Hanalei Spirits, located in Kīlauea, Kauaʻi, is family-owned and operated by kamaʻaina Grant and Vindi Wells. Tucked into a 6.5 acre family farm on Kauaʻi’s beautiful North Shore, they are dedicated to producing spirits using locally sourced ingredients that have a significant tie to the island culture. Aiding their product development is Kaua’i’s rich history in agriculture and fruitful abundance of produce that lends itself well to the art of distilling.
Founder Grant Wells was instantly hooked on distilling when he began brewing beer with friends. “The chemistry and challenge combined with the access to fresh island produce spurred my creativity. I thought to myself, wouldn’t be great to put a smile on someone’s face one bottle at a time?” said Grant.
Building the distillery was a 28-day race to the finish for the Wells family and their recruited Kaua’i Ohana; the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) permitting process had moved forward quicker than anticipated. Ultimately, the strong community that Kaua’i island residents share was what made the construction of the distillery possible.
The distillery equipment utilizes many upcycled and recycled parts. “Upcycling and recycling are popular trends in our society right now; however, when it comes to sourcing materials in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is a way of life,” said Vindi. In the spirit of one of Grant’s favorite shows, the History Channel’s “American Pickers,'' the Wells family started their “picking” adventure in 2014. This included scouring Kaua’i’s back roads and pastures, and Vindi narrowly escaping a bull once or twice. This effort yielded two Bravarian mash tuns that form the now shuttered Whalers’ Brewpub in Nawiliwili and most of the other equipment in the distillery save the chiller and the USA made copper still.
Hanalei Spirits Distillery was officially founded in September 2016, and the first two products, Rum and Vodka, were produced in November 2018.
Building the distillery was a 28-day race to the finish for the Wells family and their recruited Kaua’i Ohana; the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) permitting process had moved forward quicker than anticipated. Ultimately, the strong community that Kaua’i island residents share was what made the construction of the distillery possible.
The distillery equipment utilizes many upcycled and recycled parts. “Upcycling and recycling are popular trends in our society right now; however, when it comes to sourcing materials in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is a way of life,” said Vindi. In the spirit of one of Grant’s favorite shows, the History Channel’s “American Pickers,'' the Wells family started their “picking” adventure in 2014. This included scouring Kaua’i’s back roads and pastures, and Vindi narrowly escaping a bull once or twice. This effort yielded two Bravarian mash tuns that form the now shuttered Whalers’ Brewpub in Nawiliwili and most of the other equipment in the distillery save the chiller and the USA made copper still.
Hanalei Spirits Distillery was officially founded in September 2016, and the first two products, Rum and Vodka, were produced in November 2018.
The name Hanalei Spirits “comes from our love and beauty of the North Shore of Kaua’i,” said Vindi. “Hanalei Bay and looking out past Makana gives most people a special feeling. It is hard to put into words, but we hope we capture a little bit of that in each bottle.” Grant shared that some of his favorite conversations while making homebrew were learning or sharing the old local legends about the different spirits deep in Kaua’i’s valleys. He doesn’t want to see those stories lost. “It was an easy play on words. Hawaiian spirits and legends to alcoholic spirits. We can do both. We can make spirits with spirit,” said Grant.
The development of the logo was based on a desire for the bottle to encapsulate the Kauaʻi experience. Hanalei Pier is featured on the logo as an iconic symbol of Kaua’i as well as an homage to a place that holds significance to the Wells ʻohana. Grant’s construction company helped rebuild the structure in 2012, and Terry, Grant’s father, worked with the Rotary club of Hanalei to raise money for the pier when the State and the Kaua’i County were unable to fund the project. “[Hanalei Pier] means so much because we grew up down there, and as an adult, Grant rebuilt it with all of Kauaʻi watching. The building of the distillery has brought this full circle. It's really cool.”
