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Address
700 Queen St, Honolulu, HI 96813 Hours of Operation Monday-Thursday 4p–11p Friday-Saturday 4p–11p Phone Number (808) 544-1605 https://www.alohabeer.com/ |
About the Brewery
Aloha Brew Co started as an attachment to Sam Coy’s Breakfast Lunch and Crab in 1996. Since the closure of that location, co-owner and Brewmaster Dave Campbell has been a brewery consultant. This iteration of Aloha Brew Co opened in 2016 after a year-and-a-half buildout. According to Dave, “What we were doing in ‘96 versus what we all do now is radically different, and it's just because beer culture has ramped up a lot in Hawaii, as it has everywhere. Our philosophy hasn't changed.”
Aloha Brew Co’s story is also very much Dave’s story. His craft beer journey started when he became “enamored with both American, German, British, and Belgian brews around 1990. He explained, “By ‘94, I was part of the industry, owning [Homebrew in Paradise] and doing side work for early local breweries. That passion, I would say 25 years later, is still very much in-force. It's a passion for not just the finished product, but it's everything that surrounds the process of making it.”
FOUNDERS
-Steve Sombrero
-Dave Campbell (Brewmaster)
Aloha Brew Co’s story is also very much Dave’s story. His craft beer journey started when he became “enamored with both American, German, British, and Belgian brews around 1990. He explained, “By ‘94, I was part of the industry, owning [Homebrew in Paradise] and doing side work for early local breweries. That passion, I would say 25 years later, is still very much in-force. It's a passion for not just the finished product, but it's everything that surrounds the process of making it.”
FOUNDERS
-Steve Sombrero
-Dave Campbell (Brewmaster)
When asked about his approach to beermaking, Dave provided the following perspective, “I'm clutching to how things got done in the old way. Technology and social media have moved us away [from tradition] so fast, but you strip it down, and I still tell people, ‘Hey, learn your knots, don't forget how to tie this or that,’ because it's good every day. ‘Hey, I made this with my hands, and I did it in a way that it's been done for a long time.’ I still love that idea, and brewing anything [with] a very hands-on approach, but I just think that the product [beer], too, is a wonderful thing, and I love making it.
I also am [big into] history, and I love doing things that perpetuate something that has been around for a while, ‘Hey, we're doing it for this time and our time will pass, but then the next group will be doing it,’ so its tradition is keeping something going that's been going for a long time.”
When asked about developing a recipe Dave added, “A lot of times, it will be something I read. It might not be necessarily read in a brewers magazine, it might be I read something in a novel. Then I do more research. I majored in history, so the history of anything I'm interested in, especially when it comes to beverage.
When I travel, I try [new things], and the most fun thing in the world is when you try something and you're blown away, and you go, ‘Wow!’ I had a ‘wow moment’ with a Breakside Pilsner, which is just a simple German Pilsner style lager, in Portland about five years ago. [Though] It was no real ‘wow’ style of beer, but it [tasted] ‘wow,’ and I said, ‘Okay, when I get back home, we're going to be working on something like this.’ It's trying and being wowed by what someone else did and [saying] ‘I want to do something in its vain.’”
Detractors might say we're not as adventurous, and I'll go, ‘Well, I don't know, maybe [that’s so],’ but it's also business. It sounds good on paper, but I'm looking for someone who, in 15 years from now, walks in and says, ‘Hey I want a Red Zeppelin,’ because they know and love what we do. There's room to work within those classic styles. They haven't all been flushed out, in my opinion, so that's why the last wild moment was with Breakside Pilsner. As a style, it’s been around forever. It's not a particularly radical difference, but it was just like, ‘Wow.’ It’s just a different take on a classic style.
Dave is a bit of a self-proclaimed purist. This comes from his foundation in the beer industry, pre-2005. He adds, “In early 2005, there was a big peak in people getting into brewing, and that's when I say the rule book kind of got torn up and thrown out the window. A lot of it was on the West Coast. You had these brewers who were homebrewers. A lot of American brewers started as home brewers, and then they just started doing whatever. ‘I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that,’ and then it became embraced and accepted as the new norm.
A lot of creatives say, a lot of breakthroughs in brewing happened because [of] the assistant: The assistant screwed up and put a wrong bag in. [Then, they] tried it and go, ‘Oh, that's good!’ Innovation through mistakes.
It is funny that flavors in beers that were absolutely unacceptable before, are [‘in’] now. I took the beer judge certification program. In 1994, I got my accepted beer judge card, and then I had to grow with it, I had to judge. Then I realized I hate judging, because it is very subjective. It's tough, because there's so much room for interpretation, [but] you have to settle on printed guidelines, which I was entrenched [in] early on. Still, if I'm going to brew something, I'm thinking, ‘What's the style? What are we looking for? What are we going to go for?’ And [I] try to keep [to] that.
