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Kihei Brewery Tasting Room
605 Lipoa Pkwy, Kihei, Maui, HI 96753 Hours: Daily tours are offered at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30. https://mauibrewingco.com/ https://www.mbcrestaurants.com/ |
Maui Brewing Co. (MBC) is one of the craft breweries in the state that is leading the pack and setting the standards for Hawaiʻi-brewed beer. MBC currently operates in a newly constructed campus in Kīhei, a small beach town in south Maui, and distributes to 23 states and three intercontinental countries. MBC remains privately held by its original owners, yet they have been expanding into restaurant locations in native Kīhei, Lahaina, Waikīkī, and Kailua, Oʻahu.
In 2005, Maui Brewing Co. released their first batch of lagers and ales. Ever since, the ʻAina-forward beer company has continued to be a dominant force in both the local and intercontinental craft brewery scene. The growing company prides itself on a beer for every season, part of their “Craft Beer Way of Life” initiative; and as such, currently produces seven styles of beer, including eight limited-release beers in their portfolio. MBC’s impressively diverse roster of craft beers range from a buttery-textured, toasted coconut-infused porter, the Coconut Hiwa Porter, which, along with the richness of the lightly browned coconut, has a dark chocolate, heady coffee mouthfeel, providing the perfect “brewed” mocha experience. The lineup also includes the familiar sweetness of locally grown pineapple in the Pineapple Mana Wheat, a beer that is flawlessly even-bodied, combining the tartness of a Maui Gold pineapple and the sweet bitterness from wheat, creating a heavy, yet very refreshing beer. MBC’s craft collection includes three IPAs: the Big Swell IPA, Pueo Pale Ale, and the Double Overhead Double IPA, as well as the Pau Hana Pilsner, and the OG Bikini Blonde Lager, the beer that started it all.
We interviewed CEO Garrett Marrero to learn more about Maui Brewing Co. and what drives their passion for making craft beer on Maui.
In 2005, Maui Brewing Co. released their first batch of lagers and ales. Ever since, the ʻAina-forward beer company has continued to be a dominant force in both the local and intercontinental craft brewery scene. The growing company prides itself on a beer for every season, part of their “Craft Beer Way of Life” initiative; and as such, currently produces seven styles of beer, including eight limited-release beers in their portfolio. MBC’s impressively diverse roster of craft beers range from a buttery-textured, toasted coconut-infused porter, the Coconut Hiwa Porter, which, along with the richness of the lightly browned coconut, has a dark chocolate, heady coffee mouthfeel, providing the perfect “brewed” mocha experience. The lineup also includes the familiar sweetness of locally grown pineapple in the Pineapple Mana Wheat, a beer that is flawlessly even-bodied, combining the tartness of a Maui Gold pineapple and the sweet bitterness from wheat, creating a heavy, yet very refreshing beer. MBC’s craft collection includes three IPAs: the Big Swell IPA, Pueo Pale Ale, and the Double Overhead Double IPA, as well as the Pau Hana Pilsner, and the OG Bikini Blonde Lager, the beer that started it all.
We interviewed CEO Garrett Marrero to learn more about Maui Brewing Co. and what drives their passion for making craft beer on Maui.
The story of Maui Brewing Co. is also Marrero’s story. He grew up in San Diego and was influenced by its craft brewing scene. He recalled, “I grew up around good beer. When I was in San Diego, my step-grandpa was really into beer and he would be gifted beer from all over the world as part of his job at an oceanographic institute. So, I got to try a lot of different beers at a young age. I remember trying some of my grandpa’s beer and being like, ‘Wow, that’s really good. I like that.’ I was probably 13 or 14 years old. We were a very European family, so it was common for us to enjoy alcohol and not abuse it, obviously. As the beer scene in San Diego started to grow with the opening of Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, and a few other breweries, my grandpa and my step-dad would buy the different [American craft] beers, and we would drink them. Pete’s Wicked was one of the beers that I cut my teeth on, as well. Fast forward to me graduating from high school. Stone Brewing (at the time it was called a “microbrewery” but is now known as “craft”) opened up in San Diego and my grandpa got one of the first kegs for my graduation party. I went to college at [University of California] Davis, which had a brewing program on campus, and although I didn’t study brewing in the actual school, I enjoyed quite a few pints at the campus brew pub called Sueworks. When on vacation anywhere, I would always try to drink what was new and local to the area. When I visited Maui in 2001, not only did I end up falling in love with the island, but when I learned that their local beer wasn’t actually made in Hawaiʻi, I saw an opportunity to create an authentic, local Hawaiian beer. In 2005, we opened Maui Brewing Co., and I believe we were the first to use the term “craft beer” in Hawaiʻi.”
