Our trip to Hawaii focused on family, but we did make time for beer.
Following the advice of our local beer friend Makena, we met up with another pal from the aviation community, Nicole Battjes, at Hana Koa Brewing Co. in the warehouse district of Honolulu. Nicole is the amazing owner of Rainbow Helicopters and her bestie Jessika, a commercial real estate broker, met us for lunch and a flight (beer, that is) on a Sunday brunch time.
We chose well! Starting with an order of the bang-bang shrimp, I ordered a flight sampling a couple of new brews plus a couple of standards from the well-versed menu. The Rooftop Pale Ale, the Copper Pot English-style Amber Ale, the Infinite Space Dark Lager, and the Guava Drop Pastry-style Sour Ale lined up in front of me and gave me a nice feel for the range of brews this crew is capable of.
I then opted for the day’s taco special, a carnitas-style pork taco with tomatillo salsa and a Hawaiian vibe. S opted for cider along with his tacos, while I selected a pint of the latest entrant to the board, the kick-ass Kick Out the Gems Hazy IPA, a really nice match for the spice in the entrée.
The space fits in with the district’s industrial feel, yet remains cozy and not too loud. Merch is on display as you wander back to the restrooms, as is the brew hangar, with its tanks and lines at work.
Highly recommended if you can choose only one brewery to visit during your trip on Oahu… we also we able to take home a couple of cans of the Moose Track Mochi Stout and Rice Lager. Delish!