Maybe, too, I have been doing it for so long. I'm in my 50s, so maybe you get a little wiser, a little more comfortable in your skin, with time. A lot more confident. A lot like, ‘I don't need to impress you. This is who I am and what I do, and I hope you like it. If you don't, bummer. Maybe there's something, and if not, we tried.’ For everybody's top beer they've ever had, there's somebody who's going to have that [same] beer and say, ‘This tastes like piss.’
I also am [big into] history, and I love doing things that perpetuate something that has been around for a while, ‘Hey, we're doing it for this time and our time will pass, but then the next group will be doing it,’ so its tradition is keeping something going that's been going for a long time.”
When asked about developing a recipe Dave added, “A lot of times, it will be something I read. It might not be necessarily read in a brewers magazine, it might be I read something in a novel. Then I do more research. I majored in history, so the history of anything I'm interested in, especially when it comes to beverage.
When I travel, I try [new things], and the most fun thing in the world is when you try something and you're blown away, and you go, ‘Wow!’ I had a ‘wow moment’ with a Breakside Pilsner, which is just a simple German Pilsner style lager, in Portland about five years ago. [Though] It was no real ‘wow’ style of beer, but it [tasted] ‘wow,’ and I said, ‘Okay, when I get back home, we're going to be working on something like this.’ It's trying and being wowed by what someone else did and [saying] ‘I want to do something in its vain.’”
Detractors might say we're not as adventurous, and I'll go, ‘Well, I don't know, maybe [that’s so],’ but it's also business. It sounds good on paper, but I'm looking for someone who, in 15 years from now, walks in and says, ‘Hey I want a Red Zeppelin,’ because they know and love what we do. There's room to work within those classic styles. They haven't all been flushed out, in my opinion, so that's why the last wild moment was with Breakside Pilsner. As a style, it’s been around forever. It's not a particularly radical difference, but it was just like, ‘Wow.’ It’s just a different take on a classic style.
Dave is a bit of a self-proclaimed purist. This comes from his foundation in the beer industry, pre-2005. He adds, “In early 2005, there was a big peak in people getting into brewing, and that's when I say the rule book kind of got torn up and thrown out the window. A lot of it was on the West Coast. You had these brewers who were homebrewers. A lot of American brewers started as home brewers, and then they just started doing whatever. ‘I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that,’ and then it became embraced and accepted as the new norm.
A lot of creatives say, a lot of breakthroughs in brewing happened because [of] the assistant: The assistant screwed up and put a wrong bag in. [Then, they] tried it and go, ‘Oh, that's good!’ Innovation through mistakes.
It is funny that flavors in beers that were absolutely unacceptable before, are [‘in’] now. I took the beer judge certification program. In 1994, I got my accepted beer judge card, and then I had to grow with it, I had to judge. Then I realized I hate judging, because it is very subjective. It's tough, because there's so much room for interpretation, [but] you have to settle on printed guidelines, which I was entrenched [in] early on. Still, if I'm going to brew something, I'm thinking, ‘What's the style? What are we looking for? What are we going to go for?’ And [I] try to keep [to] that.
Maybe, too, I have been doing it for so long. I'm in my 50s, so maybe you get a little wiser, a little more comfortable in your skin, with time. A lot more confident. A lot like, ‘I don't need to impress you. This is who I am and what I do, and I hope you like it. If you don't, bummer. Maybe there's something, and if not, we tried.’ For everybody's top beer they've ever had, there's somebody who's going to have that [same] beer and say, ‘This tastes like piss.’
Dave talks about being growing up on the island, and how it influenced his beer decisions. “Hawaii is a big beer drinking state, but a lot of it is tied to our good weather. When it's cold and miserable, you're not chugging down beers, you're drinking schnapps or something. I think, is it suited to our lifestyle and climate? Is this something that a bunch of my friends would like to have at the end of a long surf or paddle? Then it's knowing your public. My public isn't the whole island. My public is the people who come here, and I get an idea from them [about] what they're looking for.
Being from Hawaii, I know there's a lot of push, and a lot of brewers who throw everything in the kitchen sink, like, ‘let's put yuzu or let's put dragon fruit’ or stuff that you grow. Honestly, I'm not really interested in that, because there's so many unexplored styles of beer using the basic ingredients. There are some wonderful beers made out of these additional things, but you can't do it all. I'm always striving for just a good clean balance and something that fits the Hawaii lifestyle.
Two of my biggest things are: I want to represent Hawaii very well being a local boy, and second, am I representing beer well? I’ve been entrusted with carrying on the Hawaii product, representing Hawaii, so I'm going to try to be good about it. I'm more of a purist.”