The development of the logo was based on a desire for the bottle to encapsulate the Kauaʻi experience. Hanalei Pier is featured on the logo as an iconic symbol of Kaua’i as well as an homage to a place that holds significance to the Wells ʻohana. Grant’s construction company helped rebuild the structure in 2012, and Terry, Grant’s father, worked with the Rotary club of Hanalei to raise money for the pier when the State and the Kaua’i County were unable to fund the project. “[Hanalei Pier] means so much because we grew up down there, and as an adult, Grant rebuilt it with all of Kauaʻi watching. The building of the distillery has brought this full circle. It's really cool.”
Hanalei Spirits’ goal is to craft “unique, premium quality spirits that will transport you back to the islands and remind you of the delicious flavors, the feeling of Aloha and the slower pace that is uniquely Kaua’i,” Vindi shared.
Creation of their spirit starts on the family farm with an emphasis on diversified agriculture. There, a variety of fruit trees, including ‘Ulu’ (breadfruit), botanicals like Lilikoi and the Ti plant are grown for their distillate. Diversified agriculture, Vindi thinks, “is a step in the right direction for creating a softer footprint on the land and environment.” The Wells also aim to maintain a balance between Hawaii’s rich history in agriculture and Kaua’i’s dependence upon visitors. They believe small steps like this can help keep Kaua’i, also known as “The Garden Isle,” a unique and sustainable island home.
Beyond what is grown on their farm, Hanalei Spirits obtains ingredients from other farmers to utilize the seasonal abundance of produce, resulting in the development of a number of seasonal spirits that are rooted in overabundance. This includes Sugarloaf Pineapple Rum, Lilikoi-cello, and Taro Vodka.
Hanalei Spirits is also very integrated with their community. They embrace Kaua’i’s hard-working, local farmers who are driven by the reward of growing something with their own two hands. Vindi added, “As we source local ingredients and interact with the old-timers in the community, we are constantly reminded of Hawaii’s rich history.” Vindi shared an anecdote from an older woman about one family’s fight with the law during prohibition. Boot-legging okolehao was the family's only means of income. The woman’s great, great grandmother, tutu, who was over 80 years old, took the fall for bootlegging because for her, it was like being on vacation. She no longer had to work all day over a hot imu, had three meals a day, and was given a soft bed. “Stories like these motivate us to make those personal connections and to keep these stories alive.” Said Vindi.
Grant shared that his passion for distilling really comes from the flexibility to be creative. According to Vindi, “On occasion you might find my normally calm and reserved husband doing a little Irish jig or skipping through the distillery. He is just thrilled whenever we feel we have captured the essence of the local Lilikoi or the smokey carmel goodness of the okolehao that the sailors tasted back in the 1790’s.”
Ultimately, Hanalei Spirits strives to maintain the flexibility of creating handcrafted, small-batch spirits rather than being limited to producing a massive amount of one type of spirit.
Creation of their spirit starts on the family farm with an emphasis on diversified agriculture. There, a variety of fruit trees, including ‘Ulu’ (breadfruit), botanicals like Lilikoi and the Ti plant are grown for their distillate. Diversified agriculture, Vindi thinks, “is a step in the right direction for creating a softer footprint on the land and environment.” The Wells also aim to maintain a balance between Hawaii’s rich history in agriculture and Kaua’i’s dependence upon visitors. They believe small steps like this can help keep Kaua’i, also known as “The Garden Isle,” a unique and sustainable island home.
Beyond what is grown on their farm, Hanalei Spirits obtains ingredients from other farmers to utilize the seasonal abundance of produce, resulting in the development of a number of seasonal spirits that are rooted in overabundance. This includes Sugarloaf Pineapple Rum, Lilikoi-cello, and Taro Vodka.
Hanalei Spirits is also very integrated with their community. They embrace Kaua’i’s hard-working, local farmers who are driven by the reward of growing something with their own two hands. Vindi added, “As we source local ingredients and interact with the old-timers in the community, we are constantly reminded of Hawaii’s rich history.” Vindi shared an anecdote from an older woman about one family’s fight with the law during prohibition. Boot-legging okolehao was the family's only means of income. The woman’s great, great grandmother, tutu, who was over 80 years old, took the fall for bootlegging because for her, it was like being on vacation. She no longer had to work all day over a hot imu, had three meals a day, and was given a soft bed. “Stories like these motivate us to make those personal connections and to keep these stories alive.” Said Vindi.
