Let’s be real, when you think of tropical drinks there is one main spirit that comes to mind, Rum! When visiting the tropical paradise of Oahu, it only makes sense to check out one of the island’s top rum distillers. Come along as we learn how rum is made and even get to taste a variety of Hawaiian rums!
Where to Find the Rum!
Similar to the last post when we talked about the Dole Plantation, Ko Hana Distillers is about half an hour from Honolulu. The drive out to their facility is beautiful. If you have the opportunity to rent a convertible or Jeep with a soft top I would encourage anyone to take this drive with the top down!
How is Rum Made?
Making rum on Oahu is a lot like other spirits and is created by distilling fermented liquid into alcohol. To create fermentation typically you need yeast and sugar. Different types of rum use various sugar sources. A common sugar source in rum is molasses which is a byproduct of sugar cane. At Ko Hana Distillers they use hand harvested raw sugarcane to create their amazing rum. They start by harvesting and pressing the cane to get the sugary juice from inside the cane. They grow and harvest a variety of heirloom canes on the island to use in their rum. Below are some images of the different canes they grow.
Sugarcane Plants 
Look at the deep color in this one!
After the cane is harvested it’s time to get cooking. The cane juice is boiled down and allowed to ferment before the rum is distilled to create the alcoholic spirit! At Ko Hana they use stainless steel fermentation tanks and a copper still to ferment and distill the rum.
Visiting Ko Hana Distillers
When you visit Ko Hana you can start off with a tour of the facility to learn more about how they turn the raw sugarcane into some delicious rum. I would recommend anyone who visit to sign up for a tour since it was really informative and also cool to see how they process everything. After the tour is done it’s time for everyone’s favorite activity, rum tasting! The tasting consists of 4 different rums that are all made on site for you to try and compare. My favorite one was the KOKOLEKA which is their chocolate rum! You also get to keep a souvenir tasting glass as part of the tour and tasting package!
For anyone visiting Oahu that enjoys rum, I cannot recommend visiting Ko Hana Distillers more! They have a fantastic tour and tasting and it’s a great activity to check out with some friends or your family! As always be sure to check back regularly for new posts as we continue to Explore Every Day and share with you as we keep Seeking Discovery! We will talk to you in the next post.
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