Ko Hana Rum: from Grass to Glass

As their name, Kō Hana implies this distillery is rooted in labor (hana), a labor of love for the plant known to Hawai’i as Kō or sugarcane. The unique rums they create and their special attention to processes,  pay homage to this plant and reflects a deep appreciation for its esteemed role in Hawaiian culture.  They also impress with their commitment to sustainable farming and food production practices collaborating with other local businesses. 

Farmers load a tractor bed with freshly harvested sugar cane in the fields of the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Distillery in Kunia, Hawaii. Stripped leaves will be left in the field to compost back into the soil while the cane stalks are pressed into juice on-site. (photo by Ronen Zilberman)

Located in the fertile plains of Kunia that lie between the Waianae and Ko’olau mountain ranges of Oahu, The Kō Hana Distillery grows 34 varieties of sugarcane unique to Hawai’i on 35 acres of land. These are cane varietals that evolved in the islands after the ancient Polynesians who settled here brought it as precious cargo on their canoes around 450 AD. Kō was a vital staple used for food, medicine, and ceremonies.

Historically, most rums worldwide are produced from molasses, a byproduct of the processed sugar making industry. However, the cane spirits at Kō Hana are made only from pure fresh sugarcane juice in the French Caribbean tradition where Agricole rum originated. Cane stalks are pressed through a mill in the fields just hours after being hand-harvested with machetes by farmers. Remnants of harvested canes stalks and the fibrous pulp left from the juicing process are left on the ground to provide mulch and compost for the next generation of cane. The resulting juice is hauled across the property to the on-site distillery, where it will be fermented and distilled into their unique brand of Hawaiian Agricole rums.

Sugar cane juice pours into a bucket as cane stalks are fed into the mill press at the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Distillery. While most rums on the market are produced from industrial sugar processing byproducts, agricole rum is unique being made from pure pressed sugar cane juice.(photo by Ronen Zilberman)

I didn’t know what “Agricole” meant either, so I had to look that one up. Turns out, it’s French for “agriculture.” Agricole rums are closely tied to the land and known for the purity of the spirit produced, in which it’s said, you can taste the earth due to its clarity of flavor. Herein lies another poetic nod to the roots of their name. When the two words are combined, in Hawaiian, the meaning for Kōhana deepens to reflect the concept of being naked or bare. This is a specific feature of the rums they make. Each batch is produced from a single varietal of heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane and nuances the subtle naked differences of each particular Kō.

Kō Hana: The Experience

So what can you expect from a visit to the Kō Hana Distillery? Rum, of course, but much more. Since all production happens on-site, you can have the full grass to the glass experience with a 30min tour. It starts in a Kō garden next to the facility. Then an insider peek into the distillery and barrel room, finishing in the tasting room to sample the final products. Throughout the experience, you’ll be treated to a crash course in rum production, including harvest, fermentation, distillation, and the art of tasting. The sugarcane varieties are harvested separately to create individual batches, which are then further processed to produce four main categories of rum. Here’s a breakdown:

Rum distiller Tyler Johnson checks tanks filled with cane juice fermenting into cane wine in the distillery room of the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Distillery. The fermentation process takes about a week and is an important first step before the cane wine can be distilled into rum. (Ronen Zilberman photo)

KEA (“white” in Hawaiian) is their purest expression of rum, distilled and rested in stainless steel containers for 90 days to create this “base spirit.” The only difference between these rums is the type of cane they were produced from, and they usually have 2-3 varieties in rotation at any given time. These are bottled at 80 proof.

KOHO (meaning “select” or “choice” in Hawaiian) This rum is placed in American oak barrels after the initial 90 day resting period. It can then be finished in the barrels or previous spirits from around the world like sherry and bourbon to further develop in taste and color. These are bottled at 90 proof.

Rum distiller Tyler Johnson checks alcohol content as fermented cane wine is distilled at the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Distillery in Kunia, HI. The distilling process takes a day before the rum is rested and aged in American Oak barrels. (photo by Ronen Zilberman)

KOA (“strength” in Hawaiian) is cask strength rum that aged exceptionally well and is bottled as is. Koa is recommended for connoisseurs since this one isn’t proofed down to tame any of the flavors. The alcohol content will vary slightly, putting the range on this one between 110 – 125 proof.

KOKOLEKA – (“chocolate” in Hawaiian) is a decadent chocolate/honey liquor made from a collaboration with other local food producers. They start with their base spirit white rum and then steep cacao nibs inside for two weeks. Next, they infuse it with locally sourced honey (from Manoa Honey in Wahiawa) for another two weeks. The resulting liquor is heavenly, but it doesn’t stop there! The rum-soaked cacao nibs are then sent back to Manoa Chocolates, where they’re used to make a specialty line of chocolate bars just for Kō Hana Distillery. Of course, you can get some of these on-site too, as well as local rum infused honey and rum cakes, yum!

Visitors sample 4 different varieties of rum produced at the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Distillery tasting room. During sampling sessions bartenders educate visitors in the unique flavor profiles of the particular sugar cane varieties featured in the batch of rum they are tasting. (photo by Ronen Zilberman)

Not into rum? Don’t worry; there’s something for everyone, including fresh pressed cane juice straight from the stalk and kids on the tours are treated to gelato. There’s also a wood-fired pizza oven so you can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and fill your stomach too. They’re open 7 days a week 10 am – 6 pm with tours every half-hour till 4:30 pm.

To finish, I really just can’t say it any better than Jennifer Fielder of Punch Magazine, on the Kō Hana Distillery: “Offering a fresh vision what ‘Made in Hawai’i’ could mean.”

A Ko Hana staff member gives visitors a peak into the barrel room where rum is aged in a variety of wooden barrels at the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Distillery in Kunia, Hawaii. Visitors can take 30 minute tours to learn about the various aspects of rum production, sample and purchase finished products and even order wood fired pizza. ( Ronen Zilberman photo)

by Erica McMillan