When Maui Brewing Co. opened, there were few other microbreweries, although the only one remaining from that era is Kona Brewing Co., which was sold to Craft Brewers Alliance, then split into two companies, with Hawaiʻi operations managed separately from worldwide operations owned by Anheuser Busch-InBev. Meanwhile, Maui Brewing Co. has maintained a commitment to producing 100% of its product in Hawaiʻi.
When Maui Brewing Co. opened, there were few other microbreweries, although the only one remaining from that era is Kona Brewing Co., which was sold to Craft Brewers Alliance, then split into two companies, with Hawaiʻi operations managed separately from worldwide operations owned by Anheuser Busch-InBev. Meanwhile, Maui Brewing Co. has maintained a commitment to producing 100% of its product in Hawaiʻi.
According to Marrero, “Maui Brewing Co.’s philosophy is to brew locally, and to have integrity. We believe that ‘liquid aloha’ should be made in Hawaiʻi and not imported from the mainland.” A good friend of mine, Dan Kopman, the CEO over at Heavy Seas in Maryland says, ‘The real brand owners are the customers. We are just the stewards of the brand.’ We created something that means something and we have to continue to stand by that. Our brand is really in the hands of the people of Hawaiʻi, and we have to make good on the promises that we’ve made about who we are. It’s why we’ve pushed so hard and spent more than $10 million to get to a point of grid-independence. It’s the right thing to do; it’s what people expect of us. It’s good for the company, no doubt, especially for the long-term, but imagine making 60,000 barrels of beer, all of these spirits, canned cocktails, and coffee with zero-grid energy. No fossil fuel. That is unparalleled in the industry, and I think that’s who we want to be.”
From a product perspective, the company brews beer by “focusing on our roots and making beers that are palatable by many.” Marrero noted, “We have a wide enough array of beers in our repertoire—arrows in the quiver, if you will. We’ve got our funky beers, we’ve got our big beers, and we’ve got our more approachable, mainstream beers. That just comes from years of brewing experience and our ability to take risks that other breweries can’t, which our size and success permits us to do.”
From a technical perspective, one of the most recent approaches has been a slight change in hop utilization. “Unless we are brewing a German lager or high ABV beer, I have been moving towards not using a typical 60 or 90 minute bitter hop. For example, with a Belgian White, we can use just a Whirlpool late hop addition to achieve a citrusy aroma/flavor and the 12-15 IBUs we are shooting for.”, said Kim.
Marrero is also focused on being environmentally sustainable. Maui Brewing Co. takes small steps like using a broom to sweep the brewery, then mopping when necessary, instead of hosing everything down. They take medium steps like recovering 100% of their CO2. They also take large steps like installing enough solar panels to become grid-independent. They are the first brewery in Hawaiʻi, and 10th in the country to put beer in cans. This reduces the weight of shipping, makes beer last longer due to the prevention of light strike, and aluminium is more easily recycled than glass.
Recipe Inspiration
Development of recipes is a collaborative effort; however Brewmaster Kim is ultimately responsible for recipe development and creation. Marrero said, “We don’t brew the same beer every day, and we like to give the brewers some autonomy to be able to brew a multitude of styles, so that they feel they are getting that artistic expression of themselves in the beer. Even our market manager, Dustin Gomes, loves beer and developed a recipe to brew, first as a homebrew, then at the production level. It has become a staple for us; it’s called the Coconut Wireless.”
