Made in Hawaii Beer, Wine & Spirits

Inspired by Hawaii’s natural resources — local breweries, wineries, and distilleries are adding a tropical twist to your pau hana hour. Hawaii-made beer, wine, and spirits are creating a wave in the island scene and tourists and locals are loving it.  

If you’re lucky enough to be in town and you’ve passed your COVID-19 test with flying colors, you can take a tour and visit a tasting room at some of these companies. Others will ship directly to your home address. Here’s a list of some Hawaiian-made hooch to help you get a taste of some liquid aloha.

Aloha Beer Co.

This brewery and taproom located on Oahu is owned by local businessman, Steve Sombrero, and Hawaii-born craft brewer, Dave Campbell.  Campbell has spent over 20 years honing his skills and knowledge in the craft brewing industry.  Head brewer, Kaiao Archer, also brings many years of experience to the production of Aloha Beers.  

Aloha Beer Co. is a popular gathering place in the heart of the Kakaʻako area.  Offering locally-made brew, you will find unique tropical flavors in their selection of IPAs, ales, porters, and lagers.  Take-home growlers start at $16 and 5-gallon kegs start at $80.  For those of you who don’t drink beer, Aloha Beer Co. also offers an impressive selection of tropically-infused cocktails and a mouthwatering menu of pupus, shared boards, sandwiches, and loaded fries. 

Aloha Beer Co.
700 Queen St.
Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: (808) 544-1605
https://www.alohabeer.com

Fid Street Gin

Claiming to be the “first gin ever created in Maui”, Fid Street Gin combines the components of London Dry Gin with 12 botanicals locally sourced in Hawaii. Created and produced in their distillery in Maui, it is no surprise that Fid St. features Maui Gold Pineapple essence from pineapples grown on their very own pineapple farm. 

Fid Street Gin can be purchased at local ABC Stores, Safeway, and Foodland to name a few retailers.  Or if you find yourself on Maui, a tour and tasting can be scheduled on a reservation-only basis at the Haliʻimaile Distilling Company in Makawao.  There you will also be able to sample the distillery’s other spirits such as Pau Maui Vodka, Mahina Premium Rum, and Paniolo Blended Whiskey in addition to their Fid Street Gin.

Haliʻimaile Distilling
883 Haliʻimaile Rd.
Makawao, HI 96768

Phone: (808) 633-3609
https://haliimailedistilling.com
https://www.fidstreetgin.com

Kō Hana Rum

The word, Kō, is the Hawaiian word for sugar cane.  Most rums in the world are made with molasses which is a manufactured by-product of sugar. But Kō Hana Rum is uniquely crafted with sugar cane hand-harvested directly from its own sugar cane farm located in central Oahu.  In a two-year aging process, the rum first rests in oak barrels but then finishes in koa barrels.  The farm to bottle journey of Kō Hana Rum is a unique island experience.

Tasting tours are held daily.  Begin your tour with freshly-pressed cane juice, learn about the history of the Hawaiian sugar cane in the garden, and finish your tour by taking home a souvenir tasting glass.  The first 50 bottles of each batch are beautifully packaged in a koa box, and the subsequent bottles come with a koa wood medallion.  Kō Hana Rum can be found at local retailers such as Whole Foods Market and many hotels across the islands.

Kō Hana Distillers
92-1700 Kunia Dr.
Waipahu, HI 96797

Phone: (808) 649-0830
https://www.kohanarum.com

Kōloa Rum Co.

If you find yourself on the Garden Isle of Hawaii — have no fear.  A distillery and tasting room can also be found on the beautiful island of Kauai.  Crafted from pure Hawaiian cane sugar and rainwater from Mount Waiʻaleʻale, Kōloa Rum is a favorite ingredient in many island-themed cocktails such as the popular Mai Tai.  If you hit up their “mixology” page of their website, you will come across a number of recipes for tropical cocktails.  A fantastic resource, IMO. 

For a tasting, Kōloa Rum Co. is open from Tuesdays to Fridays.  Tours are held every hour, on the hour, and can be booked online.  If you don’t have time for a tour, drop by their gift shop. Your family and friends at home would be delighted to receive Hawaiian rum-based goodies such as rum cake and rum fudge sauce. 

Kōloa Rum Co. Store & Tasting Room
Kilohana Plantation
3-2087 Kaumualii Hwy.
Lihue, HI 96766

Phone: (808) 246-8900
https://koloarum.com

Koʻolau Distillery 

Located on the windward side of Oahu, Koʻolau Distillery specializes in using pure artesian well water and locally sourced corn to craft its Old Pali Road Whiskey.  Founded by veterans, Eric Dill and Ian Brooks, they strive to serve you with the highest of standards and experience with their whiskey.

