8 Best Made-in-Hawaii Liquor to Bring Home from Your Trip

Whether you're looking for a one-of-a-kind gift or stocking your home bar with tropical flair, Hawaiian liquor promises bold flavors and true island craftsmanship. From small-batch rum made with heirloom kō (sugarcane) to sweet potato-distilled shōchū, Hawaii’s distilleries are producing some of the finest hana lima (handcrafted) spirits. We’ve rounded up the best bottles from the Aloha State that prove vacations here aren’t just about volcanoes, surfing, and sunsets.

 

Top Hawaiian Liquor to Take Home

 

1. Hawaiian Shochu Company

  • Spirits: NamiHana sweet potato shōchū ($44.75 plus tax). Limited edition Banzai Strength  shōchū infused with ginger root from the Big Island ($47.75 plus tax).  

  • About: Opened in 2013, Hawaiian Shochu Company is Hawaii’s first and only shōchū distillery. The husband-and-wife team combine traditional distilling methods, learned from a Japanese master, with Hawaiian ingredients to produce shōchū made from sweet potatoes, plus limited edition spirits that are listed when available. 

  • Where: 66-542 Haleiwa Rd, Haleiwa, North Shore, Oahu. 

 

2. Island Distillers

  • Spirits: Hapa Premium Vodka, flavors including chili pepper, coconut, hibiscus, and lilikoi ($35). Okolehao Hawaiian Moonshine ($35). 

  • About: Island Distillers is Hawaii’s oldest distillery, sitting in the shadow of Koko Head. Crater. A family-run business, it specializes in premium, small-batch and infused craft vodkas made using locally-grown sugarcane. It’s also known for distilling okolehao, a once-banned island ti (Cordyline fruticosa) root beer. 

  • Where: 577 Pakala St, Honolulu, Oahu.

 

3. Koʻolau Distillery

  • Spirits: Old Pali Road Whiskey made from 90% corn and 10% barley (from $39.99); Tradewind Gin (from $26.99); KaLa Vodka ($29.99); Machalani Moonshine ($24.99)

  • About: Two United States Marine Corps veterans opened Koʻolau Distillery in 2018. They produce small-batch Hawaiian liquor using pure artesian water filtered through volcanic rock from the Koʻolau Range. The distillery’s mountainside setting on the windward side of the island means it benefits from abundant rainfall. 

  • Where: 905 Kapaa Quarry Pl, Building 50, Unit 5014, Kailua, Oahu.

 

4. Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum

  • Spirits: Koa barrel-aged agricole rum ($150); Kila cask-strength rum ($75); Koho vanilla and honey spiced rum (from $45); Kea white rum (from $30); and Kokoleka honey and cacao rum ($30).

  • About: Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum is a premium, farm-to-bottle spirit distilled on Oahu from the freshly pressed juice of heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane. Each native varietal is hand-harvested and distilled separately, showcasing the unique flavors of cane strains brought by Polynesian voyagers centuries ago.

  • Where: 92-1770 Kunia Rd #227, Kunia Camp, Oahu. 

 

5. Kōloa Rum Company

  • Spirits: Kōloa Kauai white, dark, gold, spiced, cacao, coffee, and coconut rum. 

  • About: On the island of Kauai, Kōloa Rum Company specializes in the production of small-batch rums, including Hawaiian coconut rum. The distillery sources water from Mount Waialeale and mixes it with local sugarcane and ingredients like coffee and chocolate. Rums are twice-distilled in one batch inside an antique copper-pot still.

  • Where: 3-2087 Kaumualii Hwy, Lihue, Kauai.

 

6. Kuleana Rum Works

  • Spirits: Huihui white rum ($34.99); Nanea gold rum ($39.99); Hawaiian Rum Agricole heirloom sugarcane rum ($64.99); Hōkūlei aged seven-rum blend ($84.99).

  • About: Kuleana Rum Works creates high-class rums from the juice of around 35 varieties of heirloom sugarcane. Rums are made with 100% natural ingredients and no added flavors or colors. The company adopts the Hawaiian philosophy of kuleana – caring for what you’re connected to with respect, responsibility, and privilege. 

  • Where: 61-3270 Maluokalani St, Waimea, Big Island.

 

7. Ocean Organic Vodka

  • Spirits: Ocean Earth’s Organic Vodka ($29.99); Ocean Organic Vodka Espresso ($24.99)

  • About: Ocean Organic Vodka is produced on an 80-acre farm on Maui using the desalinated deep ocean mineral water found off the Kona coast. The family team also cultivates more than 30 types of Polynesian sugar cane. This all helps to create smooth, slightly sweet vodkas with subtle citrus and mineral flavors. 

  • Where: 4051 Omaopio Rd, Kula, Maui.

 

8. Royal Hawaii Spirits

  • Spirits: Fish-flavored Ahi Tuna Fish Vodka ($89.00); Cherry-infused Sakura Shōchū ($59.00); Hoku Black Tea Whisky ($69.00); Maui Pink Gin ($89.00)

  • About: Located in downtown Honolulu, Royal Hawaii Spirits is recognized for its innovative creations of Hawaiian liquor. This boutique distillery uniquely blends American, Asian, and European recipes with the flavors of the islands. The entire range includes brandy, gin, rum, shōchū, vodka, and whisky.

  • Where: 36 N King St, Honolulu, Oahu.