Hawaii! That’s where Kona Hanalei Island IPA comes from. Well, originally anyway. I saw it on tap at Taco Mac in early April, and it seemed apropos to order up a mug, since I was going to Hawaii in a few short days. Still, the Kona Hanalei Island IPA I was drinking most likely came from the Redhook-Widmer Craft Brew Alliance Consortium of Red Hook and Widmer. So, my glass of “Hawaiian” beer was likely brewed at one of the Red Hook facilities in Seattle (which is closing this summer) or Portsmouth, New Hampshire; or the Widmer brewery in Portland, Oregon.

You might have heard (or might not) that there is a class action suit in progress against Craft Brew Alliance for representing Kona as “Hawaiian” beer, when it is made on the mainland. Please people. You don’t understand beer. Kona does have a facility on the main island of Hawaii, and that’s how the brewery got started. I enjoyed a glass of their Big Wave Golden Ale on Maui (brewed in Hawaii), and another after I got back to Georgia (brewed in one of the aforementioned continental states) and they were identical. In an era where Guinness has been made in Canada and Becks in the United States, you’ve suffered no harm with a New Hampshire-brewed Kona.

From the Kona website:

After launching exclusively in its home state of Hawaii in August 2016, Kona Brewing Company is proud to introduce its newest year-round beer, Hanalei Island IPA, to the U.S. mainland starting today (December 6, 2016) in California…..Hanalei Island IPA is a refreshing fruit-forward IPA created in honor of the lush Hawaiian Island of Kauai, also known as the Garden Isle, and Hawaii’s beloved classic POG juice, a blend of passionfruit, orange and guava.

Hanalei Island IPA is named after the historic town of Hanalei and world-famous Hanalei Bay, a magnificent crescent shaped bay tucked against lush green mountains streaked with waterfalls.

Kona Hanalei Island IPA was one of two POG beers I enjoyed before my trip to Hawaii, the other being Rogue Paradise Pucker, though that one was a soured version. I got to sample fresh POG juice first hand at a Luau. It was wonderfully refreshing, and makes great beers, too.

Ingredients from the website:

Malt: Pale 2 Row, C-120

Hops: Millennium, Azacca, Galaxy

Adjuncts: Passionfruit juice, orange juice, guava concentrate (POG)

Kona Hanalei Island IPA has an alcohol content of 4.5% by volume with 40 IBUs. I paid $6 for a 20-ounce mug and it runs $8.49 a six-pack here.

My mug of Kona Hanalei Island IPA  arrived a bright orange color with a thick fluffy white head and lots of passionfruit and apricot in the nose. Taking a sip, I get a light maltiness in the palate, with passionfruit, orange jello, guava, orange zest and a bitter slightly herbal finish.

Tasty, fruity, tropical, refreshing! More a fruit beer than an IPA, I really enjoyed Kona Hanalei Island IPA, and I’ll be back for more. No matter where it’s brewed….

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