Now Part of Laverne’s Sports Bar (formerly Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse)
This oceanside pub is a favorite hangout for both locals and visitors, offering tasty grub and cold brews with an amazing Pacific view right in the heart of downtown Kona.
Take a Fun and Informative Kona Brewery Tour
One of the most successful and best-known craft breweries in the United States is located right on Hawaii’s Big Island, Kona Brewing Company! For more than 30 years, what began as a small-batch brewery has grown to an annual brewing capacity of up to 100,000 barrels and filling locally-made cans on their own canning line. Despite its dramatic growth and worldwide success, the brewery retains its creativity and craftsmanship with sustainable practices and new and exciting recipes – many of which you’ll only find at their brew pubs in Hawaii.
Getting Started on your Kona Brewery Tour
For beer lovers of every stripe, we’d highly recommend their daily brew tours for an in-depth look at the brewing process, their surprisingly productive facility, and – of course – the tasting session at the conclusion of the tour. If you’re interested in taking a trip down brewery lane, here’s what you can expect from the typical brewery tour at Kona Brewing.
In 2021, Kona Brewing proudly opened a new 30,000-square-foot sustainable brewery just down the street from the Original Kona Brewery & Pub. Due to the tour’s immense popularity, you’ll want to book your tour in advance. Tours are available from 12pm – 5pm by appointment and typically last an hour, offering a guided walkthrough of the brewing facility and tasting room. You’ll learn about the brewery’s sustainability practices and ingredient sources, the brewing process, what goes into making beer in Hawaii, and may even get a preview of new recipes.
Creativity in a Glass
An employee-owned brewery, Kona Brewing Company strives to make their community and employees part of the brewing process. Several times per year, the company encourages their brewers and staff to submit their ideas for a new brew – some of which even go into mass production!
At the entrance of the brewing facility, there’s a small wall lined with wooden barrels and kegs demarking new and sometimes off-the-wall recipes the brewers have produced and are aging. While you probably won’t get to try any of these extremely limited releases, learning about the brewery’s philosophy toward innovation and inclusion is worth the inquiry.
Capping Off the Kona Brewery Tour
At the conclusion of the tour comes the fun part: actually trying several types of beer for yourself! With a wide variety flavors on tap, you’ll find much more to enjoy here than you would in your mainland grocery store. Diverse and always tasty, your brew tour guide will walk you through the types of beer you’ll be trying out. From there, you and your party are encouraged to either visit the Thirsty Gecko tasting room for additional tasting or grab a table at the brew pub and enjoy more of the brewery’s creations as well as some of the best food on the island (really!).
Whether you’re a casual beer drinker or a craft beer snob, there’s no better paradise in paradise than a stop at Kona Brewing Company. Cheers! *Tour information was current when posted but is subject to change.
Kona Brewery Tour Location
74-5588 Pawai Pl
Kailua-Kona, HI
**Meet at the Growler Shack at the entrance to the Kona Brewing Pub and a shuttle will take you to the brewery building just down the street.
Kona Brewing Pub
74-5612 Pawai Pl
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
DISCLAIMER
* This post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission for each completed booking or purchase made through our site. This is done without any additional cost to you. By booking through our website you help us to provide free information to help you and others plan their perfect Big Island vacation. Thank you for your support! Please note that you are booking directly with the tour provider and will need to contact them directly for any booking related changes or questions.