You will be able to find Old Pali Road Whiskey at local supermarket chains and many restaurants on the island.  At their store, you will also find that they have partnered up with Manoa Chocolate.  You can also purchase their very own FDA-approved Koʻolau hand sanitizer in bulk.  For a tour and tasting, Koʻolau Distillery is open on most Fridays and Saturdays.  Availability and booking can be found online.

Koʻolau Distillery 
905 Kapaa Quarry Pl. Building 50
Kailua, HI 96734

Phone: (808) 261-0685
https://www.koolaudistillery.com

Maui Brewing Co.

The popular Maui Brewing Company sells year-round beers such as the popular Bikini Blonde lager, Big Swell IPA, and Pineapple Mana Wheat to name a few.  However, you do want to get your hands on their limited release brews such as the Coconut Wireless and their latest — Pineapple Chi Chi.

Maui Brewing Company has four restaurants where you can sample their beers:  two of which are on Maui and the other two eateries are located on Oahu.  The brewery itself is located at the restaurant site in Kihei.  Although tours at the brewery are currently suspended, you can find their beers at numerous retailers throughout the islands and nation-wide.

Maui Brewing Co.
605 Lipoa Pkwy.
Kihei, HI 96753

Phone: (808) 201-BEER
https://mauibrewingco.com

Ocean Organic Vodka

Located on Maui, Ocean Organic Vodka prides itself on practicing sustainable farming and being ecologically responsible.  This vodka is also made with desalinated deep ocean mineral water off the coast of Kona on the Big Island.  They grow and nurture their own organic sugar cane varieties and employ a state of the art solar-powered facility.  

Visit their distillery where they boast spectacular views of the ocean and prepare to be educated on the history of sugar cane farming.  Tastings and tours are held from Wednesday to Sunday.  They also have a farm store conveniently open on those days for you to do your shopping.  Ocean Organic Vodka can also be found at local retailers and across the nation at your markets.  Just look for the round blue bottle!

Ocean Organic Vodka
4051 Omaopio Rd.
Kula, HI 96790

Phone: (808) 877-0009
https://oceanvodka.com

Ola Brew Co.

Ola Brew produces beer and cider at their Kailua-Kona location on the Big Island.  This company is also both employee and community-owned, and pride themselves on relying on their local farmers for the freshest ingredients.

Riding the wave and rise in popularity of the hard seltzer,  Ola Brew is making a big splash with island-themed flavors such as Hawaiian Ginger, Hawaiian Hibiscus Lavender, and Hawaiian Lemongrass.  You can visit their taproom for a taste, or you can purchase their brews and seltzers at retailers and markets across the islands.

Ola Brew Co.
74-5598 Luhia St.
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Phone: (808) 339-3599
https://www.olabrewco.com

Volcano Winery

Drop by for a glass of Hawaii-made wine if you find yourself touring Volcanoes National Park of the Big Island. The grapes of these wines are grown and harvested in the mineral-rich volcanic soil.  Utilizing exotic fruit such as starfruit, guava, lilikoi, and papaya, you can also find Hawaiian varieties such as the Macadamia Nut Honey Wine.

Volcano Winery is located at the 30-mile marker in Volcano.  Tastings are available daily and reservations can be made online.  Although the wines are not distributed outside of the islands, they will ship directly to most states.

Volcano Winery
35 Pii Mauna Dr.
Volcano, HI 96785

Phone: (808) 967-7772
https://volcanowinery.com

Glossary:

Kakaʻako — a hip and vibrant area of Honolulu known for its eateries, retailers, and street art.

Koa — an endemic flowering tree found in the Hawaiian islands.

Lilikoi — is Hawaii-grown passionfruit.

Mai Tai — a rum-based cocktail consisting of both light and dark rums, orange curaçao, almond syrup, lime juice, and in Hawaii — pineapple juice. 

Pau Hana — Hawaiian pidgin for “finished with work”.  Synonymously used with happy hour in Hawaii.

Pupus — Hawaiian pidgin for bite-sized finger foods or appetizers.

Why Your Fashion Business Needs a Blog

Don’t write them off.  Literally.

Blogs are not new.  They’ve been around since the mid-1990s.  So why are we still talking about them today?

As of 2020, 77% of internet users read blogs. 

If you’re a small fashion business with an online presence, you will want to consider starting a blog.  Companies that blog get 55% more web traffic than companies that don’t.  

And if you do have a blog — excellent.  But the question is — are you doing it effectively?

You don’t have the time.  You don’t see the benefits.  You’re just not a good writer. 

These are common reasons why most online businesses don’t blog — or blog enough for that matter.  

But if you’re in the fashion industry — blogging is something that can be extremely beneficial for your business.  Allow me to explain:

💋  It’s a natural fit.  Fashion is one of the most popular topics for bloggers.  It’s a place to share fashion tips, outfit ideas, makeup tutorials — you name it.  The fashion industry has an enormous audience.  Why wouldn’t you want to tap into that?

