Drink up Maui’s undiscovered craft booze scene

Recently dubbed the best island in America — again — by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler, Maui has long been considered a slice of paradise.

From sun-drenched beaches to scenic jungle drives, the Valley Isle has something for every visitor.

But to locals, Maui is also an island of agriculture, with a rich farming tradition stretching back generations. Today, that love of the ‘āina (land) is leading a number of entrepreneurs in a new direction: artisanal beer, wine and spirits.

With an emphasis on small-batch production, local ingredients and aloha (aka welcoming!), their tours and tastings provide a glimpse of a Maui that visitors seldom see.

Many of the beverages made on Maui never leave the island — and some never even leave the premises on which they’re created — so an in-person visit is a must, whether your taste buds prefer a hoppy IPA, a full-bodied red wine or a rich brown sugar whiskey.

GRAPE SCOTT!

Six months ago, Tedeschi Winery on the leeward slope of Haleakelā (Maui’s dormant volcano) rebranded itself as MauiWine, a move that celebrates the island’s unique terroir. Previous visitors might recall the winery’s ubiquitous pineapple wine or stopping at the tasting room on a bus tour to Hāna. Today’s guest will find a much different experience. The tasting room is still there, but oenophiles should book ahead for the brand-new King’s Visit ($50), a twice-weekly one-hour tour and tasting, which takes place in a 19th-century building that evokes the era when Hawaiian King David Kalākaua would spend time on the property. Small groups sample everything from the traditional-method sparkling Lokelani to limited-release vintages such as Syrah and Malbec, made from grapes grown on the 16-acre vineyard a mile down the road.

Pairing note: Spend the afternoon “Upcountry” (as Maui residents call the slopes of the volcano) and visit the nearby Ali‘i Kula Lavender Farm, too.

SUGAR RUSH

Local surfer Shay Smith founded Ocean Vodka in 2005 to create a Maui-made product that emphasizes organic, local agriculture and his passion for the sea. Distilled from sugar cane, the pure vodka is mixed with desalinated seawater shipped over from Hawaii Island. Though the tour and tasting ($10, offered every half hour) are brief, it is interesting to see — and sample — the multiple varieties of Polynesian cane that are grown on the farm. Heading back to your hotel with a bottle of vodka? Not only do you get a souvenir shot glass with your tour, there’s also an organic “martini” garden, where you can snip garnishes to take with you.

Pairing note: Maui is the last Hawaiian island left that still grows commercial sugar, and that’s slated to end in 2017. Learn more at the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum in Pu’unene.

‘STILL’ DRINKING

The new kid on the block, Hali‘imaile Distilling (founded in 2010) offers the most entertaining tour on the island, especially if master distiller Mark Nigbur is on hand. Both a raconteur and an inventor (he holds the patents on his custom-built stills), Nigbur makes his signature Pau Vodka from pineapples grown across the street from the distillery. Guests on tours given every half hour ($10) see the entire process from mash to final product, complete with tastes of the company’s vodka, rum — which is made for rocker Sammy Hagar’s label — and Paniolo whiskey aged in 10-year-old bourbon barrels.

Pairing note: Can’t get enough sweet Maui pineapple? Twice-daily tours of the plantation leave from a building next to the distillery.

GET HOPPY

Just over a decade ago, Garrett Marrero opened Maui Brewing Company with the goal of bringing craft beer to Hawaii. In 2014, the company tripled its capacity with a move to a state-of-the-art, solar-powered brewery and tasting room in Kihei on the island’s south side. The top-notch tours ($15) are a must for anyone interested in how beer is made, and include a tasting of the company’s four signature brews, a token for a full-sized glass (there are usually about two dozen on tap, many of which emphasize local flavors) and a souvenir glass. (The six daily tours often sell out, so book in advance. Also, tours on weekends, when there’s nothing in production, are much quieter.) In the evenings, there’s often music on the covered lanai, and a rotating roster of food trucks park out front if you want to grab a meal. There are cocktails, too, including a “Mana” Mule using Ocean Vodka, ginger beer, lime and a touch of the brewery’s Mana Wheat.

Pairing note: On the tour, you’ll hear about how Maui Brewing Company’s flavors pair with food. Test out what you’ve learned at the company’s brewpub in Kahana on Maui’s west side, which features a menu with farm-to-table ingredients along with a full selection of its beers.