Hawaii beer - Kona Big Wave Golden Ale

[marlin39a]

This was on sale today, at my local Safeway, in Arizona. $5.00 for a six pack. Popped one open, and didn’t taste much different then anything here. Then read the label. Brewed in Fort Collins, Colorado! Cheap enough, but won’t buy this brew again.

[abunaitoo]

Funny
See many things like that around.

Look at this.
https://www.eater.com/2017/3/2/14789010/kona-brewing-beer-lawsuit-hawaii
Maybe you can jump on the bandwagon.

[jgstrug]

They have cool commercials, didn't know it was made in Colorado.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[skrapyard628]

Ive been surprised where some beers are made contrary to where you would think they are too. Growing up in northern IL, PBR was always a cheap beer that I didnt mind drinking.

I was in London, Ontario for business at one point and bought a 6er of PBR to enjoy at the hotel. Cracked one open, took a sip and thought "this tastes like it was filtered through an old boot!" Looked closer at the can and saw it was brewed in Guelph ON, not Milwaukee. They screwed up a just OK tasking beer and made it unpalatable.

[marlin39a]

I bought this brew, thinking it was made in Hawaii. I thought maybe the hops were grown there. I got ripped off. Oh, well, I’ll drink it, but they won’t get me again.

[Dusty Bannister]

I first had Kona Brewing "Long Board" when I was on Maui. It was made on one of the islands. I was surprised when I saw it in one of the chain grocery stores here in NE KS. I noted it was made in CO. I could not tell the difference between the two. I also tried "Big Wave" and that must be one that needs to have an acquired taste.

I am not sure I would want to order beer that has spent a lot of time in a ships hold traveling from one port to another. I have some memories of various beers being offered when on R&R in the Philippines. Those were highly educated beers, if you think that one learns by traveling. RTFL or look silly.

Is all Coors beer made in Golden CO? Pretty sure Budweiser has other locations besides St Louis.

[rockrat]

Coors has many a brewery besides Golden

[Hick]

Ah yes-- I know the problem. But, If you ever have a chance, and like beer, do a "Local Brew" tour. I worked 6 years in Switzerland back in the late 1970's and traveled all over Europe. Every time we stopped somewhere for lunch or dinner I always asked the waiter/waitress is there was a locally brewed beer that the locals liked-- and ordered that. Only one I did not like was called "shark" and was the local favorite in a small cafe in a fishing village in Norway (Yep! tasted like fish).

[clum553946]

I like Kona beer. Started drinking it while in Oahu quite a few years ago & liked the taste! I did notice that state side it was made in Colorado, but it still tastes good to me & I still drink it.

[GregLaROCHE]

The marketing of products is full of BS. I was once in Venezuela and they had a beer there called “Polar”. You can’t get much further the polar regions than down there.

[MaryB]

Back in the 70's and 80's beer was pretty regional, tied to a certain water profile(mineral/salts content) and it wasn't easy to match that water in another part of the country. Local brewery fr me growing up was August Schells, we got cases of shorts(not quite full bottles rejected form the line) super cheap off the brewery loading doc. Their water is from an artesian well that is VERY high in sulfates, if your body isn't used to it you can get diarrhea... first time Schells drinkers always complained the next day as they ran for the bathroom! That water couldn't be duplicated until into the 90'sand now Schells is brewed in New Ulm and Minneapolis at the old Grain Belt brewery.

Now with the advent of low cost reverse osmosis water systems brewers can filter all the water they use then add minerals and salts to match the original brewery's water supply. I do it home brewing, filter all brewing water then to it to match the beer style I am brewing. Brewing a Scottish Ale? Match the water, a Bud clone, match the water... many beer recipes now include water additions for bottled or RO water so you can copy the recipe exactly. I have a small tote full of water chemicals and can match the water supply anywhere in the world!

[444ttd]

back when i drank is was straub lager. its been goin on 10 years since the last time i ever had a drink. and no i was no alcoholic, although i should be, but i had a stroke and drinking doesn't appeal to me any longer.



https://straubbeer.com/classic-american-lagers/

[PaulG67]

25 or more years ago I was in Wisconsin, Mayville to be exact. I was staying at a place called the Audubon Inn, there was a nice restaurant and they had a beer brewed only for them called "Audubon Ale". the second best ale I ever had, the best is "Formidable Ale" brewed somewhere in England.

Cheap beers are not worth drinking, beers like Budweiser, Coors, Narragansett, PBR and a host or others are all cheap, poorly made brews not worthy of consumption. Wherever you are in the country any local craft beer is likely to be far and away better than any of the cheap national brands.

Life is too short to drink cheap beer. Beer is the nectar of the gods, and cheap watered down nectar is an insult to the Pallett.

[jonp]

Contract brewing is a thing and many do it. The beer is brewed to a specific recipe and tastes just like it came from home.

Today I bought my first Oktoberfest, Pauliner. Got a Clown Shoes Galactic, too

[jonp]

25 or more years ago I was in Wisconsin, Mayville to be exact. I was staying at a place called the Audubon Inn, there was a nice restaurant and they had a beer brewed only for them called "Audubon Ale". the second best ale I ever had, the best is "Formidable Ale" brewed somewhere in England.

