Kona Brewing Company’s Kailua-Kona Pub on Hawaii’s Big Island opened in November 1998. An enormous mahogany log that washed ashore in Kailua Bay was used to adorn the masterpiece Koa wood bar. The featured ohia wood posts used on the lanai came from South Kona. The rusty corrugated tin that provides a shade roof over the outdoor lanai came from an old Holualoa okolehao (liquor distilled from ti root) distillery. These are just a few of the local materials used to create this showcase restaurant.
The pub is known for great hand spun pizzas, local organic salads and fresh beers on draft that you can’t find anywhere else. Every Sunday evening local musicians provide live entertainment. The 2,000-square-foot outdoor lanai, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and tiki torches, offers seating for 175 patrons. Customers also can enjoy a cool meal or beverage inside the air-conditioned bar area at one of several surrounding tables or at the koa U-shaped bar itself. Inside the bar area is the retail store, stocked with colorful Tshirts, hats, towels, coasters, mugs and much more.
Kona Brewing Company is committed to producing, marketing and serving the finest handcrafted beers and tastiest cuisine with its exceptional team of motivated individuals who are passionate about quality and care about working in an environment where integrity, good will and discipline are the codes. Kona Brewing Company introduced Pacific Golden Ale (now called Big Wave Golden Ale) and Fire Rock Pale Ale to Hawaii in bottles and kegs on February 14, 1995. Longboard Island Lager was added three years later. Approximately 10 other styles of beer are brewed on a regular basis and served at Kona Brewing Company’s pubs with a select few being served at some finer restaurants and markets. These range in color from very blonde to black; in flavor from tangy to hoppy to roasty… and everything in between.
Today the three flagship beers are widely distributed throughout Hawaii, making Kona the top selling craft beer in the islands. Longboard Island Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Limited Release beers Pipeline Porter and Wailua Wheat Ale are distributed in select markets throughout the United States and in Japan. Kona Brewing Company runs its flagship brewhouse in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island, which produced more than 10,000 barrels of beer in 2008. Under strict guidance, Kona Brewing Company also produces its bottled beer and mainland draft beer in Portland, Oregon, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as part of its partnership with Craft Brewers Alliance Inc.
Recipes and beer specifications are dictated by Kona Brewing Company’s brewmaster, who oversees each of Kona Brewing Company’s partner breweries as the beer is brewed and packaged. The beer brewed at Kona Brewing Company’s partner breweries utilizes Kona’s hops, malt and proprietary yeast. The water mineral levels at each brewery are adjusted to replicate the water used in Hawaii. A sample of each batch of beer is sent to the Kailua-Kona brewery for sensory evaluation. The brewmaster and quality assurance employees are in daily contact with mainland partner breweries. Kona Brewing Company recognizes the importance of crafting its tasty ales and lagers close to their markets. By brewing the beer close to distribution markets, Kona Brewing Company ensures beer drinkers are receiving the freshest beer. This also enables Kona Brewing Company to minimize its carbon footprint, expending limited resources to deliver quality beer.