From the sales perspective, Maui Brewing Co. analyzes the marketplace to figure out what beer goes on draft and what beer gets canned. Marrero gave the following example: “While we love our Lahaina Town Brown and our Valley Isle ESB (which took the gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2018), they’re not a sexy style on the market and we’re probably not going to sell a lot of it out there if we put it in cans, so they might be better as draft-only beers.” However, ultimately, the beer brewed is the beer people want to drink. The multitude of styles brewed is also attributed to their production capacity. Marrero said, “We’ve got the capability to brew everything from a one-barrel batch to a 50-barrel batch, and our team collectively figures out what they want to brew next. Most of the time, I think the craft beer drinkers in Hawaiʻi are the ones who actually pick what beers go to cans. We may vote on what beers go to cans, but it’s usually based on how quickly a particular beer sells in the market after it was first created experimentally. We also listen to the people who are coming to our restaurants and tasting room, and they offer a lot of feedback. It’s one of the reasons Pueo Pale Ale is a year-round beer now. We’ve had a lot of requests for it, and we feel it’s because of the craft beer drinkers saying, ‘Hey, we want this.’ And that’s what we’re able to do.”
From a product perspective, the company brews beer by “focusing on our roots and making beers that are palatable by many.” Marrero noted, “We have a wide enough array of beers in our repertoire—arrows in the quiver, if you will. We’ve got our funky beers, we’ve got our big beers, and we’ve got our more approachable, mainstream beers. That just comes from years of brewing experience and our ability to take risks that other breweries can’t, which our size and success permits us to do.”
From a technical perspective, one of the most recent approaches has been a slight change in hop utilization. “Unless we are brewing a German lager or high ABV beer, I have been moving towards not using a typical 60 or 90 minute bitter hop. For example, with a Belgian White, we can use just a Whirlpool late hop addition to achieve a citrusy aroma/flavor and the 12-15 IBUs we are shooting for.”, said Kim.
Marrero is also focused on being environmentally sustainable. Maui Brewing Co. takes small steps like using a broom to sweep the brewery, then mopping when necessary, instead of hosing everything down. They take medium steps like recovering 100% of their CO2. They also take large steps like installing enough solar panels to become grid-independent. They are the first brewery in Hawaiʻi, and 10th in the country to put beer in cans. This reduces the weight of shipping, makes beer last longer due to the prevention of light strike, and aluminium is more easily recycled than glass.
Recipe Inspiration
Development of recipes is a collaborative effort; however Brewmaster Kim is ultimately responsible for recipe development and creation. Marrero said, “We don’t brew the same beer every day, and we like to give the brewers some autonomy to be able to brew a multitude of styles, so that they feel they are getting that artistic expression of themselves in the beer. Even our market manager, Dustin Gomes, loves beer and developed a recipe to brew, first as a homebrew, then at the production level. It has become a staple for us; it’s called the Coconut Wireless.”
From the sales perspective, Maui Brewing Co. analyzes the marketplace to figure out what beer goes on draft and what beer gets canned. Marrero gave the following example: “While we love our Lahaina Town Brown and our Valley Isle ESB (which took the gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2018), they’re not a sexy style on the market and we’re probably not going to sell a lot of it out there if we put it in cans, so they might be better as draft-only beers.” However, ultimately, the beer brewed is the beer people want to drink. The multitude of styles brewed is also attributed to their production capacity. Marrero said, “We’ve got the capability to brew everything from a one-barrel batch to a 50-barrel batch, and our team collectively figures out what they want to brew next. Most of the time, I think the craft beer drinkers in Hawaiʻi are the ones who actually pick what beers go to cans. We may vote on what beers go to cans, but it’s usually based on how quickly a particular beer sells in the market after it was first created experimentally. We also listen to the people who are coming to our restaurants and tasting room, and they offer a lot of feedback. It’s one of the reasons Pueo Pale Ale is a year-round beer now. We’ve had a lot of requests for it, and we feel it’s because of the craft beer drinkers saying, ‘Hey, we want this.’ And that’s what we’re able to do.”
