Opening Soon: Honolulu Beerworks

Taps at Honolulu Beerworks (left); the beer garden

[For half a year, we’ve been following the opening of Honolulu Beerworks—Oahu’s newest and, currently, only locally-owned brewery. We followed Geoff Seideman as he built a brewpub from scratch. Find the previous posts at the bottom of this one.]

At last, Honolulu Beerworks is opening tomorrow. And the big reveal: It has brought onboard veteran brewmaster Dave Campbell, with almost three decades of brewing experience, to handle the day-to-day brewing and collaborate with Seideman on recipe formulation.

Nine beers are on tap now: some of my favorites are the light, crisp and refreshing Kakaako Kolsch and the well-balanced It’s Not Bitter Ale, with notes of toasted bread and earthy hops. Other standouts include the Animal Farmhouse Ale, floral and light-bodied, and the South Shore Stout, with robust notes of chocolate and roasted espresso.

Expect to see new beers on the taps every two weeks or so. “People are seeking out special, unusual, older flavors,” says Campbell. “What we’re doing–it’s a lot more fun than what we might be doing at a chain brewing or family-dining brewpub…we’re able to get a lot more creative here.”

Currently, the food menu is limited—mostly pupu-style fare and sandwiches—as Seideman continues to build out his kitchen.

Beer geek? Grab the seats at the far end of the bar, where you can peek into the brewery. Want to drink outside? Head to the picnic tables in the beer garden.

Stylish, yet casual, this brewpub has been almost a year in the making, and now, “we’re excited to finally open and provide Oahu with fresh craft beer,” say Seideman.