Best Shochu EVER!! Ken and Yumi are master distillers of traditional Japanese Shochu. Ken spent many years learning his trade and he is as passionate about it as any artist or master craftsman is about their creations. Enjoying their shochu is much more than just a drink. It is the taste of something created from the love of your craft. You will understand only once you get to meet Ken and Yumi and then sit down with a glass. A drink like this is similar to seeing a masterful work of art, extraordinary piece of architecture, or a wine maker's very best bottle. Don't pass up on the opportunity. You will truly be missing something. read more

Love this little distillery. I've taken tours of mega distilleries(Jack, BT) but gotta be honest this is the one I am most looking forward to when it opens up! I believe the owners name was Ken if I am not mistaken, very friendly and informative! Will be back for more Shochu! read more

Been coming since the pandemic. This small, husband and wife run distillery make the best local (not sure if anyone else even makes it) sochu and gin products! Get on their mailing list to keep up with their latest releases. Super friendly and always willing to talk about their products and production...it's worth the drive from town to pick up and chat with Ken-san and his wife. So much more to say about how they use local ingredients as much as they can, but I'll leave it at that. Come to see them...you won't be sorry! read more

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Ken was an absolutely amazing tour guide and provided an in depth explanation on the process. It's a small operation but I'm very happy I made a reservation for a tour. It's small batch and unique. They use traditional methods and it reflects in the taste of the product. If you are visiting, I recommend emailing him and booking a tour! read more

Hawaiian Shochu - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Ken, the owner, distiller and vendor is kind and informative. His different offerings are as described by him in our conversation. This business is a hidden gem. Our friends of Japanese heritage in Honolulu were amazed to learn of this traditional distillery. read more

If you can get a tour do it. Just go on their website and email him. Ken, the owner, is amazing. It's just him and his wife and they use a traditional method to distill. He thoroughly explains the process and then provides a tasting of one item. Bottles are more expensive than what you can get at the local stores, but it's the small batch hand crafted quality you're paying for. There are no timers, computers, etc here. Everything is done the traditional way with high quality ingredients. Please understand he's a one man operation and has limited availability for tours. Book way in advance. Or visit between operating hours, currently 1-3 pm, to purchase. Buy local, support local. read more

Hawaiian Shochu - Fermentation vats - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

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They say the best can weather even the worst storms. I'm not so sure about that these days, but one outstanding local business I'm going to try to keep afloat is the Hawaiian Shochu company (HSC) Due to covid, HSC hasn't sold out of its regular 6,000 annual bottle production of the 750 ml bottle. The extra strong 375 ml is sold out for now. Lucky for me that let my friends and I pickup four bottles of their heavenly Nami Hana. Ken, the master brewer, suggested drinking it with a little ice, but not directly chilled from the fridge. I just drink it neat, cuz, you know, I'm not a heathen. They're only open for pickup via reservation, which you can make by email or telephone. The tour of the distillery is not regularly offered. So if you are planning to go to Haleiwa, make a reservation to drop by and pick up a bottle of some of the finest, most unique liquor. Just remember to wear your mask! read more

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Wanted to support this authentic Shochu production from a very nice man from Osaka, Japan. A nice drive to Haleiwa.

Bonzai strong shochu. It will whip your bottom! The suggested instruction to drink Banzai is to pour into a very small glass with a small amount of ice. Well, i didnt have small...so with a henerous amount ofnice and a pour over if Banzai, with a testing sip.... Yowza! Cheeehoooo! Strong ... too strong. Went to look for a bite to eat and the suggestion by Ken is dark chocolate or dried fruit. Well, i was hungry so heated up some chicken long rice. Came back to the table, took a couple of slurps of my chix longrice then took a tentative sip of the Banzai. Woweee! Different taste! Now, after dinner, im sipping the Banzai and thinking this is the best drink in earth. Was it the first sip? Or did this drink become sweet and im mellow and content! Peace Out! read more

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Hawaiian moonshine! I josh, rather award winning artisan shochu crafted using traditional Japanese methods, focusing on Hawaii grown ingredients. This isn't the stuff you'd mix with green tea, rather cut with water or served on ice, savoring the unmistakable nose of sweet potato, while enjoying the silkiness of the high proof spirit as it goes down and starts to warm you from within. Excess food trivia: Shochu is a distillate. Mold grown on rice consumes the sugar and starch of the sweet potato mash. The product ferments for months before being distilled, yielding a clear spirit of 60 - 90 proof. A visit with a tour by the enthusiastic husband and wife team will explain the entire process. Hands on from beginning to end, nearly zero automation, bottled and labels affixed by hand, steeped in history with 100 year old vats obtained from his master in Japan... it's just cool. And best of all, everything comes through in the finished product. Tasting note: 2016 NamiHana Banzai Strength - pronounced nose of steamed sweet potato. Gentle astringency that vanishes as ice melts leaving a very clean and slightly sweet finish. Sweet potato flavor lingers for minutes. $41 / 375ml as of Dec 2016. Note: email KALOIMO@gmail.com to purchase and/or schedule a tour. Production is very limited so be sure to get on the list for the next release if sold out. Warning: to visit and experience the passion of the owners may kick off a shochu habit. A right fine thing If I should say so myself. read more

