Kuleana Rum Works - New Chamber Member

Kuleana is a powerful word the Hawaiians defined to represent an important value. Kuleana can be defined as a combination of rights and privileges one receives if they are willing to be responsible for something. As kama‘aina (people born and raised in Hawai'i) we want to build a company that shares Hawai'i with the world while allowing space for its culture to thrive, and most importantly, not degrading its precious resources. As a business, it is our Kuleana to discover, make and share world-class rum and celebrate Hawai'i in everything we do. We do that by growing ~40 varieties of heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane) on our farm in Kohala. We make world-class rum from the fresh juice. It is an extremely rare spirit (about 3% of the world’s rum is made from fresh juice and only two companies are making it from Hawaiian kō).

It is our kuleana to discover and share the best knowledge and practices we can from all those that came before us, to help the soil, the kō, our employees, and our community grow stronger and healthier. In the growth stage of our business, we are working to re-propagate ~40 varieties of heirloom kō developed over millennia by the brightest and most accomplished agriculturalist the world has known. We freely share the knowledge we have gathered with others; donate to the North Kohala Resource Center, provide products and tours to non-profits for fundraising purposes, and create pride-filled opportunities for residents to grow and provide for their own families. We endeavor to use our precious resources in a manner that builds the community. 

As part of our Kuleana, we make our products with deliberate intent and personal accountability, and nothing on our farm is wasted.  The crushed sugarcane is used for mulch, compost, and cattle feed, and we utilize drip irrigation from our own solar-powered well.  Tradewinds bring showers and provide the freshest air and water on earth. With 2,500 miles of open ocean, the salt air naturally balances the soil which leads to healthy plants.

 

That’s why we never add sweeteners, flavors, or coloring to any of our products.