Last weekend, our friends Mallory and Shannon called us on a random Saturday afternoon. Without much of a plan, they asked a simple question, “Do you two want to go into town to drink?” Say no more. I’m a social drinker more than anything else. I’ll never crack open a beer on my own, but I enjoy heading out to a brewery as much as the next person. The spot they had in mind initially was Off The Wall Craft Beer & Wine, which is located in Oahu’s Kaka’ako Neighborhood. If you find yourself in the Kaka'ako area during a stay on Oahu, get excited. You have access to all the best spots to drink in Honolulu. I’ll list the ones I’ve been to as well as the ones I hope to hit before leaving the island. OFF THE WALL CRAFT AND BEER Off The Wall was the first stop on the agenda, and I’m so glad we went because I had no idea that this type of self-serve venue existed. When we approached the hostess stand at Off The Wall, the host created an account for each of us. We all put a credit card on file, and in exchange, we were given cards that we could scan at any of the taps on the wall. It was entirely self-serve, and we were charged per ounce. For people who like to try a lot of different beers, this is one of the cheaper ways to drink with friends. At the end of the visit, my tab was only $13.90. We had been there for a couple of hours, and at any other spot, I almost certainly would’ve had 2+ beers if I had a waitress coming to ask me what I wanted. Off The Wall has a rotating selection of 24 local craft beers, red & white wines, kombucha, and ciders. Enjoying the outdoor patio at Off The Wall HANA KOA The next step on our tour was Hana Koa, which ranks up there at the top of the list for the breweries I’ve been to in town. This was one of the stops we made with Mallory and Shannon, and it was the spot where we ate. Compared to Aloha, their food is out of this world (but mind you, Aloha’s food isn’t bad). Some of our table’s favorites were the mac and cheese and panko tofu (shoutout to that special sauce!). As for beer, Hana Koa had 20 beers on tap (including hard seltzers and guest taps). There was also wine, cocktails, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages available. ALOHA BEER COMPANY The final stop of our tour was Aloha. Aloha Beer is a fan favorite on the island. You’ll see a lot of people donning the merch that they sell on-site. I’ve visited this spot a few times now. I would say the beer selection is good, and the food is decent. While I wouldn’t say it stands out for its brews (in my opinion), it has a great atmosphere, and it’s a popular gathering spot in town (especially at night!). Aloha has 12 beers freshly brewed at their on-site Kaka’ako brewery. KONA BEER COMPANY If you’re excited to drink some “Liquid Aloha” when you visit Hawaii, you have to visit Kona Brewing in Hawaii Kai. Just make sure you grab a reservation because it can be difficult to get a table, especially during peak season. Dan and I originally visited Kona in March 2021 when I was deciding if I should move to Oahu. As Big Wave is Dan’s favorite beer, Kona was one of our most exciting pitstops during this trip. They have 6 widely available beers, 4 spiked island seltzers, 2 limited release beers, and 3 beers in the Aloha Series. My flight of beers at Kona in March 2021 WAIKIKI BREWING COMPANY Waikiki Brewing has a location both in Kaka’ako and Waikiki itself. In Kaka’ako, it often has a wait, which can be inconvenient if you’ve already been drinking. We couldn’t get a table at Waikiki Brewing during our initial trip to Kaka’ako with Mallory and Shannon; however, (future Kelsey popping in) just a week later, my parents visited the island and stayed right next to the Waikiki location. So, we ended up going with them, which made it exciting to try. Waikiki has 9 core beers plus special releases. HONOLULU BEER WORKS Another future Kelsey moment. A couple of weeks after our outing with Mallory and Shannon, I went to Honolulu Beerworks with them before a Booze Cruise. We grabbed a couple of drinks and a bite to eat as a pregame. During all of our stops, Shannon always made a point to say that Beerworks is her favorite. I don’t feel as though I got a good sense of why she (or many other people) love it that much, so I hope to head back before my lease is up. They have 4 limited-release beers (not including the Brewer’s Experimental Series) and 11 Core Styles. LANIKAI BREWING COMPANY I had no plans to visit Lanikai Brewing Company until I found it on the map and saw the high ratings when my brother, Jake, was in town. The brewery itself was in an interesting spot. I was expecting it to be in the “main” Kailua strip near Whole Foods (closer to Maui Brewing). Instead, it was on the other side of TwoGood Kayaks where we had rented kayaks for our trip out to the Mokes. It was a bit awkwardly placed in my opinion. I prefer sitting outside now due to the pandemic, but it felt like their outdoor tables were crowded by street-parked cars, a nea
