Kona Breaks Ground On New Brewery Site With New Commemorative Pale Ale

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (March 9, 2016) – Kona Brewing Co. will break ground on its new 100,000-barrel Big

Island brewery and canning facility on Friday, March 11. Hawaii’s longest-running craft brewery is

commemorating the event with a limited-release pale ale based on the original recipe for its first beer

produced 22 years ago.

The groundbreaking at the 2.6-acre site in Kailua-Kona

will include a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony and

unveil the first architectural rendering of the new

brewery. More than 100 guests have RSVP’d to the

event at Pawai Place, just steps away from the current

pub and brewery. Construction is scheduled to begin in

late summer of this year.

“The groundbreaking marks the start of an exciting new

chapter in Kona Brewing’s history, and I am extremely

grateful to our colleagues, our customers and our friends

and families who make up the Big Island Community who

have enabled us to get to where we are today,” remarked

Cameron Healy, who co-founded Kona Brewing with his

son Spoon Khalsa in 1994. “Little did we know when we started Kona Brewing Co. 22 years ago that legions

of craft beer drinkers from around the world would fall in love with our island-infused beers. We wouldn’t be

celebrating this incredible milestone if it weren’t for the Kona Brewing Co. ‘ohana, and we look forward to

continuing to support them as they have supported us over the years.”

To mark the groundbreaking, Kona Brewing worked with John “Kit” Kittrege, the brewery’s first brew master,

to develop a new beer based on the original recipe for Fire Rock Pale Ale, the brewery’s first production beer.

First Rock Pale Ale is a hop-forward, malty ale that pays homage to the beer that paved the way for Kona

Brewing Co.’s success and liquid adoration. First Rock (ABV 6%, IBU 65) features Pale 2 Row Premium,

Caramel 80 and Honey malts, along with Northern Brewer, Cascade and Columbia hops. First Rock will be

poured at the groundbreaking and will be available until supplies last at the Kona Pub & Brewery.

Kona Brewing is investing $20 million to build the state-of-the-art high-efficiency brewery and canning facility

that reinforces its long-running commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. The 30,000

square-foot facility will feature the latest innovations in renewable energy and water conservation, enabling

Kona Brewing Co. to preserve Hawaii’s natural resources.

Kona Brewing partnered with PurposeEnergy, a water treatment and renewable energy company, to design

an on-site Resource Recovery Center. The Center allows the brewery to recycle organic brewing byproducts

in order to produce its own electricity, heat and clean water. The facility will also feature a brewing system

manufactured by IDD Process & Packaging, an industry leading supplier of brewing systems and equipment,

that helps conserve grain and water. Additionally, solar photovoltaic systems will be installed that can

generate 50 percent of the brewery’s energy needs.

The brewery will have the capacity to produce up to 100,000 barrels of beer per year, which will allow for

increased draft production and package offerings in Hawaii. The new canning operation will enable Kona

Brewing to expand its canned beer selections beyond Longboard Island Lager and Big Wave Golden Ale and

into a wide array of specialty and seasonal beers.

Kona Brewing is leasing the land for its brewery from the Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust, a private charitable trust

founded in 1909 to serve native Hawaiian children. The brewer plans to work with local construction

companies, suppliers and vendors. Once the brewery is operational, it plans to hire additional employees to

expand the current pub. The brewery is scheduled to open in 2018.

“

The Kona Brewing team is beyond excited to start brewing in the new state-of-the-art facility, which will give

us the flexibility to produce more innovative, small-batch beers, while increasing our production capability to

satisfy the demand for favorites such as Big Wave and Longboard Lager across the Islands,” explained Sandi

Shriver, head of brewing operations for Kona Brewing. “We’re taking Liquid Aloha to the next level,

and I’m extremely proud to be part of a team that is a leader in efficiency and sustainability and cares so

much about the environment.”