💋  It’s low-cost.  Small businesses operate on a small budget.  Blogging is an inexpensive way to grow your target audience and financially-speaking — it’s a smart marketing tactic.  When done right.

💋  It increases organic traffic to your site.  Blogging increases your online visibility.  And it can reach your audience in ways that your social media marketing may not be working for you.

Read on as you contemplate adding a blog to your company website.  And if you are blogging — here are some strategies to consider as you implement your fashion blog.

1.  Beef Up Your Brand Awareness.

Right off the bat, you should know your target audience.  Then give them what they want.  

If you are selling all-natural and organic lipsticks — you can blog about the season’s latest colors or the ethical process and packaging of your product.  

If you are selling fine hand-crafted jewelry — write about the process of the Tahitian pearl formation. Or explain to your audience the carefully selected metals that you’ve chosen to use in your designs.

If you are selling modern and luxurious swimwear — you can spotlight a brand ambassador in a blog.  Feature her in one of your latest pieces and highlight a story about how she embraces healthy eating or how she leads an active lifestyle.  

You get the picture. 

Use blogging as an opportunity to showcase who you are.  It’s an extension of your brand and positions you as the expert.  So find something compelling to share with your target audience.

By writing about topics related to your brand, it will help you get to know your audience and see what keeps them engaged.  Allow your readers to comment, ask questions, and interact with others in your blog posts.  

Before you know it — the readers of your fashion blog will lead to a broader fan base. A community, if you will. And ultimately, it will lead to clients. 

2. Rank High in Google.

It’s a fact — blogging is the most effective way to increase your organic site traffic.  What this means is that “organic visitors” are those of us who accidentally stumble across your website by using a search engine like Google.

And the scary truth is — 75% of internet users never scroll past that first page. 

So, yes — blogging can help you if you’re not ranking high. But only if you’re doing it right.

Here are some quick tips to help you start your fashion blog successfully:

✏️   Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - focus on one to two long-tail keywords throughout your blog and sprinkle them in the right places.  Forcing keywords continuously throughout your blog will actually hurt your SEO. Google sees that as “keyword stuffing” — go figure.

✏️  Tighten those titles.  A catchy headline is crucial in getting potential readers even to want to read past the title of your blog — it will make or break your post.  Also, studies have shown that an ideal blog post title should have 60 characters.  The length of your headline will affect its SEO value.

✏️   Use visuals.  Blog content with images collect 94% more views.  Use this opportunity to promote your products with clear and high-quality images. Make sure they’re optimized for smartphones and that they’ll load quickly. Use pictures to break up long pieces of text.

  ✏️   Word count counts.  For your fashion blog to rank higher in Google, it should be a minimum of 1000 words.  Before you start groaning — here’s why. With a longer piece of text, search engines have a better chance of figuring out what you’re talking about. Then, you have more opportunity to sprinkle those SEO-focused keywords. More content = high-quality info.

  ✏️   Post consistently.  Posting once a week is better than spitting out eight blog pieces at the beginning of the month and then nothing at all. Yes, Google prefers fresh content.  But an older page that’s updated regularly may outperform a newer one.  Try posting a blog at least once a week — and then work your way up once you get the hang of it.

3. Treat Your Fashion Blog Like a Business.

Your blog is an extension of you and your business.  So you should treat your blog like a business.

Knowing your audience can make all the difference…if you want to monetize your blog.  Use a tool like Google Analytics to deep-dive into discovering the demographics of your audience.  It can also tell you what products they buy, what lifestyles they’re into, and even the specific views of your users.

Use this information to pinpoint the content of your blogs and gear them towards your audience. That way, you can deliver information that your fans really want to see.

Next, use this opportunity to promote your merchandise. Highlight one of your amazing products and show how it will improve their lives somehow.  (But try not to sound sales-pitchy.)  You want to build trust in your relationship with your audience.

Make the content of your fashion blogs exciting, fresh, and compelling.  The writing should be high-quality and well-researched. The blog post that you put out there for the world to see is a reflection on your business.

If your budget allows for it, you might consider outsourcing the work to a qualified copywriter.  Or you can have someone proofread and edit your writing. Use this opportunity to highlight your professionalism and business.

Then, promote the heck out of it. 

Go For It.

SEO is so competitive today. Blogging is another aspect of your online business that you should consider investing in.  It’s the only way that you will rank high in Google and generate traffic without paying for ads.

As you get into the swing of blog-writing and you have a respectable number of posts under your belt, you may want to consider this.  You can have guest bloggers contribute to your website. Or once your community of followers begins to grow, you can start sponsoring giveaways, fun contests, or other promotions.

And as you embark (or continue) on your journey as a fashion blog writer — keep this in mind.  Be helpful, be educational, and be relevant. 

You’ve got this.