Grant shared that his passion for distilling really comes from the flexibility to be creative. According to Vindi, “On occasion you might find my normally calm and reserved husband doing a little Irish jig or skipping through the distillery. He is just thrilled whenever we feel we have captured the essence of the local Lilikoi or the smokey carmel goodness of the okolehao that the sailors tasted back in the 1790’s.”
Ultimately, Hanalei Spirits strives to maintain the flexibility of creating handcrafted, small-batch spirits rather than being limited to producing a massive amount of one type of spirit.
A 300-gallon copper pot still with a side column from Corson Distilling Systems in Idaho is used.
The still selection process started with figuring out the still design, then getting bids on the design from a variety of manufacturers. According to Grant, “I wanted [a still made in the] United States, and Corson Distillery came in the cheapest [as far as] domestic manufacturing goes. ”
However, the still story is more harrowing than just a bid, acceptance, and delivery. Around the time Hanalei Spirits ordered their still, Corson Distilling Systems became overwhelmed with demand. “Two brothers got in the business together, created a couple of stills, got super popular and then, all of a sudden, had 60 orders in one year,” Grant explained. “It takes three to four months to build a still, so the math didn’t work out. They got behind really fast. People started demanding their money back, and [since Corson Distilling Systems] had invested in buildings and equipment, they went belly up. We were one of those 60 orders. Our still number was 63. We got lucky and we got it all the way to Hawaii.”
The still was supposed to be done in six months, but nine months went by, then a year. Finally, after waiting two years, the Wells’ received word that the still was completed and they traveled to Idaho for an inspection. “Upon arrival, we found a hard-working family owned company that had sadly gotten in over their heads. It worked out for us, but others were not as lucky.” Said Vindi.
The still selection process started with figuring out the still design, then getting bids on the design from a variety of manufacturers. According to Grant, “I wanted [a still made in the] United States, and Corson Distillery came in the cheapest [as far as] domestic manufacturing goes. ”
However, the still story is more harrowing than just a bid, acceptance, and delivery. Around the time Hanalei Spirits ordered their still, Corson Distilling Systems became overwhelmed with demand. “Two brothers got in the business together, created a couple of stills, got super popular and then, all of a sudden, had 60 orders in one year,” Grant explained. “It takes three to four months to build a still, so the math didn’t work out. They got behind really fast. People started demanding their money back, and [since Corson Distilling Systems] had invested in buildings and equipment, they went belly up. We were one of those 60 orders. Our still number was 63. We got lucky and we got it all the way to Hawaii.”
The still was supposed to be done in six months, but nine months went by, then a year. Finally, after waiting two years, the Wells’ received word that the still was completed and they traveled to Idaho for an inspection. “Upon arrival, we found a hard-working family owned company that had sadly gotten in over their heads. It worked out for us, but others were not as lucky.” Said Vindi.
Core Products
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Core Product: Okolehao
Ingredients: 80% Ti Root Production Process Ti root is cooked using a traditional underground lava rock imu. The cooked ti is then fermented, distilled and barrel aged. Distillation The okolehao is run through the still twice. The first stage is the stripping run through the pot still. Then it is run through the pot still again, which brings the proof to 125-135. Off the still, the ti root has sweet potato-like flavors. Barrel-Aging (18 Months) As with many barrel-aged products, the contents are tasted regularly throughout the maturation period to check for readiness. According to Grant, 18 months was selected because “That’s what tasted best.” Product Notes Okolehao is traditionally a Hawaiian alcoholic spirit that's main ingredient is the root of the ti plant. Originally a fermented beverage similar to beer, it became distilled into a highly alcoholic form when English sailors introduced distillation techniques to Hawaiʻi in 1790. |
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Approach to Flavor
Grant’s goal was to “create a rum that is cleaner on the finish, and doesn't have a long lasting rum flavor that you get with some of the more complicated rums like a Jamaican rum. He wanted the rum to be a little bit more friendly to mixers without the aftertaste. |
Ingredients
The rum is made from a co-fermented blend of molasses, raw sugar and water.
