Post #757886 by AceExplorer on Tue, Jan 26, 2016 6:23 AM

On 2016-01-25 10:13, kkocka wrote:
How in the world? To my knowledge Kona Brewing is only shipping the usual 4 to the mainland: Fire Rock Pale Ale, Big Wave Golden Ale, Castaway IPA, Longboard Lager, and the variety pack of all 4.

I was at the brewery in Kona on my last visit to the islands. On the tour they told us that shipping costs make it too expensive to brew and ship to the mainland, so they have contracts with mainland brewers (at that time only one) who have available time and available bottling lines to make and distribute in the US. This means they could change products very quickly to brew and bottle and sell other varieties in the US. They also told us they fly out to supervise the process, as well as the taste and quality of the finished product. I'm guessing that they've been successful enough by now to have made similar arrangements in other countries, Australia for example.

If you're in Kona, don't miss the tour. It's very intimate and friendly, they do a good tasting after each tour.