One of the things my husband and I enjoy doing together is visiting breweries. We absolutely love craft beer. It’s always fun when we are visiting a new area to check out some of the local beer at either a brewery or taproom.
Who doesn’t love the marketing for Kona Brewing! Those commercials are just fun. So on our recent trip to Oahu, Hawaii, we had a chance to visit the Kona Brewing Pub in Hawaii, Kai at the Koko Marina. We have had several of their bottled brews that make their ways to our local Michigan stores like Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale and Hanalei IPA, but I was super excited to try their small batch beers that you can only get onsite. That’s where you usually find my favorites.
Pub, Grub & Brews
We arrived shortly after they opened and were immediately seated. We were shown to a sweet table on their outdoor patio which backs up to the Marina. From our table, we had a great view of Koko Head Crater, a large volcanic tuff cone. Our server, Alex, was great. He really showed us the Aloha spirit. He started us off right away by bringing us a small taste of their Black Sand Porter.
Mark and I each picked out a 4 sample flight before ordering lunch. My favorites were the Lemongrass Luau and Pipeline Porter. The Pipeline Porter was a rich brown beer with aromas of Kona coffee, roasted malt and cocoa topped with a creamy head. The Lemongrass Luau on the other was crisp and light with flavors of fresh ginger and lemongrass. So different, but both delicious.
Both Mark and I really liked the Gold Cliff IPA. This brew contains real pineapple and is flavored with Mosaic and Citra Hops. We were also able to find this one in bottles while on the island. I am keeping my eyes peeled in case it pops up on the Mainland.
For lunch I selected the Cubano Sandwich which consisted of Kalua pork, canadian bacon, pickles and a cumin mustard served on a ciabatta roll. I chose an Island Mixed Green salad with house made ranch dressing as my side. Mark ordered the Lawai’a Special which is a fresh catch fish sandwich. The fish of the day was a mild white fish called Opa. Everything was delicious.
Whats Up at the Pub
There is a sweet little swag shop at the Pub that sells a variety of items:
- t-shirts
- pins
- stickers
- tap handles
- glassware
We weren’t sure how long it would take us to drive there from the North Shore since we knew we would be making random site seeing stops. So we called this first lunch (lol). If you visit the pub, you may want to consider some of the special events that they feature, like live music and happy hours.
HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS
- Monday-Friday
- 3pm-6pm
- $3.95 for Liquid Aloha Pints + Select Food Items
LATE NIGHT STOKED HOUR
- Sunday-Thursday,
- 9pm-10pm
- $3.95 for Select Food Items
WEEKEND LIVE MUSIC
- Enjoy our live local bands every weekend night!
- Friday and Saturday 7pm-9pm
- Sunday 6pm-8:30pm
Take Away
We were super glad we made the trek to Hawaii Kai to check out Kona Brewing. They provided 5 star Food, Beer and Service in addition to a beautiful view. You have to fuel up any way when you’re traveling, so why not try some tasty local food and beer while you are exploring. Make a stop at Kona Brewing and enjoy some of their “liquid aloha”.
Cheers!
The World According to Dev 