Molasses is sourced predominantly from South Carolina, but its source will depend on the time of year. This change in molasses source means that each rum will have slight variations in flavor.
Distillation
Grant prioritizes efficiency. “I'll strip run all three fermenters [consecutively]. That ends up being a little over 200 gallons. Then I put [the distillate] back in the pot, and run it through again and again." Grant explained. The rum itself is made using the pot still with the floor plate, and pulled from the still at approximately 160 proof.
Fermentation
Molasses, sugar and agricole are blended together prior to distillation and then put into the fermenter. It ferments to approximately 11% ABV before distillation.
Yeast
A rum yeast is used. The exact yeast strains used in fermentation are still being developed.
The rum is made from a co-fermented blend of molasses, raw sugar and water.
Molasses is sourced predominantly from South Carolina, but its source will depend on the time of year. This change in molasses source means that each rum will have slight variations in flavor.
Distillation
Grant prioritizes efficiency. “I'll strip run all three fermenters [consecutively]. That ends up being a little over 200 gallons. Then I put [the distillate] back in the pot, and run it through again and again." Grant explained. The rum itself is made using the pot still with the floor plate, and pulled from the still at approximately 160 proof.
Fermentation
Molasses, sugar and agricole are blended together prior to distillation and then put into the fermenter. It ferments to approximately 11% ABV before distillation.
Yeast
A rum yeast is used. The exact yeast strains used in fermentation are still being developed.
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Dark Rum starts as light rum. Then is aged for a year. Then, a combination of different molasses is added back at 2.5%, the legal limit to provide additional flavoring and color to the rum, in lieu of using caramel color and flavoring.
Barrels The rum is aged in 30-gallon northern white oak barrels with a light pre-toast and Number 3 Char from The Barrel Mill in Wisconsin. “Northern white oak tends to be on the sweeter side. I like it a lot,”said Grant. “They're 30-gallon barrels versus the 53's. [Aging] is insanely faster.” Approach to Barrel-Aging Rum Hanalei Spirits Dark Rum is barrel-aged for a year in both new and used barrels and then blended. Grant noted, “[On Kauaʻi], our temperatures are high, [which allows us to] extract a lot of volatiles so it does get that thick mouthfeel a lot faster than elsewhere. That salty air, whatever that does, seems to be working really well.” |
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Vodka
Ingredients: White Sugar Even though sugarcane is not widely grown in the islands anymore, Grant strives to use cane sugar as it is historically significant to Kauai’s history. Although he has considered making a grain-based vodka and personally likes rye vodka, it’s important to him to keep his product representative of Hawaiʻi. “Cane sugar is looked at as part of Hawaiʻi's culture.” He explained. Vodka Distillation The stripping run is done in the pot still. Then, the regular vodka is passed through the column still using the 20-plate in order to get it up to proof and refined as quickly as possible. |
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Gin “Tutu’s Gin"
Currently, the staple gin, “Tutu’s Gin,” is in development. Ingredients: Base Alcohol Neutral spirit is purchased to reduce the cost of the overall product. Botanicals: Juniper from Hungary. Grapefruit zest and lime zest sourced from orchards on the property. Blue Ring Ginger Flower. Production Process Botanicals are pot-infused before distillation. The botanical infusion is then distilled on a smaller, stainless steel still. No coloring or flavoring is added to the product before bottling. |
Recipe Development
At Hanalei Spirits Distillery, Tutu is sweetly referred to as the Little Menehune. Staying true to the old Menehune legends, she is always busy getting tasks done before anyone arrives in the morning.
The gin “is predominantly juniper with citrus notes that are key to our island gin. The Hungairan juniper offers an aroma similar to black tea which gives it a nice finish,” said Grant. “We have one ingredient that is very unique: We're using the flowers from ginger which adds a delicate ginger aroma without the ginger spice.”
Tutu’s Gin is Grant’s mother’s personal favorite of all the tested Gin recipes.
At Hanalei Spirits Distillery, Tutu is sweetly referred to as the Little Menehune. Staying true to the old Menehune legends, she is always busy getting tasks done before anyone arrives in the morning.