Cheap beers are not worth drinking, beers like Budweiser, Coors, Narragansett, PBR and a host or others are all cheap, poorly made brews not worthy of consumption. Wherever you are in the country any local craft beer is likely to be far and away better than any of the cheap national brands.

Life is too short to drink cheap beer. Beer is the nectar of the gods, and cheap watered down nectar is an insult to the Pallett.

When I traveled the country I made it a point to try something I'd never heard of. Grain Belt, Iron City, Lone Star, Olympia etc. Narragansett, Schlitz, Blatz, Schaefer, Black Label, Genesee are not bad. They taste exactly like they should for their style. Family drank Narragansett in the white/ gold cans with the schooner until it was dropped then switched to Genny. I still have a couple of the thick plastic Narragansett bags with the draw string top and can openers

When I see it which isn't often I buy a few Schaefer Tall Boys. Ice cold nothing like it after mowing the lawn on a hot day.

If you ever see Kalik, The National Beer of Bermuda, run. This your only warning. If you find Belikin Stout (Belize) try it. Top Notch

[Idaho45guy]

I like the Kona Big Wave Golden Ale. It's an inoffensive beer, but it is close to $10 a six pack here. I avoid beer as much as possible and am trying to cut out all alcohol this month for weight and health reasons.

We are on the edge of the craft beer epicenter and there are plenty of good local beers.

My favorite was Poker Faced Blonde from Paradise Brewery.

[Tripplebeards]

I'm drinking a Mahalo pineapple raddler as I type. It isn't cheap at $2.49 a can. It's also made in Patosi, WI

[Idaho45guy]

States with the most craft breweries...

288275

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/most-craft-breweries-by-state-united-states

[jonp]

The marketing of products is full of BS. I was once in Venezuela and they had a beer there called “Polar”. You can’t get much further the polar regions than down there.

When they closed the Amstel Brewery in Curacao most switched to Polar. It's ok but I'm not a big fan.'

We are on the edge of the craft beer epicenter and there are plenty of good local beers.


There are over 20 microbreweries within an easy drive of my house and that's just NC. Less than 2hrs from Richmond, VA which has a ton more.

[Beerd]

I just opened a can of Kona Big Wave purchased here in Montana.
Label says the breweries are in:
Fairfield, CA
Fort Collins, CO
Portland, OR
Portsmouth, NH
Merrimack, NH

I kind of like it.
..

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I don't know about the rest of you but I can't stand all the overly hoppy craft beers out there. Give me a nice non pasteurized mug of Pabst or Grain Belt. Wish someone would resurrect Special Export like they used to brew and deliver fresh from LaCrosse, WI.

[MaryB]

I don't know about the rest of you but I can't stand all the overly hoppy craft beers out there. Give me a nice non pasteurized mug of Pabst or Grain Belt. Wish someone would resurrect Special Export like they used to brew and deliver fresh from LaCrosse, WI.

I agree, the use of hops is way out of control! I tried one last night that tasted like I was drinking a glass of gasoline... couldn't get past 4 or 5 sips of it, had to dump it! YECHHHHHH!

[444ttd]

when i was 12 or 13yo, my friend's father(who was a farmer) brewed up some dark ale and cut apples. this was before all the craft breweries and i wish how he made it. it was good whether the ale was cold, warm or hot. after two or three ales, you are bombed. and when you woke up the next morning, there was no hangover. it had a fruity taste, including the apples, but i'm not sure what it is. heck, he could have done some plums, peaches, grapes......in it. all i know is that it was GOOD!!!!!!!

[Idaho45guy]

I don't know about the rest of you but I can't stand all the overly hoppy craft beers out there. Give me a nice non pasteurized mug of Pabst or Grain Belt. Wish someone would resurrect Special Export like they used to brew and deliver fresh from LaCrosse, WI.

It's just a style of beer, called an IPA. Very hoppy and all the rage among the beer snobs. I agree with you and don't like it. I stick with beer that doesn't cause me to make a face when I drink it.

[beechbum444]

what about Coors Light and Tap the Rockies..........It was brewed in Memphis TN for years.........It should have said " Runn off from Canada" .....So, let me get this straight ........I can sue and get money for them misleading me to thinking I was drinking fresh , pure Rocky Mountain snow melt.........curious what thats worth??? Any attorney's on here want to take my case and take 30% off the top ?????? Im thinking 50 million

[Mohawk Daddy]

when i was 12 or 13yo, my friend's father(who was a farmer) brewed up some dark ale and cut apples. this was before all the craft breweries and i wish how he made it. it was good whether the ale was cold, warm or hot. after two or three ales, you are bombed. and when you woke up the next morning, there was no hangover. it had a fruity taste, including the apples, but i'm not sure what it is. heck, he could have done some plums, peaches, grapes......in it. all i know is that it was GOOD!!!!!!!

