Tonight was a double whammy hosted by Square Barrels in downtown Honolulu. Square Barrels has been around a few years, always with a focus on food, beer, and fine cocktails.  In recent months, they started brewing their own small batch beers. I finally got to try a few tonight.

To start, I ordered their two beers on the menu: the 4-1-1 Session Ale, and the My Korean Mother-in-law IPA. The latter was appropriate, a new IPA for IPA Day 2017!

MMM Drop IPA

What got me in was the launch of their newest offering, MMM Drop North East IPA. They generously gave 6 oz size tasters to all present; it’s always great to give a taste to keep you coming back!
 

The event also included one of the owners of Koholā Brewery from Mau’i, who brought four flagship selections. Square Barrels developed a plate of four sliders to pair with each. Their food is excellent, outside the norm of what you’d find in the islands, yet with a very local focus. We had ahi, chicken, beef, and best of all – Moloka’i venison.

Beyond the featured foods, we tried the poutine, beignets, and angel hair bolognese.  The food is super rich, which goes well with the varied beers.  Square Barrels is an Untappd Verified Venue and is worth checking out if you find yourself downtown!