The gin “is predominantly juniper with citrus notes that are key to our island gin. The Hungairan juniper offers an aroma similar to black tea which gives it a nice finish,” said Grant. “We have one ingredient that is very unique: We're using the flowers from ginger which adds a delicate ginger aroma without the ginger spice.”
Tutu’s Gin is Grant’s mother’s personal favorite of all the tested Gin recipes.
Limited Releases
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Taro Vodka (Limited Release)
Ingredients: Taro To source the taro, Grant works with many taro farmers in Hanalei, since each farmer only provides a few hundred pounds of the 2,800 pounds of taro required for a batch of Taro Vodka. According to Grant, “[Taro] is the hardest crop. [The farmers] know that I'm there to purchase from them when they have extra, but they already can't keep up, especially with the floods that we had [in 2018].” “[During those floods] all the loʻi (taro fields) were ruined, and it took quite a few months to rebuild,” Vindi added. “Taro is a year crop, and it has only been a year and a half since the flood, so they're just starting to get [up and running again].” |
Processing the Taro
The Wells pick up whole taro in Hanalei and then bring it to the distillery. Vindi explained, “We bring [the taro] here and get dressed in masks and rain gear from head to toe [to keep the oxalic acid from causing itching]. We then power wash the taro on big wire grids to get all the mud and skin off. Next, we have a big grinder called Jaws that grinds it all up. Then, we cook it in the mash tun and ferment it for five to seven days.”
To aid the fermentation process, enzymes are used to break down the starch and sugars. This is similar to making an imo (sweet potato) shochu. “It surprises you with a fruity, flowery, wonderful aroma that you wouldn't expect from a root grown underwater,” said Vindi.
Distillation
After the stripping run, the taro vodka is distilled up to five more times using the 20-plate column still. The first few distillation runs are at 160 proof, with the last distillation building up to the required 190 proof. According to Grant, the taro vodka is not charcoal filtered because he does not want to lose the uniqueness of the taro aroma and flavor. No coloring or flavoring is added to the product before bottling.
The Wells pick up whole taro in Hanalei and then bring it to the distillery. Vindi explained, “We bring [the taro] here and get dressed in masks and rain gear from head to toe [to keep the oxalic acid from causing itching]. We then power wash the taro on big wire grids to get all the mud and skin off. Next, we have a big grinder called Jaws that grinds it all up. Then, we cook it in the mash tun and ferment it for five to seven days.”
To aid the fermentation process, enzymes are used to break down the starch and sugars. This is similar to making an imo (sweet potato) shochu. “It surprises you with a fruity, flowery, wonderful aroma that you wouldn't expect from a root grown underwater,” said Vindi.
Distillation
After the stripping run, the taro vodka is distilled up to five more times using the 20-plate column still. The first few distillation runs are at 160 proof, with the last distillation building up to the required 190 proof. According to Grant, the taro vodka is not charcoal filtered because he does not want to lose the uniqueness of the taro aroma and flavor. No coloring or flavoring is added to the product before bottling.
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Lilikoi-cello (Limited Release)
Ingredients: Base Spirit. Hand-picked liliko’i. Neutral spirit purchased to reduce cost of overall product. Lilikoʻi is sourced from the Wells’ farm. Vindi hand-pollinates the lilikoʻi due to issues with Kauaʻi’s’ struggling bee population. The Wells have also enlisted the help of a local beekeeper, Ryan Forster, who started the Kaua'i Bee Team to help strengthen bee colonies in the area. Infusion Method Lilikoʻi is juiced and strained for seeds. The juice is then combined with neutral spirit and sugar. From a flavor profile standpoint, Hanalei Spirits adds sugar to its Lilikoi-cello as is typical done in citrus-cello. They aim to keep the tart lilikoʻi flavors upfront and are cautious not to over-sweeten the product. No coloring or flavoring is added to the product before bottling. |
ʻUlu (Breadfruit) Vodka (Seasonal)
Ingredients: Breadfruit
Hanalei Spirits sources breadfruit from Kauaʻi farmers. “One of my favorite stories is of a sweet Ulu farmer named Ellie,” said Vindi. “We were at a breadfruit festival...doing a tasting when a tall gentleman walked up to the counter with his itty bitty woman. Ellie stood quietly next to her husband while he did the tasting. English did not appear to be her first language. It was a fun interaction to watch. The woman didn’t want to do a tasting of her own, but kept taking her husband’s samples. During the tasting, Ellie quietly kept asking, “My breadfruit?” It took me a good long minute to realize that the itty bitty woman was the Ulu Farmer we had purchased some of our breadfruit from. Once I connected the dots, I’ll never forget the look of pride and happiness that came over Ellie’s face. It feels great to have a close connection to the source of our food.”
