HIP Fermenters homebrewing club with assistance from Homebrew in Paradise hosted the first Oahu Homebrewing Festival and competition the first weekend of November 2017. The main draw was the beer judging competition, which was open to all homebrewers in the state. Drop off days were organized in the weeks leading up to the festival, with…
Author: Alexander Gates
A Weekend on Mau’i
Mau’i was my last principal Hawaiian island to visit and it far surpassed expectations. The island has so many distinct geographic areas: hot arid scrub land, fields of sugarcane, mountains, jungles, and Haleakala volcano that feels like you’re above the world. Not to mention the gorgeous beaches and views of other islands. While the main…
Oktoberfest! – Hale Koa Hotel
My favorite time of the beer year is autumn. Festbiers and pumpkin beers I find most delicious; maybe it’s the lead up to Halloween or the aroma and spices, I’m never sure. In the past few years, formal Oktoberfest celebrations have really exploded in Hawai’i. It seems like almost every brewery and bar does their…
HOPS Homebrewers Kaka’ako Pub Crawl
Hawai’i never ceases to amaze. With a relatively small population and isolated geography, you can literally find a club or group for any interest. O’ahu has a few homebrewing clubs. I personally don’t have the space to brew at home, but it seemed like a great way to meet like-minded people and learn more about…
First Step on the Road to Cicerone®
It’s hard for me to get into a hobby without diving head first. At some point in the last few years my casual interest in beer exploded into a passion – something I wanted to learn about, experience, and share. You start with “beer is beer,” but quickly learn how many styles and variations are…
Dark Crystal Märzen & This One’s For You Cassini – Honolulu Beerworks 9/20/2017
Dark Crystal Märzen Untappd Oktoberfest Badge Oktoberfest time is the most wonderful time of the beer year! There is nothing more delicious to me than a märzen, and it’s always special when local breweries get in on the fun! Oktoberfest formally kicked off this past weekend in Germany, so many places had their party. Luckily…
Ehu Ale – Aloha Beer Company
Instagram can be a great tool. Today I was going through the local breweries and saw the post from Aloha Beer Company about the re-release of their Ehu Ale. Ehu Ale was first brewed in 1996 by Dave Campbell at his Oahu Homebrew Supply store. From the brewery: “digging through old files, we found the…
Lanikai Brewing Company’s New Brewpub! – Kailua, HI
Just a few short years ago, Kailua got its first locally made beer in the form of Lanikai Brewing Company. Their beer is quality stuff and quickly made its way around the island, both on tap, and a few year-round bottle selections. Limited brews appear in both bottles and countless small batch varieties on tap…
Square Barrels – First and Only Untappd Local Badge on O’ahu
Collaboration over Competition – That’s the business mantra Square Barrels exudes in all they do. We went into try two new beers from Big Island Brewhaus, one of my favorite breweries in the islands and one that is typically hard to find on draft. I ended up learning a lot about Square Barrels thanks to…
Pali Pils – Honolulu Beerworks 9/2/2017
There is nothing better than a heaping lunch of subs, sandwiches, salads, all with a side of beer. As much as I love Honolulu Beerworks’ brews, their food is not something to be missed. The Italian hoagie, salmon salad sandwich, and countless food specials included baked mac & cheese, or braised pork, all hearken to…