Being from Hawaii, I know there's a lot of push, and a lot of brewers who throw everything in the kitchen sink, like, ‘let's put yuzu or let's put dragon fruit’ or stuff that you grow. Honestly, I'm not really interested in that, because there's so many unexplored styles of beer using the basic ingredients. There are some wonderful beers made out of these additional things, but you can't do it all. I'm always striving for just a good clean balance and something that fits the Hawaii lifestyle.
Two of my biggest things are: I want to represent Hawaii very well being a local boy, and second, am I representing beer well? I’ve been entrusted with carrying on the Hawaii product, representing Hawaii, so I'm going to try to be good about it. I'm more of a purist.”
Ingredients
Aloha Beer Co gets their base malts from HFM, which is now known as Cisco, and Y.Hata.
Adjuncts
Dave spices up his main ingredients with corn. “I’ve always used an adjunct, because I like them. I’ve always used a little bit of corn in some of my lighter beers, because I like it. I don’t use a ton, unlike American Brewers who use 70% to 80% rice to make up a Bud, Coors or Miller, because it’s a cheaper source of starch that converts to sugar. For corn, I get flaked corn and add it straight into the mash. It adds a nuanced flavor and it will crisp the beer up a little bit. These adjuncts will ferment out more fully than malted barley or malted wheat.”
Adjuncts
Dave spices up his main ingredients with corn. “I’ve always used an adjunct, because I like them. I’ve always used a little bit of corn in some of my lighter beers, because I like it. I don’t use a ton, unlike American Brewers who use 70% to 80% rice to make up a Bud, Coors or Miller, because it’s a cheaper source of starch that converts to sugar. For corn, I get flaked corn and add it straight into the mash. It adds a nuanced flavor and it will crisp the beer up a little bit. These adjuncts will ferment out more fully than malted barley or malted wheat.”
Dave’s approach to bittering hops is “bitterness is bitterness is bitterness”. It’s what he learned in brew school, and something that has held true. He elaborated “You derive your bitterness. Bitterness is very one-dimensional. It's bitter. Hops are measured by their alpha acid content. The higher the alpha acid levels, the more bittering potential you get. For a bittering hop, I'm looking for one with a high level so I have to use less of it. I'm going for clean but higher alpha level hops. I have a few that I tend to reach for but, if I'm out of that, I can deal with anything. I can get my bitter. It's when I get into my finishing hops, that's where we absolutely have our favorites.”
Like the rest of the brewing community in Hawaii, Aloha Beer Co faces the logistical challenge of getting certain ingredients sourced here, [such as] Citra. They get it while they can, but there’s no guarantee it will be available again. This can pose an issue, if the beer becomes a great seller.
The good news is for hop growers. Prior to the craft beer movement, there were a lot of farmers existing at poverty levels. Now, with craft brewing where it is, hop farmers can make a decent living. Hop farming is somewhat of a guessing game, however. Dave adds, “Whatever they put into the ground, what's going to be the hot hop? I keep waiting for a hop like Citra, which is incredibly hard to get. They're putting in more fields and eventually, if we get to a point, there's going to be plenty. It's just like anything, it's gauging what tastes are going to be.”
Hops sourcing
Hops are primarily sourced from Yakima Chief, though not on contract. Aloha Brew Co also sources from other purveyors as well as the secondary market. Dave adds, “Hops all used to be like five bucks a pound. Now, desirable ones might be up to 20 bucks a pound. It's a lot tougher to get ingredients because there's so many breweries, and the demand [for] this kind of beer has shot up.
Like the rest of the brewing community in Hawaii, Aloha Beer Co faces the logistical challenge of getting certain ingredients sourced here, [such as] Citra. They get it while they can, but there’s no guarantee it will be available again. This can pose an issue, if the beer becomes a great seller.
The good news is for hop growers. Prior to the craft beer movement, there were a lot of farmers existing at poverty levels. Now, with craft brewing where it is, hop farmers can make a decent living. Hop farming is somewhat of a guessing game, however. Dave adds, “Whatever they put into the ground, what's going to be the hot hop? I keep waiting for a hop like Citra, which is incredibly hard to get. They're putting in more fields and eventually, if we get to a point, there's going to be plenty. It's just like anything, it's gauging what tastes are going to be.”
Hops sourcing
Hops are primarily sourced from Yakima Chief, though not on contract. Aloha Brew Co also sources from other purveyors as well as the secondary market. Dave adds, “Hops all used to be like five bucks a pound. Now, desirable ones might be up to 20 bucks a pound. It's a lot tougher to get ingredients because there's so many breweries, and the demand [for] this kind of beer has shot up.
Aloha Brewing uses Yeast from White Labs
Aloha Beer Co uses a rough filter to remove any particulate that may have come from the city’s pipes, but nothing else.
