Magic is "brewing" in Kona!

A great Saturday here in Kona!! Weather continues to be fantastic, though the volcano was very moody today - black vog!

Pete started the day early and was Luke's water-boy while he did his long run - great exercise for Pete riding the bike while Luke ran. Pete's done his own version of a triathlon today!  -  20k bike, 1.5k swim and an 8k walk. :)

While we waited to do the morning tour at the Kona Brewing Company we enjoyed a coffee and an interesting chat with Terry and his mate Norm, from California. Norm is a beautiful placid Labrador who is trained as a  Service Dog. Terry has Diabetes and Norm alerts Terry when his blood sugar is low. Incredible! 

Terry and his good mate Norm

Beautiful Norm - such a gentleman!

After our coffee we headed to the Kona Brewing Company and joined a lovely group of people on a tour of the brewery. We went yesterday afternoon to do the tour but it was booked out -  very popular! Wonder if it is because of the free beer tasting at the end of the tour!? lol  

Christie was our excellent guide - she entertained us, and engaged us completely with really interesting facts and information about the "magic" that happens at this award winning craft brewery. Definitely don't miss visiting the brewery and taking a tour if you are in Kona - well worth it!

The lush beer garden and the restaurant have a great casual and tropical ambience - very congenial for kicking back, relaxing and enjoying a few special ales! When they are in their "busy" times of the year    people wait up to two hours to be seated in the restaurant it is so popular!

Besides the beer being excellent (I even enjoyed the refreshing taste and flavours of the ones we tasted, and I'm not a beer drinker!), and the food being great, we were very impressed with the efforts of the company to be "green" and also how they give back to the community. 

They operate off solar power to produce the beer!

Quoting from the companies website:

"Sustainability and Philanthropy

Kona Brewing Company recognizes that the future of the Earth depends upon how businesses and individuals treat the Earth. To show its commitment to sustainability, Kona Brewing Company utilizes the services of a Sustainability Coordinator within its company. Most of the Kailua-Kona brewery’s spent grain is given to a cattle rancher, and the remaining amount is used as an ingredient in the pubs’ pizza dough and breads.

Kona Brewing Company champions recycling, is careful with its waste and supports groups that strive to protect the environment. Throughout its facilities, much of the building material has been recycled. Its disposable cups that are used at festivals and events are biodegradable, and its to-go containers are compostable. The brewery uses heat exchangers to reclaim thermal energy for water heating in the brewing process. The pub uses a heat reclamation system on its air conditioner for water heating in the kitchen. A whiskey barrel collects more than 90 gallons of condensation per day from air conditioning systems, and the water is used for landscaping irrigation. The list goes on and on.

An integral component of Kona Brewing Company’s business plan is to grow the business with ecological integrity, reducing the company’s carbon footprint whenever possible. By producing its bottled beer and mainland draft beer on the mainland, close to markets, Kona Brewing Company has dramatically reduced its reliance upon transportation fuel for raw materials, packaging and distribution.

Kona Brewing Company is an integral part of its community and thus, sees a strong need to and feels passionate about giving back to its community. Kona Brewing Company has supported or hosted numerous fundraising campaigns for community organizations, such as Bishop Museum, Kokua Festival, Sierra Club’s Blue Water Campaign and Surfrider Organization. It plays a continued role in organizing the Kona Brewers Festival, which has raised more than $350,000 for local environmental, educational and cultural organizations over the past 14 years. The company also provides support to sporting events, such as the Molokai World Championships canoe and surfski race and the Ironman Triathlon World Championship."

Kona Brewing Company | Just another place with sand between its ...

And who would have thought it all started in a family kitchen...................

The silos that house the grain - the start of the "magic"!
Visually they make an impressive entrance to the Brewery. 

Growler Shack is at the entrance to the Brewery 
and is where you can purchase your " take home" beer 

Our tour group
We are sitting on benches that are made from recycled plastic bottles

Jams and Brews!!!

The products in the shop are all made from recycled materials
Beer bottle cap earrings! :)

Casual and tropical!
We are touring the Brewery before opening hours - later these areas 
where very crowded with lunchtime patrons

The tables, the bars, and the building materials are all recycled products

Water is added to the grain before it goes into the processing tanks inside

The different sized kegs waiting to be filled

The brewing shed where all the "magic" happens!

Christie animatedly explains the whole process and what happens in the different tanks 

How immaculately clean and shiny everything is!!! 

The tanks where the beer "brews" anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months, 
depending on the type of beer.
The real "magic" happens here Christie tells us!!!!

Into the cold store where the beer awaits pick up and distribution
Lovely and cold!!!

Air conditioners gather the condensation from the cold store to provide water for the gardens

Everything is recycled

Old kegs become pot plants

3,000 recycled plastic bottles make one bench

The beer tasting!

We tasted the Pacifier IPA - my favourite - lovely citrus flavours; the Rift Zone Red;
Lemongrass Luau and the Vanilla Thrilla.
Pete liked them all!
They also have gluten free beer!

We had lots of Ghekos visit - they like the lush vegetation in the Beer Garden
A pretty addition with their vivid colours!

The inside bar and restaurant
All the structures  in here have been made with recycled materials

The kitchen - delicious aromas! Very tempting! Pizza is the specialty of the house!

We had a good time with our tour group, enjoying lots of good conversation over our beer sampling.

Our friends above are from Davis in California,
and Marriann and Mark below are from Pennsylvania .
All lovely people and great company!

A most enjoyable morning!

Kona Brewing Company - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This afternoon we were able to get back to the pool for our daily swim session after it was closed for maintenance for a few days. As we were leaving Luke, Craig and Bek arrived for a training workout. One week to the big dance!

Today's Memorable Moments:

It's Halloween time!
The first display we've seen this year - lots of pumpkins, all shapes and sizes!
Some ghoulies and gruesomes as well!!! :)

A Hawaiian family enjoying a BBQ picnic at the beach.
Are the ribs on fire?