Business Monday: Ola Brew resurrecting Hawai‘i spirit ‘Ōkolehao

Anna Barnes still remembers the taste of Ola Brew’s latest creation of spirits,

“They were smooth,” she said of the four beverages she sampled in April during a private tasting event. “One was similar to a vodka and the other three were all in the tequila range that went from silver to a smoky mescal.”

Barnes is not alone in her admiration of the Ola Spirits. On Oct. 6, Ola Brew was awarded the prestigious “Best in Class” award for its ‘Ōkolehao, a distilled spirit of Hawai’i, at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

This is the second “Best in Class,” the fifth “Double Gold” and the 51st overall medal that the up-and-coming Ola Spirits lineup has earned over the past four years.

Made from the kī (ti-leaf) root, the brewery has been working on ‘Ōkolehao for the past four years, said Naehalani Breeland, co-founder and president of Ola Brew, which is also known for its beers, hard seltzers and hard juices.

Amanda Blue, President of the Tasting Alliance and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, described Ola Brew and its ‘Ōkolehao as “the first kī spirit producers that have entered the competition [in 25 years]; this was an experiment gone really, really right.”

Blue said ‘Ōkolehao was one of 6,000 spirits, in several categories, that was tasted by judges at the event. To be dubbed “Best in Class” the drink had to be the favorite of all judges for its category.

“It tastes like nothing else on the market,” Blue said. “It’s a clear spirit with a different tropical feel to it.”

Breeland said the spirit is 100% Hawai‘i grown from the ti leaf root to some cane juice. The plan is to launch the beverage in April 2025.

Originally consumed as a 2-4% fermented kī root beverage by native Hawaiians, distillation techniques were introduced to Hawai’i by sailors coming through the region in the late 1700s. During the 1800s, Hawai’i’s ali’i (traditional nobility) gifted the spirit to countless royal families as part of their travels that circumnavigated the globe.

By the end of the 19th century, ‘Ōkolehao had garnered acclaim at prestigious international competitions, including awards from the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris and the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

As a brewery, Breeland said it’s been cool to explore the history of the beverage and bring it back up to the forefront.

“For us, the significance of ‘Ōkolehao is that we are now able to make a product that is 100% Hawai’i grown,” Breeland stated in a press release about the award. “It is an honor to represent Hawai’i in the company of the world’s best spirits.”

Ola Brew’s mission since opening its Kona taproom in December 2017 has been to support the growth of Hawai‘i’s agricultural economy by sourcing fruits from farmers they aren’t able to sell at the time, including ginger, lemongrass, tulsi berry and lilikoi.

The resurrection of ‘Ōkolehao fulfills Ola’s mission to focus on locally sourced ingredients. The company has been leasing a 40-acre oceanfront farm in Hilo from Kamehameha Schools where, for the past 24 months, they’ve been growing 70 different types of ti-leaf specifically for the creation of the spirit.

There are currently 14 plantable acres from which Ola has been harvesting. Breeland said they have their eyes set on two plants they plan to launch with.

“Each one of them tastes different and brings out a very unique flavor,” Breeland said.

The plan is also to open a distillery by the farm next year.

Barnes said she is looking forward to when the Ola Spirits launch.

As an investor in the company, Barnes said she is at Ola’s Kona taproom once or twice a week and appreciates the use of farm-to-table local products.

“If you can imagine an old episode of Cheers, every time I come in, I see people visiting our island we see friends and neighbors,” Barnes said. “It’s just a welcoming environment.”