OUR STORY
Kō: The Kuleana Difference
ABOUT US
Kuleana Rum Works was born on Hawaiʻi Island in 2013 to make and share exquisite rum while creating a thriving local business that celebrates the richness of Hawaiʻi. Our intent is to get people as stoked about high-quality rum as we are by making rum from the best ingredients on Earth and without added sweeteners, flavors or colors.
As serious rum lovers, we make super-premium rum in two ways: we distill fresh Hawaiian sugarcane juice into elegant rum agricole using 40 varieties of kō (Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane) grown on our farm in Kohala, Hawaii; and we blend rums from around the world – carefully chosen for their purity and rich taste – into delicious and flavorful products not available anywhere else in the world.
RUM
Our rum agricole is handcrafted from 40 varieties of fresh-pressed kō juice (rare, native Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane) grown on our 45-acre Hawai’i Island farm.
Brought to the Hawaiian Islands about a thousand years ago by the Polynesians wayfinders, kō was used in daily living as well as commerce. Unfortunately, many of the Hawaiian heirloom varieties have been replaced by commercial hybrids engineered for large-scale production.
It’s the slow, multi-millennial cultivation of kō that makes Kuleana Rum so special. Each varietal of heirloom cane has a unique story and flavor profile that cannot be duplicated by molasses or processed sugar. Our super-premium rum pays homage to this piece of treasured Hawaiian history and ensures it lives on.
RUM SHACK
An Authentic Taste of Hawai‘i
On this beautiful Island of Hawaiʻi, we respect and honor the land still forming under our feet. We cultivate, harvest, and fish sustainably. We look after our community.
In Hawaiʻi, where most of life happens outside, we celebrate everything, from birthdays, anniversaries, to holidays in our garages which provide shelter and comfort for our friends and family to have fun. We clear out the cars, bring in the picnic benches, music and celebrate with food and drink. In honor of this tradition, we built the Kuleana Rum Shack as our garage and welcome you to share traditional Hawaiʻi-family food and enjoy our locally made Kuleana rum.
Kuleana Rum is made right here on the Island of Hawai‘I from 40 heirloom varieties of kō (sugarcane), which we harvest by hand, press, and distill into Kuleana Hawaiian Rum Agricole and blend into Kuleana Huihui®. We also blend our KuleanaNanea® from exceptional rums we discovered around the world.
To complement our signature rum cocktails, our chef Keola Valdez worked with Nakoa Pabre, owner of Kona’s popular Umekes Restaurants, to create an authentic menu that takes its inspiration from generations of Hawaii’s best recipes.
Eat, drink, have fun and go home with a bottle of rum and happy memories of your new Kuleana ʻohana.
Aloha pumehana!