Hawaiian Shochu - Current release No. 8 (bottled 04/2017). $39.75 incl tax. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

the compass points NORTH. Our North Shore adventure day continued with a visit to the Hawaiian Shochu Company in Haleiwa. My brother's girlfriend was keen on visiting during their vacation in December 2016 after reading an article on the internet profiling the owner and his business. LOCATION / SETTING: In a rural part of the North Shore/Haleiwa. We were thankful our GPS guided us on the right way to HSC. The property is large with one main building housing all the equipment and manufacturing processes. NOTE: 1. Appointment made via email. On the day of our visit, we booked at 1pm appointment for a tour and tasting. I'm not sure what the fees were since I was not directly involved in making the arrangements. Upon our arrival at HSC, the three of us were greeeted by owner and proprietor, Ken, and his wife. They gave us a warm welcome and invited us into their production building. They also provided us with slippers to use while walking around the interior of the building. After our welcome, Ken proceeded to give us a brief history of the origins of HSC: He immigrated to Hawaii from Japan, where he was an apprentice and trained in the process and art of Shochu making/production. Incidentally, Ken was also eager to point out the differences between Shochu and Soju; the main difference that each has a different country or origin. Korea versus Japan. One other main characteristic he shared with us is that Shochu is distilled and not fermented or brewed. Although they were not currently in production at the time of our visit, he showed us a book containing pictures of their Shochu production process and gave us a tour of their production facility (which is all contained within the one building on the property). After the tour was completed, we all sat down for the main event: the tasting. Ken informed us all early on during the visit that they produce only two batches per year, spring and fall. We were going to sample product from the most recent batch, which was batch 7. Suffice to say, we all found the Shochu to our liking, and my brother and his girlfriend bought some bottles for gifts as well as one for themselves. side NOTE: We all found Ken to be very friendly and personable. We were all engaged in a lively conversation when his 2pm appointment arrived. At that point, we wrapped up on discussion, and Ken and his wife thanked us for our visit, extended holiday greetings, and we were on our way. BOTTOM LINE: A delightful visit to the Hawaiian Shochu Company. Recommend to locals and tourists for sure. read more

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I had no idea we had a Shochu distillery in Hawaii!?! MIND BLOWN. To visit the brewery, you have to call ahead and make an appointment. I think it's definitely worth it to check out. The entire tour and tasting doesn't take more than an hour. Plus it's right next to Haleiwa town. I recommend making a day out of it :) Haleiwa Shochu Company makes their shochu from sweet potatoes. It was really cool to see the process they go through to make such delicious bottles. We were also lucky enough to sample the different stages of the shochu. I was very surprised how different it tasted during each stage. read more

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Forever in my heart the original on Liliha st !! Been going here since I was 5. I love everything Especially a hamburger steak grilled bread with jelly. read more

I was just introduced to this very special place on the north shore today. Went along for the ride with my cousin to pick up his order and was honored to meet Ken Hirata and his wonderful wife. Their passion for making shoju is obivious. I was lucky that their current batch was just released so that had bottles I could purchase without pre-ordering. Got it home and tried it. Even with high anticipation, it did not disappoint. Raising a glass to Hirata-san. Kampai!! read more

Hawaiian Shochu - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Excellent sake. Special breed for the Hawaii islands and the South Pacific. They sell 100% of their products before the end of the year!

Amazing!!! A must visit. The owner is super friendly. Place is off the beaten path so keep your eyes open. Book in advance, space fills up fast. read more

Distiller Ken Hirata give my wife and I a Shochu 101 overview class. With old school techniques, labor of love, the finish product was surprisingly good compared to what I had experienced in the past. Nami Hana on ice was excellent and was disappointed not able to sample Banzai Strength, pineapple and chestnut shochu's. read more

Thank you soo much for the experience. I wanted to share this picture I took with you because I think it's beautiful. I appreciate you emailing me and taking the time to meet with me. I love to meet people who are passionate about what life. Thanks you for the motivation. read more

Hawaiian Shochu - North shore sipping - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

The owner was an expert on traditional methods of creating Japanese spirits. Was very warm and welcoming to our family. Must make a reservation since he's only a two man band. And he doesn't follow social media! read more

Friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic owner. Passionate about Shochu. He elaborated the the process of making Shochu and gave us a sample of the most recent batch. Expect at least three different varieties each year as he uses locally available sweet potatoes for fermentation. Each batch is unique in it's character depending on the type of sweet potato and its island of origin. Great value as well for a delicious product which is handcrafted from local produce. read more

