Rum and vodka production are putting the latest twist on Hawaii’s venue options and F&B experiences for groups.
- Located on the slopes of Maui’s Mt. Haleakala, Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery opened its doors for public tours in April and can also host catered events. The 88-acre, solar-powered farm, which produces vodka made from organic sugar cane and desalinated ocean mineral water, offers breathtaking views of both the north and south shores of Maui. It includes a visitor’s center, a craft distillery and a Martini Garden planted with Kula lavender, citrus, passion fruit, pineapple and strawberries. “Ocean vodka is a great new option for large and small groups on Maui,” says Frank Robinson, owner of Island Events Hawaii, a local DMC. “We’ve done farm tours and then hosted dinners on the property.”
- On Kauai, the Koloa Rum Company began distilling and bottling rum from local sugar cane in 2009 when it also opened its Tasting Room & Company Store in the Kilohana Plantation. The company offers complimentary tastings of its Koloa Rum as well as rum cake and rum fudge sauce. A 60-minute Rum & Dining Experience includes tasting, an explanation of the rum making process, a brief history of Hawaii’s sugar plantation era and the chance to make a Mai Tai cocktail from sugar cane and vanilla grown on the property. Groups can easily combine a Koloa Rum visit with other activities at Kilohana, a 1936 plantation estate offering private dining and event space at Gaylord’s restaurant, a luau show, a train ride through the grounds and retail shops.
- Local beverages are also showcased at Tedeschi Vineyards, a winery shaded by 150-year-old trees in upcountry Maui. The winery, which makes wines from grapes as well as local pineapple, has a tasting room in a former guest cottage that once belonged to King Kalakaua, Hawaii’s “Merrie Monarch.” Groups of up to 75 people can be hosted for private tours and tastings.
