Kona Launches Island-Only Makana Series w/Aina Brown Ale

”We are so proud that we can bring together the two things Kona Brewing Co. does best, making great beer and giving back to the community.” said Kona Brewing Company brand manager Aaron Marion. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 21^st birthday than to say mahalo to those that work towards the greater good of our island home.”

THE MAKANA SERIES:

Inspired by the four elements of nature, (Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind) the Makana Series pays homage to the forces that helped shape Hawaii into the dynamic and beautiful place the brewery is proud to call home. Each of the four beers in the series is not only inspired by one of these four elements, but actually incorporate local Hawaiian ingredients derived from the elements themselves. And as a fitting way to link the series of beer to the four non-profit organizations, Kona Brewing Co. carefully selected non-profit partners whose focus is to restore and protect Hawaii’s natural beauty.

THE BEER:

The first release in the series, Aina Brown Ale, pays tribute to the earth by incorporating Kalo (taro root) into the brewing process.  A beer inspired by the earth deserves a non-profit partner who is equally tied to the earth, which makes Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii the perfect partner and worthy recipient of a portion of the proceeds raised from the sale of this limited-edition beer.

THE 21^st BIRTHDAY PARTY … LAUNCHING THE MAKANA SERIES IN STYLE

Aina Brown Ale will make its official debut at the Kona Brewhouse Oasis on Jan. 24 with a concert featuring The Green, a wildly popular Oahu-based reggae band, who will be headlining the main show, and Gomega, a Maui-based band with ties to David Bell, one of the two local Hawaiian actors who star in Kona’s TV commercials. A blessing and Hawaiian oli will be shared before the show and will be led by Blake “Brutus” La Benz, the other local Hawaiian actor that stars in Kona Brewing Co.’s TV commercials.

The doors of the Brewhouse Oasis will open its doors to the public at 5:45 p.m., and the opening band, Gomega, will take the stage 6:30 p.m. After a short intermission, The Green will take the stage around 8:00 p.m. Prior to general admission there will be two pre-show events for invite-only guests of the brewery. The first is a media only gathering from 4-5 p.m. that includes a brewery tour with brewmaster Billy Smith and a Q&A session where any questions will be answered by the brewers and other KBC representatives. From 5-11 p.m. there will be a “Makana Ohana” event at the Kona pub where Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, the non-profit partner for Aina Brown Ale, the media, industry partners, and other friends of Kona Brewing Co. will gather to celebrate the beer launch with special food pairings and one-of-a-kind keg tappings.  In order to facilitate the 5-11 p.m. Makana Ohana event, the Kona Pub will be closed for the full day of Jan 24^th and no access to the pub or bar will be available for the general public. The Koko Marina pub located in Hawaii-Kai will remain open on Jan 24^th and there will be no service interruptions.

General admission concert tickets are $39 and are available through Kona Brewing Company’s website, in person at Soundwave Music, and at Kona Brewing Company’s retail counter and growler shack.

APRIL 2015 – FIRE
WELA RED ALE:
The Makana Series is all about giving, and in that spirit we’d like to pay tribute to the passion Hawaiians have for this place we call home. Our ohana place a great importance on the culture of the islands and the environment where aloha thrives, and feel passionate about preserving its natural beauty. Thousands give their time and energy to maintain the splendor of our tropical paradise through organizations like Malama Maunalua, the dedicated community nonprofit working to restore Oahu’s Maunalua Bay. With Wela, the second release in our new Makana Series, Kona Brewing Co. gives you a taste of that bold, fiery Hawaiian spirit with a touch of smoked malt in each sip. And in honor of that fiery spirit, we’re donating a portion of the proceeds of our limited edition Wela Red Ale to Malama Maunalua in order to fuel their burning dedication to bring back the rich native life and clear waters of Oahu’s beautiful bay.

BEER FLAVOR:
Our limited edition Wela Red Ale honors the fiery spirit of the Hawaiian people. The malted barley that gives this ale its rich taste is cold smoked with local Kiawe wood we harvested less than a mile from our brewery. Smooth and never bitter, this island-inspired Scottish style ale has a copper hue and subtly smoky flavor that will make you feel like you’re next to a bonfire on the beach.

BEER SPECS:
SPECIAL INGREDIENT: KIAWE WOOD SMOKED MALT
ABV: 5% IBUS: 25
MALT: Premium 2 row, Caramel, Munich, Honey (malt), Kiawe wood smoked malt
HOPS: Millennium, Northern Brewer, Saaz
YEAST: Ale
RELEASE: APRIL

WELA’S NON-PROFIT BENEFICIARY – MALAMA MAUNALUA
Volcanoes and the ocean define our islands. Fiery lava and cool water combined to create the islands themselves, giving us the rich life and beauty we enjoy in Hawaii. Kona Brewing Co.’s Koko Pub sits where the two meet, at the head of Maunalua Bay, which was once the largest constructed fishpond in all of Hawaii. But over 100 years of building on Oahu have changed these ancient fishing grounds. Sediment and street pollution have choked the bay, forcing the coral to struggle and leaving the native fish scarce.

Our friends at Mālama Maunalua, a community nonprofit focused on restoring the health of the Bay, are bringing Maunalua back to life by organizing thousands of the island’s people into action. Their volunteers have pulled tons of invasive algae from the water, and kept tons more debris from washing into the bay. They even helped us convert Koko Pub’s iconic beer tank into a water catchment system to reduce our rainwater runoff.

With our second Makana Series release, Wela, we honor the fiery passion that Malama Maunalua has for restoring Maunalua Bay to its original beauty. And as our gift to them, we’re donating a portion of the proceeds from our Wela Red Ale to the dedicated volunteers of Malama Maunalua. Learn more at malamamaunalua.org.