Grant added, “The Breadfruit Institute (a program run by the National Tropical Botanical Garden based on Kauaʻi) encouraged farmers to start growing breadfruit in anticipation of a growing market for it. They [farmers] have been sitting on breadfruit for the last five or six years, [but there just wasn’t] a market. Then, we came in, and all of a sudden, there's a little bit of a market for it.”
Distilling
The approach to distilling the spirit is to achieve balance between the vegetal notes in breadfruit.
Ingredients: Breadfruit
Hanalei Spirits sources breadfruit from Kauaʻi farmers. “One of my favorite stories is of a sweet Ulu farmer named Ellie,” said Vindi. “We were at a breadfruit festival...doing a tasting when a tall gentleman walked up to the counter with his itty bitty woman. Ellie stood quietly next to her husband while he did the tasting. English did not appear to be her first language. It was a fun interaction to watch. The woman didn’t want to do a tasting of her own, but kept taking her husband’s samples. During the tasting, Ellie quietly kept asking, “My breadfruit?” It took me a good long minute to realize that the itty bitty woman was the Ulu Farmer we had purchased some of our breadfruit from. Once I connected the dots, I’ll never forget the look of pride and happiness that came over Ellie’s face. It feels great to have a close connection to the source of our food.”
Grant added, “The Breadfruit Institute (a program run by the National Tropical Botanical Garden based on Kauaʻi) encouraged farmers to start growing breadfruit in anticipation of a growing market for it. They [farmers] have been sitting on breadfruit for the last five or six years, [but there just wasn’t] a market. Then, we came in, and all of a sudden, there's a little bit of a market for it.”
Distilling
The approach to distilling the spirit is to achieve balance between the vegetal notes in breadfruit.
Sugarloaf Pineapple Rum (Seasonal)
Ingredients: Base spirit: Hanalei White Rum. Organic Sugarloaf Pineapple sourced from Kilauea farmers.
The Sugarloaf Pineapple Rum was crafted from the need to process the abundance of ripe sugarloaf pineapple that could not be sold at farmers’ markets. Due to the nature of sugarloaf pineapple, it does not lend well to being shipped. At Hanalei Spirits, the ripe pineapples are cut, sliced, and squeezed for fresh juice. The tender white pulp and core is left to infuse into the white rum. As Grant puts it, “Similarly, at the apple orchard, if you have too many apples and you can't take them all to market, you make a cider.”
Production Method
Kauaʻi sugarloaf pineapples are crushed and the juice is saved for other uses. The skins are infused into the white rum. No coloring, flavoring, or additional sugar is added to the product before bottling.
Ingredients: Base spirit: Hanalei White Rum. Organic Sugarloaf Pineapple sourced from Kilauea farmers.
The Sugarloaf Pineapple Rum was crafted from the need to process the abundance of ripe sugarloaf pineapple that could not be sold at farmers’ markets. Due to the nature of sugarloaf pineapple, it does not lend well to being shipped. At Hanalei Spirits, the ripe pineapples are cut, sliced, and squeezed for fresh juice. The tender white pulp and core is left to infuse into the white rum. As Grant puts it, “Similarly, at the apple orchard, if you have too many apples and you can't take them all to market, you make a cider.”
Production Method
Kauaʻi sugarloaf pineapples are crushed and the juice is saved for other uses. The skins are infused into the white rum. No coloring, flavoring, or additional sugar is added to the product before bottling.
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