”Obviously, beer is high-90th percentile water, so the local water does make a difference. When we moved the brewery from Lahaina to Kīhei, we had to make recipe adjustments to get the Bikini Blonde to taste the same because the water changed the flavor of the beer. On top of that, as much as we don’t have waves of grain, malting houses, or hops fields in Hawaiʻi, we do use a lot of local agriculture to influence our beer. We created the first coconut beer, the first pineapple beer, and the first POG beer. We also made the first breadfruit beer and the first Maui onion beer. We’ve done a lot of firsts here and we’re proud of that. We’ve influenced not only beer culture in Hawaiʻi, but [I think] beer culture around the world. The coconut porter style is often imitated around the world now, and that started right here on Maui with us,” said Marrero.
Ingredients
When sourcing base malts, specialty malts, and adjuncts, Maui Brewing Co primarily turns to Brewers Supply Group. Brewmaster Kim provided the following insight: “We have had a long and loyal relationship with Brewers Supply Group. [Of the malts they carry], we primarily use Rahr Two-Row (1.8 -2.3 °L) which is grown in the U.S. and Canada. For German Malts, we use Weyermann Pilsner from Bamburg, Germany. [When choosing base malts,] we look for consistency and quality. Low protein levels and high diastatic power are also high on our list. Over the years, I have sampled other base malts and have settled on these two for their high quality and price point.”
For specialty malts, Maui Brewing Co. typically turns to the Simpsons. “They are an English maltster that supplies us with specialty malts like Crystal and Roasted malts. We use some of their base malts like Golden Promise for beers like Pueo Pale Ale, Double Overhead Double IPA, and Imperial Coconut Porter. Again, I choose these for their dedication to consistent, high quality malt. I have performed side-by-side comparison with other suppliers and Simpsons performed better in the categories of flavor, aroma and appearance. Last year, we also used a craft maltster out of Alameda, CA called Admiral Malt (https://admiralmaltings.com) for a few specialty draft-only releases,” said Kim.
For specialty malts, Maui Brewing Co. typically turns to the Simpsons. “They are an English maltster that supplies us with specialty malts like Crystal and Roasted malts. We use some of their base malts like Golden Promise for beers like Pueo Pale Ale, Double Overhead Double IPA, and Imperial Coconut Porter. Again, I choose these for their dedication to consistent, high quality malt. I have performed side-by-side comparison with other suppliers and Simpsons performed better in the categories of flavor, aroma and appearance. Last year, we also used a craft maltster out of Alameda, CA called Admiral Malt (https://admiralmaltings.com) for a few specialty draft-only releases,” said Kim.
Hops
Maui Brewing Co sources over 90% of their hops from contracts held with Yakima Chief Hops. “We use Brewers Supply Group for some hops but we primarily use Yakima Chief hops,” said Kim. “In the past, we have had contracts with S.S. Steiner and Crosby Hops. [However] Yakima Chief Hops, a farmers’ co-op company, is what I consider some of the best quality hops in the world. I was also looking to consolidate the hop suppliers in order to help with logistics.”
The current go-to bittering hop is Magnum (12-15.5% Alpha Acids); however, recent advancements in hop production, particularly in regards to Cryo Hops and CO2 extractions, has changed the approach to bittering hops.
“I like Magnum for bittering, as it is a clean/neutral bitter hop and we have a lot of it. After these are gone, we are moving to Apollo CO2 extract or hop extracts in general to provide bitterness without losing volume though hop absorption in the kettle.”
Of the aroma hops, Kim added, “I really enjoy using El Dorado Hops at the moment for its tropical, pineapple flavor and aroma. At Maui Brewing Co., we use a lot of Cryo Hops from Yakima Chief—mainly Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe—but we are going to try other varieties in the future. Cryo Hops concentrate lupulin through the process of using liquid nitrogen that helps remove the vegetal leaf matter.”