JULY 2015 – WATER
KAI GOLDEN ALE:
The Makana Series is all about giving, and in that spirit we’d like to pay tribute to the treasured water (or kai) that surrounds our islands and has given Hawaii life. The storms that gather over the Pacific rush up our mountain slopes and provide the warm rain that creates our clear streams and waters our abundant crops, before filtering through our volcanic islands and gathering into calm bays perfect for fishing. Water runs through the soul of every Hawaiian and quenches our thirst for adventure, whether we’re paddling along the shore or dropping into the perfect swell. With Kai, the third release in our new Makana Series, Kona Brewing Co. gives you a new way to quench your thirst – a crisp beer brewed with desalinated ocean mineral water. And since “makana” means “to give,” we’re donating a portion of the proceeds of our limited edition Kai Golden Ale to the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation Hawaii to help them protect our oceans, waves, and beaches for generations to come.

BEER FLAVOR:
We’re honoring the lifesource of Hawaii, its water, with our limited edition Kai Golden Ale. We sourced the water for this brew from 3,000 feet below the Kona coast off the Big Island. It’s pure and naturally full of the right minerals that give this ale a light, crisp finish – making it deeply refreshing and the perfect end to a day spent riding the waves.

BEER SPECS:
SPECIAL INGREDIENT: DEEP OCEAN MINERAL WATER (sourced from 3000’ below the Kona coast off the Big Island)
ABV: 4% IBUS: 15
MALT: Premium 2 row, Wheat
HOPS: Millennium, Hallertauer
YEAST: Ale and Bavarian Hefe
RELEASE: JULY

KAI’S NON-PROFIT BENEFICIARY – SURFRIDER FOUNDATION HAWAII
We’re all about Liquid Aloha, and we’re not just talking about our beers. Our island home is surrounded by the lively, turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean. To those that live Aloha every day, nothing compares to grabbing your board, paddling out into the big blue expanse and catching an awesome wave back to shore. But it’s hard to hang ten when there are plastic bags hanging off your board. Kona Brewing Co. is committed to keeping our oceans clean, as is one of our longtime friends, the Surfrider Foundation Hawaii.

Since 1984, the Surfrider Foundation has evolved into one of the nation’s largest non-profit grassroots organizations, with a volunteer-activist network dedicated to keeping our oceans safe, clean and accessible. Founded by surfers, they were instrumental in helping Hawaii become the first state to ban plastic bags, and we’ve long supported their events held year-round to spread awareness and clean up our ocean.

We’re happy to show our support for Surfrider by creating a beer inspired by the same water they work so hard to preserve – Kai Golden Ale, our third Makana Series Release.  A portion of the proceeds from this refreshing ale will help Surfrider continue their ongoing campaign to keep the Pacific a treasure. Learn more at surfrider.org.

OCTOBER 2015 – WIND
MAKANI WHEAT ALE:
The Makana Series is all about giving, and in that spirit we’d like to honor the the Hawaiian wind (or makani) that does more than give us fresh air on hot, humid days. The tropical tradewinds filled the ancient sails of hand-carved canoes that carried the first island explorers. These canoes were made almost exclusively from koa wood, which was – and still is – believed to instill fearlessness and courage into the outrigger and its sailors. The island breeze also carries the bees that pollinate Hawaii’s koa trees, from which they make a uniquely sweet, golden honey. With Makani, the fourth release in our new Makana Series, Kona Brewing Co. gives you a taste of the wind’s gift by adding a touch of Big Island koa blossom honey to each sip. And since “makana” means “to give,” we’re donating a portion of the proceeds of our limited edition Makani Wheat Ale to the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative to protect the great koa trees that keep our winds clean.

BEER FLAVOR COPY:
Our limited edition Makani Wheat Ale pays tribute to the tradewinds that give life to our islands. We’ve added a kiss of koa blossom honey from Big Island bee hives, giving this light-bodied, golden ale a touch of sweetness. The hazy look of the beer comes from an indigenous yeast discovered blowing in the breeze around Kilauea’s crater. This brew is a taste of fresh air, perfect for keeping your chill.

BEER SPECS:
SPECIAL INGREDIENT: KOA BLOSSOM HONEY
ABV: 4.5% IBUS: 15
MALT: Premium 2 row, Wheat
HOPS: Millennium, Willamette, Hallertauer
YEAST: Local indigenous from Kilauea on the Big Island
RELEASE: OCTOBER

MAKANI’S NON-PROFIT BENEFICIARY – HAWAIIAN LEGACY REFORESTATION INITIATIVE
Hawaiians live life to fullest. And few places on earth are more full of life than the Hawaiian islands. But our tropical rainforests and windswept cloud forests have been hit hard by sugar, pineapple, and cattle farming over the years, putting native wildlife at risk while wiping out acres of lush, CO₂-munching koa trees. We at Kona Brewing Co. want to help reverse this trend, so we’re teaming up with our friends at Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) to replant these areas with koa and other native species.

On a mission to rebuild our island’s most diverse natural environments, HLRI will plant Koa Legacy Trees, as well as other native saplings and shrubs that will someday bloom back into our beautiful mauka-to-makai corridors. Not only will these trees contribute to Hawaii’s ecosystem, they’ll also offset carbon and give us all richer, cleaner air.

With our fourth Makana Series release we’re honoring Hawaii’s treasured koa trees with our Makani Wheat Ale. Each sip of this limited edition ale has a hint of honey made exclusively from koa blossoms by our beekeeping friends at HLRI. A portion of the proceeds from our Makani ale will help HLRI continue its work, and make us all breathe a bit easier. Learn more at legacytrees.org.