Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:16:20 -1000WeeblyTue, 17 Sep 2019 07:24:16 GMThttps://www.hawaiibevguide.com/koloa-rum/koloa-rum-expansion-and-10-year-anniversaryKalāheo, Kaua`i, Hawai`i (September 16, 2019) – September 2019 marks a significant milestone for Hawai`i’s award-winning Kōloa Rum Company, as the brand celebrates a decade in business on the island of Kauaʻi with a planned expansion.   Having achieved year-over-year double digit sales and revenue increases since year one, the Kōloa Rum Company expansion will allow for increased production and distribution to accommodate the brand’s growth. 

In a discussion with Bob Gunter, CEO of Kōloa Rum Company, he added that part of the expansion is to help memorialize the history of sugarcane in the islands.  According to Gunter: “We’ve acquired the use of 18 acres of land on the outskirts of Kōloa. We’ll be building a 45,000 sq ft production facility which will include a distillery, warehousing, and a rickhouse.  Separate from that, there will be a freestanding tasting room, a company store, a cafe, and a museum, which will be in the form of an old plantation camp house complete with period furniture, fun facts, artifacts, and old photographs and articles.  There, Kōloa Mill will be recognized as being the first successful sugar operation established on the islands.”

Expansion plans also include the planting and cultivation of 10-12 acres of sugar cane fields on site.  “Cultivating and using our own sugarcane is a big part of our history on Kauaʻi, and that’s very important to us,” adds Gunter. “We will be growing and processing cane on site to make our rum, and we are actively partnering with local farmers to increase sources of cane sugar on the island with the goal of one day being able to use only Kaua‘i-grown cane in our products.”

This property is within the footprint of the original 935 acres that comprised the original Kōloa Mill in 1835.  “We hope that when we begin to move into the new facility within the next 12 to 18 months, we will have an additional 10 to 12 acres of sugarcane, which is well underway in addition to the 10 acres that we have planted on the westside of Kauai on former Gay & Robinson Plantation property.” Says Gunter.

The Company will break ground for the new distillery September 18, 2019]]>