainland. Kona Brewing Company runs its flagship brewery in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island. Kona Brewing Company brands were also produced at Widmer Brothers Brewery in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
, and
Redhook Ale Brewery
The Redhook Ale Brewery is a beer brewery operating out of Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in Seattle in 1981 by Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker, and is currently owned by Portland, Oregon-based Craft Brew Alliance. Its flagshi ...
in both
Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King ( Cottage Lake) an ...
, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the sister subsidiaries of Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. Ownership by Craft Brew Alliance granted the company access to the
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple ...
distribution network, which, according to Hawaii Business Magazine, "has the most technologically sophisticated distributor system in the country, with computer terminals in thousands of independently owned distributors and its own network of wholly owned distribution branches."
Recipes and beer specifications are dictated by Kona Brewing Company's brewmaster, who oversees all production at each Kona Brewing Company's partner breweries. The beer brewed at Kona Brewing Company's partner breweries utilizes Kona's hops, malt, and proprietary yeast. In order to create a consistent experience across the board, the water mineral levels at each brewery are adjusted to replicate the water used in Hawaii. First the water is treated for impurities and then minerals are added to mimic the fresh water available in Hawaii. Water is an important aspect of all Kona Brewing Company's beers. A sample of every batch of beer is sent to the Kona, Hawaii brewery and corporate offices for sensory evaluation.
Hawaii roots
Kona Brewing Company has three restaurants in Hawaii with 250 employees working on the islands in the brewery, restaurants and in the corporate offices.
* Rift Zone Indigenous Red Ale is brewed using yeast cultivated and found only on the volcano rifts from the Big Island.
* Pipeline Porter is brewed with 100% Kona coffee from their neighbor on the Big Island, Cornwell Estate
* The ginger in their Big Island Ginger is cultivated in Kona.
* The lemongrass in the Lemongrass Ginger Luau is grown on-site and at employees' houses.
* Cacao nibs for specialty beers are sourced from Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory.
Key people
* Mattson Davis, president
Growth and distribution
In 2009, Kona Brewing Company was ranked #14 in sales of all craft brewers in the US (approximately 1,450) according to the Brewers Association. Kona's beers are available in the United States in 25 states and the District of Columbia.
Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale, and Fire Rock Pale Ale are available all year. Wailua Ale and Pipeline Porter are limited releases of the Aloha Series, available for six months each in bars and grocery stores and specialty beer shops. Wailua Wheat Ale is available March through August and Pipeline Porter is available September through February. The company launched its third Aloha Series
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
Koko Brown Ale to the West Coast in February 2011.
Caps, labels and advertising
The collectible caps of Kona beers all have Hawaiian words partnered with their English definitions. There are now 50 words in the collection.
All labels depict actual beaches and island scenes in Hawaii, such as Longboard Island Lager showing Honolulu's
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...
on Oahu. The crater in the background is Diamond Head. The label shows "surfers backed by Hawaii's volcanic mountains ride blue, blue waves toward a broad and sandy beach. The logo itself echoes a tribal tattoo, adding to the local vibe." In the late 2010s, the company produced television commercials through its "Bruddahs" campaign with actors Dave Bell and Brutus La Benz, who play friends making observations about "mainlanders" while discussing Kona beers.
Sustainability and community support
Kona Brewing Company supports numerous community events throughout the year, including surf and surf-inspired events and causes that celebrate Hawaiian people, land and water. These include sponsoring professional
surfers
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...
Jeff Silva and CJ Kanuha. Kona supports Sierra Club's Blue Water Campaign and a number of chapters of Surfrider Foundation, including the Pacific NW and Hawaii's Surfrider Kona Kai Ea Chapter.
Kona brings the Sno-Kona Pond Skim to Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon, each spring where costumed skiers and snowboarders skim across an icy pond. The athletes are competing for a number of prizes, among them a trip to Hawaii. Kona Brewing is also a sponsor of Portland's Backyard Bang, a snowboarding rail jam event in the streets of Portland's
Pearl District
The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significan ...
, and the
Art Institute of Portland
The Art Institute of Portland was a for-profit art school in Portland, Oregon, which briefly operated as a non-profit institution before it closed in 2018. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges ...
. Kona also sponsored the 15-city North American tour for '' Lost Prophets – Search for the Collective'' in 2009.
As of January 2008, Kona has had a sustainability coordinator in place. Also, according to the Big Island Visitor's Bureau sustainable tourism practices section, "Kona's restaurant was constructed with recycled materials and adorned with native woods; local produce, fresh-caught fish and sustainably-raised beef on menu. Heat reclamation systems in the brewery greatly reduce energy demand;
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
,
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling ( quenching ...
and cardboard are recycled, takeout containers are made of plant-based materials and automatic faucets and toilets reduce water usage."
Controversy
In March 2017, Kona Brewing Company faced a class-action lawsuit on the claim of whether its beer was actually brewed in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
or not. In September 2020 the case was settled and appeals resolved. Purchasers of Kona Beer between February 28, 2013, and June 14, 2019, were compensated up to $20 each (with receipts) or $10 each (without receipts).
Gallery
Image:Kona Brewing Hawaii Kai.jpg, View of the Kona Brewing restaurant in Hawaii Kai
Image:Kona Brewing Marina Side.jpg, Marina-side view of the Kona Brewing restaurant in Hawaii Kai
See also
*
List of breweries in Hawaii
Breweries in Hawaii produce a wide range of beers in different styles that are marketed locally, regionally, and nationally.
In 2012, Hawaii's 11 breweries and brewpubs employed 180 people directly, and more than 5,500 others in related jobs suc ...