When asked about new hops on the horizon, Kim mentioned a recent call with Yakima Chief. “I just had a call with Yakima Chief’s marketing team about a new Cryo product they are working on. I can’t go into detail, but we are hoping to get a few boxes for trial batches soon. We also sponsored a special experimental hop variety through the Yakima Chief’s Hop Breeding Program and Jason Perrault. We should be seeing hop samples from this lot towards the end of this year.”
Maui Brewing Co sources over 90% of their hops from contracts held with Yakima Chief Hops. “We use Brewers Supply Group for some hops but we primarily use Yakima Chief hops,” said Kim. “In the past, we have had contracts with S.S. Steiner and Crosby Hops. [However] Yakima Chief Hops, a farmers’ co-op company, is what I consider some of the best quality hops in the world. I was also looking to consolidate the hop suppliers in order to help with logistics.”
The current go-to bittering hop is Magnum (12-15.5% Alpha Acids); however, recent advancements in hop production, particularly in regards to Cryo Hops and CO2 extractions, has changed the approach to bittering hops.
“I like Magnum for bittering, as it is a clean/neutral bitter hop and we have a lot of it. After these are gone, we are moving to Apollo CO2 extract or hop extracts in general to provide bitterness without losing volume though hop absorption in the kettle.”
Of the aroma hops, Kim added, “I really enjoy using El Dorado Hops at the moment for its tropical, pineapple flavor and aroma. At Maui Brewing Co., we use a lot of Cryo Hops from Yakima Chief—mainly Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe—but we are going to try other varieties in the future. Cryo Hops concentrate lupulin through the process of using liquid nitrogen that helps remove the vegetal leaf matter.”
When asked about new hops on the horizon, Kim mentioned a recent call with Yakima Chief. “I just had a call with Yakima Chief’s marketing team about a new Cryo product they are working on. I can’t go into detail, but we are hoping to get a few boxes for trial batches soon. We also sponsored a special experimental hop variety through the Yakima Chief’s Hop Breeding Program and Jason Perrault. We should be seeing hop samples from this lot towards the end of this year.”
San Diego’s White Labs and Colorado’s Brewing Science Institute are Maui Brewing Co.’s primary yeast suppliers. “Of the primary yeast strains, a house ale and house lager strain are used for the core beers, with specialty strains like those for Hazy IPAs, Belgians, or saisons being used when the style calls for it. Kim’s favorite yeast strain of the moment, and go-to yeast for Kettle Sours, however, is Sacch Brux Trois.
To propagate new yeast, Maui Brewing Co. purchases a slant from either White Labs or Brewers Science Institute. “We can grow yeast for 100mL to 4 bbl in about a week that is enough to brew a 30 bbl batch of beer,” said Kim. Maui Brewing Co. uses a 5 bbl yeast propagation tank and 20 bbl yeast storage tanks.
After fermenting a batch of beer, the yeast is harvested once the beer has hit terminal gravity and then is put into storage tanks. The process of using and harvesting typically occurs for 10 generations. “We also look at viability as a factor for new propagation. We repropagate our house strains once a month to keep up with production,” said Kim.
To propagate new yeast, Maui Brewing Co. purchases a slant from either White Labs or Brewers Science Institute. “We can grow yeast for 100mL to 4 bbl in about a week that is enough to brew a 30 bbl batch of beer,” said Kim. Maui Brewing Co. uses a 5 bbl yeast propagation tank and 20 bbl yeast storage tanks.
After fermenting a batch of beer, the yeast is harvested once the beer has hit terminal gravity and then is put into storage tanks. The process of using and harvesting typically occurs for 10 generations. “We also look at viability as a factor for new propagation. We repropagate our house strains once a month to keep up with production,” said Kim.
Water Filtration
Particulate filter, activated charcoal, and UV Filtration.
Maui Brewing Co. influences water chemistry as little as possible. Marrero noted, “We don't do any sort of Reverse Osmosis (RO) because RO is extremely wasteful and you’re removing the terroir, all of the natural minerals that occur in the water supply here, which you have to add back into the concoction anyway. Your brewing salts are really important, as is the pH of your water, so if you do RO, you have to amend so much.”