Hirata San has really created something special out on the North Shore of Oahu. Artisanal imo (sweet potato) shochu on the highest level using different local products with each batch, making each one distinctly different. This model separates him and his product from the big import brands. You can only get his product directly from the distillery and only by appointment, but he's quick to respond and is very courteous and customer oriented. You know right away that this is a Japanese owned business and that shows all the way till the end as he's waving goodbye until you're driving away. The latest batch, No. 9, was just bottled recently and uses Kauai sweet potato as it's base. Get it while you can! read more

Relatively hard to find but not hard to find--located 500 feet across Haleiwa Elementary, under the monkeypod trees on Paalaa Rd. Contact Ken Hirata at 808 234-4162 to schedule a tour (maximum 8 in a group) or just stop by to pick up Shochu. Right now BANZAI 2017 has just been released (made with matured sweeet potatoes with Mizunara wood which is toasted by keawe wood. Stock limited. Also available is NamiHana #9 also made with sweet potato (60 proof). I picked up bottle of NamiHana and BANZAI 2017 as omiyage to friends in Japan. read more

Thhhheee Best Imo Shochu made right here on the North Shore of O'ahu!!! Get yours if you can!

Absolutely, completely, 100% cool! Read about this business in "Honolulu Magazine" and been wanting to check it out. Owner, Ken Hirata-san, is very knowledgeable and very passionate about sharing the shochu making process. He and his wife run the whole shabang and I love that he is "old school" using huge stone pots as well as a wooden distillery shipped from Japan to make his shochu. The shochu is ready in spring and the fall so I was fortunate to be able to buy a few bottles of release no. 9. They sell all their stock so the tasting is what you're able to purchase. The tour/tasting is about an hour and fits right into a day out in Haleiwa. Also learned that they make a higher proof shochu that is only available in limited quantities and will soon be ready for purchase. Their dog, Imo, was a stray who decided to adopt them. She made a good choice. read more

Shochu - Japanese distilled spirits. Can be made from rice, barley, sugar cane, potato, etc. OH YEAH!! + Locally made + Made from as locally sourced ingredients as possible + A unique flavor + Very personable and knowledgeable owners + Makes great gifts! OH NO!! - Haleiwa is far from town OH MY?! ~ The pet dog is named Imo!!! I first heard that there was a locally distilled shochu somewhere on the North Shore a couple years ago. The first time I got to try this locally made shochu was at a friends house becase he was lucky enough to have gotten his hands on one of the bottles. Last year around this time of year they were completely sold out. This year I made sure to get some. To initiate my order I just shot a quick email to the Hawaiian Shochu Company saying that I'd be interested in purchasing a few bottles if they still had any, and within a half hour or so I got a reply from the owner, Hirata-san, with more info, and some options for pickup, and even a tour of their facilities. After a little bit more emailing, we scheduled a time that I'd stop by to pick up my order, and tour the place as well. It was a very easy and painless process. I drove out to Haleiwa with a couple friends, and stopped at Hawaiian Shochu Company at our appointed time. We were greeted by Hirata-san, his wife, and Imo, thier pet dog, and got things started. We sat down with Hirata-san as he explained some background of shochu, and how his operation works. It was very informative, and we could just see the passion that Hirata-san has for his work. He then led us on a tour of the facilities (one barn-sized warehouse type building), and explained his processes, and then we ended with a tasting of the shochu. After this we purchased our bottles, and then were on our way. The whole visit lasted just under an hour. This is definitely going to be a stop that I make whenever I find myself on the North Shore, so long as they're open. The potatoes that they use are locally sourced from various farms across the state. The current batch, batch number 5, is made from all North Shore sweet potatoes. Some other areas they have gotten potatoes from before include Big Island and Molokai. The only ingredients that are not locally sourced are the rice, which no one grows in Hawaii, and the Koji, which comes straight from Japan. If you're thinking that you want to stop by, be sure to call or email ahead of time to set up an appointement, as there is a sign on their gate that says that they're by appointment only. It is definitely worth the stop here if you're visiting the North Shore. It's also a very unique local small business that is very worth supporting. I will definitely be back there again soon! read more