Pear peelings. When I was a teenager I had an old uncle who would gather up all the pear peelings after my mom and my aunts had finished canning pears. I know he put it in about a 10 gallon crock with some water, sugar, and I think yeast. He then stretched a clean white cloth over the top so it could breathe and to keep out insects. A couple of weeks later it was ready to pour off and refrigerate. It looked like pale pink wine but it tasted like beer. I was a fan.
Regarding the IPA style brews: some of them taste like grapefruit juice to me. Too bitter by half. Nix.

[mtnman31]

I can't verify if it is fact, but was told, Hawaiian beers bought in a bottle are pretty much always brewed and bottled in the lower 48. Too expensive to ship bottles back and forth to the islands. When I visited Hawaii years back, all the beers I sampled that were brewed there, came in cans.

I too despise IPAs. They may be popular, but I find them just awful. Personally, I prefer a nice red or maybe a brown.

[GregLaROCHE]

Historically in Alaska, a lot of people used to brew their own in remote areas. It wasn’t practical to pack in beer, but the grains were only a fraction of the weight. I came across a lot of ruins of old cabins in the Bush and often there would be those bottles with a bail type stoppers. A lot were quart sized. I’ve tasted home brew in Alaska and some of it was top notch. Mostly ales and dark.

[444ttd]

Pear peelings. When I was a teenager I had an old uncle who would gather up all the pear peelings after my mom and my aunts had finished canning pears. I know he put it in about a 10 gallon crock with some water, sugar, and I think yeast. He then stretched a clean white cloth over the top so it could breathe and to keep out insects. A couple of weeks later it was ready to pour off and refrigerate. It looked like pale pink wine but it tasted like beer. I was a fan.
Regarding the IPA style brews: some of them taste like grapefruit juice to me. Too bitter by half. Nix.

that could have been, i seem to remember he had quite a few pear trees at his farm.

[MaryB]

There are many beers that use fruit as a flavoring, added during the ferment usually. Crosses over into several beer styles... I bet my house ale would be a good one with fruit added, it starts with a sweeter base malt than the typical 2 row used for ales and lagers.

[GregLaROCHE]

I once met a guy who worked on cargo ship in the sixties. He said they routinely made beer out of potatoes.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I got batches of dandelion wine and rhubarb wine going. Should be ready by Thanksgiving. I really should research a simple beer recipe. You go the complicated route, you don't save any money.

[MaryB]

SMASH beer, Single Malt and Single Hop beer. Can make a very tasty ale using the right hops/malt combo

[downzero]

I bought this brew, thinking it was made in Hawaii. I thought maybe the hops were grown there. I got ripped off. Oh, well, I’ll drink it, but they won’t get me again.

It is made in Hawaii and I have been to the brewery. The problem is that their brewery doesn't have sufficient capacity to produce enough for the distribution network, and it costs a fortune to ship their finished product to the lower 48. So they contract with other breweries to make their recipe so you can enjoy it here.

Kona's beer is exceptional and they have a lot of good ones. The one this thread is about isn't my favorite or one I'd even normally talk about other than being surprised to see a beer thread on this group.

If you're ever on the big island, go to their brewery and get a tour! They certainly make this beer and all of their others in Hawaii.


I don't know about the rest of you but I can't stand all the overly hoppy craft beers out there. Give me a nice non pasteurized mug of Pabst or Grain Belt. Wish someone would resurrect Special Export like they used to brew and deliver fresh from LaCrosse, WI.

When I see someone use the word "hoppy" instead of "bitter," I pretty much figure they don't know what they're talking about. Many beers are "hoppy." Only some of those are "bitter."

Interestingly, PBR is by far the hoppiest "macro" American Light Lager I've ever drank.

I make beer as well.....I try to keep the casting/shooting and beer brewing/drinking separate.

[Beerd]

Kona's beer is exceptional and they have a lot of good ones. The one this thread is about isn't my favorite or one I'd even normally talk about other than being surprised to see a beer thread on this group.
You're kidding, right? :drinks:
..

[Cosmic_Charlie]

It is made in Hawaii and I have been to the brewery. The problem is that their brewery doesn't have sufficient capacity to produce enough for the distribution network, and it costs a fortune to ship their finished product to the lower 48. So they contract with other breweries to make their recipe so you can enjoy it here.

Kona's beer is exceptional and they have a lot of good ones. The one this thread is about isn't my favorite or one I'd even normally talk about other than being surprised to see a beer thread on this group.

If you're ever on the big island, go to their brewery and get a tour! They certainly make this beer and all of their others in Hawaii.



When I see someone use the word "hoppy" instead of "bitter," I pretty much figure they don't know what they're talking about. Many beers are "hoppy." Only some of those are "bitter."

Interestingly, PBR is by far the hoppiest "macro" American Light Lager I've ever drank.

I make beer as well.....I try to keep the casting/shooting and beer brewing/drinking separate.

Maybe I should have said hops forward instead of overly hoppy. You might find this interesting. I did.

https://www.allagash.com/blog/what-makes-beer-bitter/?ao_confirm