Skip to main content

A Quick Introduction to Hawaiian Rum and 2 Leading Local Distilleries

Rum is best known as a spirit of the Caribbean, but Hawaiian rum is making a splash. Rum drinks are already a staple on Hawaii, so it makes sense companies like Kōloa Rum Companyand Manulele Distillers have staked their claim as two of the state’s leading distilleries.

Koloa

Koloa Rum Company
Image courtesy of Kōloa Rum Company
Image courtesy of Kōloa Rum Company
Recommended Videos

Kōloa Rum Company started distilling a range of rum products in 2009. A mansion anchors a the sprawling, 26,000-acre Kilohana sugar plantation estate on the island of Kauai. A visit to the base of operations offers a scenic escape complete with tasting room.

The rum is made from Hawaiian sugar cane and locally sourced water, which is filtered through volcanic rock before settling into underground aquifers. Kōloa’s main lineup includes white, gold, dark, spice, coconut, and coffee options. Recently, the brand released its first reserve varietal: Kauai Reserve 12-Barrel Select Hawaiian Rum

Ko Hana

Crafted at Manulele Distillers on Oahu, Kō Hana Rum is made with the pure juice of sugar cane (rather than molasses, like many Caribbean rums). In fact, the company uses heirloom varieties of Hawaiian sugarcane — means sugarcane in Hawaiin — dating back to when the Polynesians first settled the Hawaiian islands.

Kō Hana’s signature offering is Kea, a white agricole rum that really lets with inherent flavor of the can shine with notes of banana and buttersctoch. Other options include a barrel-aged and a cask-strength rum, as well as a sweet cacao and honey version.

Pat Evans
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
New Belgium partners with iconic Chicago wormwood liqueur brand on special beer
The Colorado brewery is daring you to try this six-pack
Voodoo Ranger Malort IPA.

New Belgium Brewery is calling it a dare. The brand has teamed up with Jeppson's Malört on a six-pack of beer that includes both a popular IPA beer and one made with the legendary Chicago-born liqueur. The Roulette IPA pack is officially out and it includes four Voodoo Ranger IPAs and two cans of the unique Malört-style IPA.

It's a clever bit of marketing as all six cans look the same. Hence, the roulette name. Consumers won't know what they've cracked until they have a taste. The move is decidedly fun, playing off the adventurous aspect of the ranger character and combining a blind tasting with a challenge of sorts.

Read more
Tequila myths, busted: Everything you’ve heard but shouldn’t believe
We're finally seperating fact from fiction when it comes to tequila
Tequila glass

Tequila might be the Rodney Dangerfield of spirits. Oftentimes (especially compared to whiskey), it gets "no respect." This is likely because of a mixture of misconceptions, myths, and experiences during your college years. I'll admit that two decades ago, when I first started writing about alcohol, I had some preconceived notions about the Mexican-made spirit. And it had a lot to do with my experiences surrounding the agave-based spirit when I was in my twenties.

I know I'm not the only one who spent a portion of their drinking years without fully embracing tequila. Many drinkers only think of this hard alcohol as a shooter paired with lime and salt or as the base for turbo-charged Margaritas. That's a shame. Tequila is a versatile, complex spirit.

Read more
From cold brew to creamsicle lattes: Orange flavor is the summer’s hottest trend
How orange evokes nostalgic feelings
Orange Creme

Butter yellow may be everywhere in fashion and beauty this summer, but trends suggest that orange is the focus of the summer in the world of food. With the nostalgia trend continuing on social media, brands like M&Ms, Coke, and Califia Farms are focusing on the emotional appeal of orange flavor in new summer products.
Califia Farms has recently launched an Orange Creme Refresher, complete with a sweet and citrusy taste that's intended to evoke a sensory link to childhood. To learn more about the orange flavor trend, I spoke with Kaytee Hadley, MS, RDN, IFMCP, a dietitian and founder of Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, VA. Here's what she shared about how orange creme is being used in coffee, juices, and more.

Orange creme trends in food

Read more