Particulate filter, activated charcoal, and UV Filtration.
Maui Brewing Co. influences water chemistry as little as possible. Marrero noted, “We don't do any sort of Reverse Osmosis (RO) because RO is extremely wasteful and you’re removing the terroir, all of the natural minerals that occur in the water supply here, which you have to add back into the concoction anyway. Your brewing salts are really important, as is the pH of your water, so if you do RO, you have to amend so much.”
“The idea of adding fruit to beer, for me at least, is taking a style that is steeped in tradition and enhancing it by adding fruit or pulling out some nuanced flavors by adding the fruit,” said Marrero. He added, “It goes beyond making juice that has a little bit of beer character. I think there are some fruit beers that have gone way too far. This is why we don’t add fruit to every beer we brew.”
When fruit is added, Maui Brewing Co. is committed to using local produce when possible. In this vein, they do not accept substitutes, extracts or artificial flavors and purees because they believe it’s not necessary, given the abundance of fresh produce grown in Hawaiʻi. Marrero provided the following example: “POG does not always come back as a can because we don’t always get enough of the local fruit to brew it in large volumes for the cans. So, sometimes it’s going to be a draft-only beer. That is part of the problem of exclusively using local fruit. Other breweries’ methods of incorporating flavoring extract are very different from using real fruit. We came out with the POG IPA and a couple of the other breweries [on the mainland] started to do that, most notably Kona Brewing Co.; no real fruits were used in making that beer whatsoever. For us, we would rather make a better beer out of local agriculture, versus taking a jug of lilikoʻi extract and throwing it into our beer because the flavor from an extract is not even close to the real thing. We hand-toast our coconut chips and add them to the brewing process, and there’s nothing that tastes like fresh, toasted coconut. You’ve got beers out there that taste like suntan lotion. The beer itself is super sweet, but it literally tastes like someone dumped a bucket of Coppertone into the tank. I don’t think that’s appropriate for beer. ”
“The thing that we’re doing in the brewery right now, especially since we just bought a one-barrel pilot system, is geeking out on all kinds of stuff,” Marerro added. “We’re pushing limits, but we’re doing it in a way that we believe is at least paying tribute to the essence of craft beer and to the styles that we are brewing. We may be heavily tweaking recipes and ingredients, but ultimately, we’re just brewing beer and having fun.
When fruit is added, Maui Brewing Co. is committed to using local produce when possible. In this vein, they do not accept substitutes, extracts or artificial flavors and purees because they believe it’s not necessary, given the abundance of fresh produce grown in Hawaiʻi. Marrero provided the following example: “POG does not always come back as a can because we don’t always get enough of the local fruit to brew it in large volumes for the cans. So, sometimes it’s going to be a draft-only beer. That is part of the problem of exclusively using local fruit. Other breweries’ methods of incorporating flavoring extract are very different from using real fruit. We came out with the POG IPA and a couple of the other breweries [on the mainland] started to do that, most notably Kona Brewing Co.; no real fruits were used in making that beer whatsoever. For us, we would rather make a better beer out of local agriculture, versus taking a jug of lilikoʻi extract and throwing it into our beer because the flavor from an extract is not even close to the real thing. We hand-toast our coconut chips and add them to the brewing process, and there’s nothing that tastes like fresh, toasted coconut. You’ve got beers out there that taste like suntan lotion. The beer itself is super sweet, but it literally tastes like someone dumped a bucket of Coppertone into the tank. I don’t think that’s appropriate for beer. ”
“The thing that we’re doing in the brewery right now, especially since we just bought a one-barrel pilot system, is geeking out on all kinds of stuff,” Marerro added. “We’re pushing limits, but we’re doing it in a way that we believe is at least paying tribute to the essence of craft beer and to the styles that we are brewing. We may be heavily tweaking recipes and ingredients, but ultimately, we’re just brewing beer and having fun.
Beer
Seltzer
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Kupu Spirits
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