If you’re anything like me on vacation the first thing you do is look to find somewhere or something new to drink. The first two months of this year I spent in Scotland constantly looking for something new to try. A new scotch, cocktail, gin, food tour, or distillery tour. It’s easy when you’re visiting a place to branch out and try something new. Living on Oʻahu for the last 15 years has left me with with a feeling of complacency. Yes, beaches are awe inspiring. Of course, the mountains are breathtaking. Holy Hell the traffic on H1 in the afternoons going west could be a form of torture. While I’ve become a resident who appreciates this place, I don’t go out looking for new things to do like I would if I was a tourist here.

When I was staying in Scotland for all that time I kept telling myself I needed to make sure I tried to be a tourist again when I came home. I want to try new things, I want to discover new places, I want to meet new people. So I figured one of the best things to do was get a new job and luckily that job came with something new to try! Distillery tours! A distillery tour is not something I’ve done on Oahu and they’re actually pretty hard to come by.

New Job With Bonus Distillery Tour

When I got this new job working at Koʻolau Distillery in Kailua I was excited. I’d wanted to go on their distillery tour for a while. What better way to check out the distillery than actually being the one to give tours! I haven’t started tours yet, but I have been practicing for when I do. As I was learning more about the distillery I looked into other distillery tours on Oʻahu.

Koʻolau Distillery

Founded in 2018 by Ian Brooks, Eric Dill and Ginger Dill. Koʻolau Distillery co-founders Ian and Eric are both veterans having served with the United States Marine Corps. The tasting room with a menu of cocktails, beer, and flights is open everyday. Sunday through Wednesday 12:00 to 7:00 PM and Thursday through Saturday 12:00- 9:00. Leading the tours are lead distiller Olivia Babiec, assistant distiller Michael “Chico” Allen and owner Eric Dill. Located in Kailua it’s perfect for spending the day at the beach. Then head to the distillery for an hour long tour. Finish the afternoon off in the tasting room with a couple of cocktails.

Koʻolau Distillery produces a variety of spirits. With their focus being bourbon whiskey, they also produce vodka, two types of gin, and moonshine. My favorite spirit is their barrel aged gin. Lead distiller Chico always recommends trying the barrel aged gin instead of whiskey in an Old Fashion cocktail. I tried it just the other day and it’s wonderful! Koʻolau Distillery also has limited releases that are introduced periodically. I’m extra bummed that I missed their lavender vodka. Though I am happy that I have been able to try their chocolate vodka!

To book a tour head to their website HERE.

Rates (USD)

• Premium Package – includes tour, a bottle of Old Pali Road Whiskey, T-Shirt and collectible tasting glass ($118 value) – $89.99
• Adults – $25
• Kama’aina & Military Dependents – $20
• Active Duty Military, Veterans, and Retired Military – $15

ID required at check-in

Kō Hana Distillers

Founded in 2011 by Robert Dawson and Jason Brand, Kō Hana rum distillery is doing big things on the island of Oʻahu. Sugarcane, or kō in Hawaiian, has been a part of Hawaiian history for hundreds of years. Native Hawaiians brought several varieties of sugarcane to the islands around 600 B.C.E. and used it fThey chewed the stalks for their sweet juices, which they used to sweeten puddings and other foods, or food, medicine, and building materials. These days you don’t see much sugarcane being grown anywhere in the state. When I was a teacher I worked on the North Shore in a town that used to be a thriving sugarcane town. Even before I got there, the sugar mill had closed and there wasn’t any sugarcane growth.

Kō Hana takes great pride in the sugarcane that they grow. They found and utilize varietals that are uncommon today as they wanted to make sure that they respect what was originally on this island.

Their rums vary in flavor and complexity. I personally own their KOKOLEKA which includes raw honey and pure cacao. It’s a delicious rum to drink in a glass with a bit of ice or in fun chocolate rum cocktails.

To book a tour head to their website HERE.

RUM TOURS
Daily from 10:30 AM – 4 PM

Distillery Tour: $35
Tours the sugarcane garden, barrel house and distillery. Ends at the tasting bar with a classic rum flight.
Estate Farm Tour: $50
Tour the sugarcane fields and learn about their cultivation process. Included a tasting of the classic rum flight.
Aged Flight Tour Upgrade: + $15
Upgrade your tour tasting with an aged rum flight. Upgrade includes Koho, Koa, Kila, and Kokoleka.

Kamaʻaina and military, call to book at discounted rate. ID required at check-in.

Hawaiian Shochu Company

Started and mostly run solely by Ken Hirata. He runs the operations and sales on his own. He worked with a Shochu master in Japan for three years as an apprentice before coming to Hawaii to start his career on Oahu. Using the many different types of sweet potatoes found in Hawaii he makes all of his shochu by hand. This process is becoming a thing of the past even in Japan. Ken Hirata looks to continue the tradition of shochu making here in Hawaii and engage with the community here on Oahu.

Hawaiian Shochu Company Tour Information:

Private tours are available by appointment only. As it is a small company they only offer a very limited number of tours each week. Groups are limited to no more than six people and no children or babies are allowed. It is a free tour and you can request a tour by emailing aloha@hishochu.com.

Haleiwa Distilling Company

Haleiwa Distilling Company located on the North Shore of Oahu is located in the old sugar mill in Haleiwa. This brand new distillery is pushing forward with a commitment to utilizing the tastes of Hawaii in all of it’s spirits. There’s not a lot of information about Haleiwa Distilling except that it looks like they’ll be making rum, whiskey, gin and moonshine. As of today (July 19, 2024) I think they are in the very early stages of opening to the public so I’m hoping to have more information soon so I can put include more information for my Oahu Distillery Tour guide!

Tour bookings are available HERE

• Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat
• 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm
• 1 Hour

Tours are $50 for adults and $15 for youths 13-20. It does not indicate a price for children under 13 so I am going to guess they’re free.

Island Distillers

Island Distillers is closed to the public, but I figured I’d add it to the list because you can find it in many ABC stores and it’s the oldest distillery on the island. Definitely check out their vodkas. They’re reasonably priced and they have a few different flavors that are fun to play around with in cocktails. Their spicy vodka is delicious in a Bloody Mary for those early Sunday mornings when NFL games here start at 7:00 am.

Outer Island Distillery Tours

Outer islands have distilleries as well, but I’ll save those for another post. It could be fun to have a month long distillery tour around all the islands of Hawaii, but that seems a lot to ask for at this point. Maybe someday! That being said, for being a small island chain out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there are quite a few options to choose from.