Dave explained, “Brewing starts at a water source. Back in the good old days, you didn't have a lot of great beers coming out of LA, but you had a lot coming out of Oregon. A quick rule of thumb of brewing is, if the water tastes good, you can make a good beer. I can't think of many places that rival or beat our water quality. That's another thing that I took for granted: you stick your head to the pipe and drink, it's going to taste good. We're very blessed in Honolulu to have this wonderful water which takes 20 years to filter through the lava rocks into aquifers. It's not totally hard. It's not totally soft. It's a little bit sweet.
Here's a neat little story. I did work with Dan Gordon who started Gordon Biersch. Dan is one of the most knowledgeable American brewmasters. He took a five year technical degree in German, back in the '90s. He knows his stuff. The second location he opened was the Hawaii location. It was giant when they opened, they were gangbusters. Then he opened his big production brewery in San Jose, and the water was junk. They had to [use] reverse osmosis to strip it to nothing and then add back to try to approximate Honolulu water. Dan’s knowledge is really unparalleled, and he had to produce it back to taste like Hawaii water. We have wonderful brewing water [here]. An advantage the brewers in Hawaii have is the water.”
When asked, about a particular style that works well given the Honolulu water chemistry, Dave replied, “Our water profile is higher sulfate than most, and you can brew a very good version of just about anything without changing it too much.”
Dave explained, “Brewing starts at a water source. Back in the good old days, you didn't have a lot of great beers coming out of LA, but you had a lot coming out of Oregon. A quick rule of thumb of brewing is, if the water tastes good, you can make a good beer. I can't think of many places that rival or beat our water quality. That's another thing that I took for granted: you stick your head to the pipe and drink, it's going to taste good. We're very blessed in Honolulu to have this wonderful water which takes 20 years to filter through the lava rocks into aquifers. It's not totally hard. It's not totally soft. It's a little bit sweet.
Here's a neat little story. I did work with Dan Gordon who started Gordon Biersch. Dan is one of the most knowledgeable American brewmasters. He took a five year technical degree in German, back in the '90s. He knows his stuff. The second location he opened was the Hawaii location. It was giant when they opened, they were gangbusters. Then he opened his big production brewery in San Jose, and the water was junk. They had to [use] reverse osmosis to strip it to nothing and then add back to try to approximate Honolulu water. Dan’s knowledge is really unparalleled, and he had to produce it back to taste like Hawaii water. We have wonderful brewing water [here]. An advantage the brewers in Hawaii have is the water.”
When asked, about a particular style that works well given the Honolulu water chemistry, Dave replied, “Our water profile is higher sulfate than most, and you can brew a very good version of just about anything without changing it too much.”
Up Next (As of November 2019)
Aloha Brew Co will start packaging in 2020 in larger than 12 oz cans. Dave explained, “The single-serve, the 22-ounce bomber bottle that was synonymous with craft beer, has kind of dried up on the vine. I still really like the idea of buying a big single beer that you could share with someone. I love that, and I love for the tourist market that they can try it. I [also] think it's a representation we're missing. Draft beer is great and it's a fresher product to give people, but that image of your brewery name on a shelf somewhere is what registers to people. It's art. Every can is to express who you are through what you choose to put on that label, and I'm looking forward to that.”
Also in 2020, the company will open a 2500 square foot Beer Garden next door on the Diamond Head-side of the Brewery. The Beer Garden will be an open drinking area which can be used for various events, an attached restaurant and in the back of the Beer Garden are wood structure apartments that are being rehabilitated into “artisan apartments”. Dave explained “I've got a jazz musician looking at one, a fresco artist looking to live and work [in another], a tattoo artist, and myself. It's just a collective cross-pollination of various, art-based [people], without sounding too high brow and arty, [and it will] just a cool vibe, where businesses that make sense [are] in a cluster together.”
Aloha Brew Co will start packaging in 2020 in larger than 12 oz cans. Dave explained, “The single-serve, the 22-ounce bomber bottle that was synonymous with craft beer, has kind of dried up on the vine. I still really like the idea of buying a big single beer that you could share with someone. I love that, and I love for the tourist market that they can try it. I [also] think it's a representation we're missing. Draft beer is great and it's a fresher product to give people, but that image of your brewery name on a shelf somewhere is what registers to people. It's art. Every can is to express who you are through what you choose to put on that label, and I'm looking forward to that.”
Also in 2020, the company will open a 2500 square foot Beer Garden next door on the Diamond Head-side of the Brewery. The Beer Garden will be an open drinking area which can be used for various events, an attached restaurant and in the back of the Beer Garden are wood structure apartments that are being rehabilitated into “artisan apartments”. Dave explained “I've got a jazz musician looking at one, a fresco artist looking to live and work [in another], a tattoo artist, and myself. It's just a collective cross-pollination of various, art-based [people], without sounding too high brow and arty, [and it will] just a cool vibe, where businesses that make sense [are] in a cluster together.”
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