It’s going to take a little legwork, but if you live on Oahu and want to try Hawaii’s newest brand of rum, now you can.
After a little more than five years of research and development, Kuleana Rum Works is bottling its own Hawaiian agricole rum made from sugar cane harvested from a 2-acre farm near Waimea on the Big Island.
The company also imports rum from other countries to commingle with its own distillate and create Huihui, a signature blend of white rums bottled at 80-proof, along with an aged rum blend called Mamea.
Kuleana doesn’t have a distributor yet, but the distillery holds a “Small Craft Producer Pub” liquor license, which allows for retail sales, and last month celebrated the grand opening of Kuleana Rum Shack, a restaurant and bar at the Waikoloa Beach Resort operated in partnership with Umekes Restaurants. So while Big Island residents have been able to pick up bottles, everyone else in Hawaii has been out of luck — until now.
“Rick from 12th Ave Grill flew over and grabbed a couple cases, and Andrew Woodley (from Mina Group’s Stripsteak and Myna Bird at the International Market Place) came over recently and got some,” said Art Deakins, beverage director for Kuleana Rum Works. “And we distribute to one place, Kona Wine, that does mail order.”
What does that mean for us? If you’re looking to taste this stuff, your best bet is 12th Ave Grill before it’s sold out. Woodley has a few bottles in Waikiki, but they tend to follow him where he works.
If you’ve ever tried Oahu-made Ko Hana Rum, you’re already familiar with the taste profile of Kuleana’s signature product, which company CEO Steve Jefferson — who was born and raised on the Big Isle — described in a December interview as “this fresh florally flavor.”
Tasting both rums side by side shows they’re more similar than different, but I did notice a few subtle nuances that showcased the terroir of where each company’s sugar cane is harvested. The Ko Hana Kea seemed a little more mellow, with a slightly more viscous mouthfeel. Kuleana’s agricole, on the other hand, had a brightness that made me think it had a higher alcohol content than it actually does (this one clocks in at 92-proof).
The Huihui is comparable to Kuleana’s pure agricole, but at $30 retail, the blend is about $20 less than the flagship product. This is due to Huihui’s inclusion of rum distilled from molasses in Papua New Guinea along with rum agricole sourced from Martinique. It tastes a lot hotter than 80-proof, which is what is listed on the bottle. I’d probably stick to making cocktails with this one.
When tasting the Mamea, which retails for about $35, I found myself wishing the blend contained more of the 4-year-old distillate from El Salvador aged in used bourbon barrels. Sipping it neat, there are flashes of greatness, with a sweetness countered by just the faintest hint of oak. But the finish is pretty abrupt; just as quickly as it amazes your taste buds, there’s a bit of an alcohol burn … and that’s it. While 3- and 4-year-old rums are in the mix here, there’s no mistaking Mamea is made with mostly 2-year-old spirits.
Learn more about Kuleana Rum Works at kuleanarum.com, or, better yet, book a flight to the Big Island and pay Rum Shack a visit. Be sure to tell Art I sent you!
BEFORE IT closed in 2017, Hanagasa Inn on River Street near Chinatown was one of those hole-in-the-wall bars that didn’t advertise and wasn’t easy to find — yet would be full of regulars every time I stopped by.
Make no mistake, these types of watering holes are the backbone of the local bar scene. Sure, you can get fancy and order a $20 drink at a number of Honolulu’s craft cocktail bars, but lots of people just want a cold beer at an affordable price after a full day’s work.
That’s why, when Hanagasa Inn business partners Scott and Cindy Fujita and Tricia Arakaki closed that bar, they didn’t look to Kaimuki or Kakaako as a replacement location. They turned to Kapalama, another area known for a blue-collar clientele that patronizes bars in neighborhood strip malls and next door to warehouses and other industrial businesses.
“We wanted to be close to our friends (from Hanagasa Inn),” explained Fujita, who said the majority of their regulars “pretty much followed us over here.”
The new bar, called Sakana Grill, is in the same complex as Diners by Upscale Hawaii restaurant at 1333 N. King St. and will celebrate its second anniversary later this year. There’s a lot more foot traffic in the area, Fujita said, especially during the dinner rush from about 6 to 9 p.m.
“Every day, at least one new person comes in. So that was kind of surprising,” Fujita said. “The old location, nobody was going to go there unless they knew about us.”
Both old and new customers at Sakana Grill have found the menu to be reminiscent of Hanagasa Inn, which was known for Okinawan specialties like rafute (shoyu pork), Okinawan soba and chanpuru (stir-fry). They also take pride in their ahi poke, which is made from sashimi-grade ahi, and the fried chicken is a definite must-try.
And while Sakana, like Hanagasa Inn before it, proudly serves Okinawan beer brand Orion, Fujita has found a new passion for learning about whiskey and works to bring in hard-to-find bottles for his customers.
I saw bottles of allocated brands like Elmer T. Lee, ColonelE.H. Taylor Barrel Proof, Eagle Rare, Weller Antique 107 and Whistle Pig behind the bar during a recent visit, making this place a great starting point for those looking to expand their horizons when it comes to the brown stuff.
“One of our good friends brought his friends, and they like to drink certain things, so I had to learn real fast,” he said with a laugh. “Basically, if the customer comes in regularly, we’ll try to bring in whatever they want to drink.”
Sakana Grill is open from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily (until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Call 531-5988.
Jason Genegabus has written about the local bar and drink scenes since 2001. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @honolulupulse or email jason@staradvertiser.com.