If you love shochu, you have to visit. What is shochu? It's a Japanese spirit. It's distilled, not fermented/brewed. Although the spelling is close to soju, it's much more like vodka. This is one of the only places in the US you can try it... and it's going to be good. (Go ahead and google shochu. It'll explain it better than I can.) All I can say is that as an experience, it's truly one of a kind. Ken and his wife are the only two working in this factory. Each batch is unique and there are only two batches a year. He explains in great detail the amount of time and work that goes into each batch. It's truly amazing to see that level of dedication. It's old school and it's good--he uses local ingredients with Japanese techniques and equipment. In Japan, shochu is extremely popular but finding a tour in English would be almost impossible in most places. Here, you get to experience first hand a traditional product in a much more relaxed and cool setting. I mean, it's a free tasting of the latest batch and it's on the way to the shrimp trucks in the North Shore. You can't go wrong. It's about 40 bucks a bottle which is a little pricey for some, but when you really think about how much you'd spend on a bottle of good wine... it's really quite a steal. There are only 3000 bottles a batch and he sells out each batch... and that's all through direct sales. He doesn't ship and does not sell in bulk. He doesn't have to. Go and experience something that's truly special and unique to Hawaii. Card accepted, cash appreciated. Tour by appointment only but they're very friendly and flexible. read more

I just found out yesterday (2/7/14) that Mr. Hirata has sold out his first batch of 5000 bottles of shochu. Good news is he should be coming out with a 2nd batch of 3000 bottles in the next few months. read more

Amazing & wonderful owners! Their artistry & dedication to making shochu is simply incredible. Proud to have them in Hawaii and providing us this exceptional shochu. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. We truly were in awe.... read more

Stopping by Mr. Hirata's shop was an absolute treat. We checked in too late to get the tour, but still got a few bottles of Shochu as the reviews are perfect. Out of the 15-20 different brands and varieties I have tried, the Hawaiian shochu is absolutely phenomenal. Our batch #10 is 60 proof, stronger than most Shochu, but absolutely brimming with flavor, smooth and easy going down. Sweet potato shochu has absolutely become my favorite go to drink in recent months, and anyone going to North Shore would be missing out if they didn't stop by. read more

We had the privilege of touring and tasting the Shochu made right here in Haleiwa. The tour itself was extremely informative, we learned so many things we never knew before. What koji is and its importance in more than just Shochu. How the mixture is prepared and distilled. What is truly priceless here is that the Shochu is made in the traditional way! Although it may be more profitable to use machinery, Ken and his wife choose to do it traditionally. The Shochu is amazing! So smooth and delicious! We are going back with some friends later so they can enjoy the whole experience. read more

Excellent experience with Ken. Ken explained the process thoroughly and showed us around. My brother and I had a great time and left learning a lot of how Shochu is made. Unlike salesmen who push to buy, Ken gave no pressure. We bought few bottles anyway! Support Local! A+ read more

We scheduled a tour of the Hawaiian Shochu Company and were so glad we did. Ken and his wife Yumiko are some of the nicest people and gave us an informative and very educational tour of their distillery. Definitely worth the drive out to the North Shore! Absolutely delicious! Thank you!! read more

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The only Hawaiian Shochu Company in Hawaii .Handmade Shochu in Haleiwa made the traditional way. He has a tank to produce only 5000 bottles a year. If you want something different for gifts from hawaii stop down and visit the hawaiian shochu company.at $39.00 bottle, you will acquire a smooth flavor of Hawaii.Ken Hirata and his wife are the only people to produce the shochu , he has no employees. read more

Really neat place. It was a little unorthodox way to buy (email to make contact and arrange to come by) and a little pricey (~$40 per bottle) but definitely worth it. Mr. Hirata was very timely about getting back to me, also very kind and eager to tell me about his company (even though I didn't have time for a proper tour). Genuinely a rewarding to experience a growing small business in its early years. I recommend to anyone in Hawaii. read more

They are so very helpful and amazing. We arrived after they were closed but decided to visit anyway and was greeted with a smile. A must while visiting the North Shore. read more

Handmade shochu from sweet potatoes and koji rice. Mr. Hirata and his wife are wonderful hosts, the traditional shochu making process is fascinating, and the shochu is smooth and delicious. read more

Short, sweet, and intimate tour with Ken who is a nice, mellow guy brewing Japanese Shochu the traditional way. Well worth the visit.

Booked a tour about 2 weeks in advanced for my wonderful wife' bday. Also invited one of my good friend/co-worker' and his wife. Was truly an honor & pleasure meeting Ken-san & Yumiko-san! A somewhat short; but, straight to the point FREE tour that's well worth the experience. A warm, inviting, & very relaxing atmosphere. Very engaging to answer any questions. Ken-san gave us the tour and you can "feel" the passion & humbleness that he has, using traditional techniques in producing the Shochu. Locally made and "rare" as they only produce 2x a year. Can accommodate up to 8 guests per tour. I highly recommend taking a tour. Btw, make sure you reserve a bottle or more LOL Cause like I said, "rare" and a strong possibility they could be sold out and you'll have to wait a couple of months till next batch!? They also offer T-shirts and stickers. HELP spread the word & support this AMAZING local company. We'll definitely be back!!! ~ どうもありがとうございました & Aloha nui loa ~ Rich & Tina :)) read more