Hawaii craft brewing tradition thrives artwork Village Bottle Shoppe

I’m, admittedly, not a lot of a beer man. Positive, I like a frosty one every now and then, normally a Guinness. If I’m bending the elbow with buddies, I’m possible sipping on a high quality bourbon. I’m additionally extremely conscious of the outstanding Hawaii craft brewing group that has prospered and grown impressively over the previous decade or so. I lately went to Village Bottle Shoppe at Salt Kakaako to teach myself on the traditional artwork and pattern the high quality institution’s choices to raised inform guests eager to pattern Hawaii’s homegrown craft brews.

Someday a very long time in the past, I form of gave up on microbrews. It appears in some unspecified time in the future all of them tasted the identical to me; each microbrew was a “hoppy” IPA with out a lot distinction. I take a variety of warmth from a few of my extra erudite beer-loving buddies for switching to laborious seltzers. At Village Bottle Shoppe, I used to be fortunately disabused of the restricted, uniform notion that each one microbrews are the identical. However I’ll in all probability nonetheless rib my extra subtle buddies for being Beer Snobs.

The Brewers Association reviews that in 2022 there have been 28 craft breweries in Hawaii, with every of the primary Islands being house to a number of (most are on Oahu). Hawaii craft breweries produced greater than 187,000 barrels of craft brews in 2022, rating 30^th amongst US states. We’ve written about a few of these breweries right here on the HAT Weblog earlier than, and it appears possible that we’ll once more.

Village Bottle Shoppe isn’t a brewery, however they do supply a reasonably deep number of craft brews created proper right here within the Aloha State. However their analysis takes them far and large and brews from across the US and the world are on common rotation on the dozen-or-so unmarked faucets on the bar. The canned and bottled choice at Village Bottle Shoppe is huge, and the fridges take up one complete wall, flooring to ceiling.

I opted for “The Vine” from Cascade Brewing in Portland, Oregon to start out. I’d already had the domestically brewed choices on supply (a perk of getting a good friend who hosts the favored beer-lover’s podcast The Artwork of Beer). The Vine was delightfully tart and barely fruity, an American Wild Ale w/White Wine Grapes aged in oak barrels.

Subsequent up was the “Calm Earlier than the Storm Cream Ale” from Ballast Level Brewing in San Diego. It was a revelation. Clean and virtually buttery, it didn’t have a touch of the brazen and stylish “hoppiness” I grew weary of way back. I used to be an instantaneous and enthusiastic convert. (I’ve all the time like Boddington’s Cream Ale, however can’t appear to seek out it on faucet wherever on Oahu).

I completed with the “Double Barrel Maestro Barleywine” from Alesong Brewing in Eugene, Oregon. It was strong, like roasted espresso, and at 16% ABV, it packed a punch. I handed the automotive keys to my spouse.

There’s a restricted however tasty meals menu at Village Bottle Shoppe, and the Cheddar Soften Steak Hand Pie washed the choices down completely. It’s a comparatively small place with a bar, high-top tables and indoor seating. There are a handful of picnic tables outdoors good for folks watching and making new canine buddies within the dog-friendly institution.

Village Bottle Shoppe doesn’t make the stuff, however it’s a important nexus of the Hawaii craft brewing group. In spite of everything, brewpubs usually function solely their brews. That’s high quality. However Village Bottle Shoppe presents guests and residents an opportunity to pattern a number of merchandise from a wide range of Hawaii breweries in a single (accountable) sitting. It’s domestically owned and operated, and whereas it doesn’t function native craft breweries solely, they do assist these breweries and espouses the “purchase native” ethos admirably. Extremely really useful.