Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 12, 1 December 2022 — MASTERS OF THEIR MASTERS OF THEIR [ARTICLE]

MASTERS OF THEIR MASTERS OF THEIR

MO'OLELO NUI ^ COVER STORY "

THREB HkīlW HĀWAIIAN CRĀFT BEER BREWERS ESTASEJSH THEIR SRĀM0S m k GR0WEWG MARKET

% C!wkjyl ōwe, &mtmm eer is big business in Hawai'i. According to the 2021 Beer Serves America report, in 2020 it generated $1.3 hillion in |M revenue, paid $428.1 million in wages and benefits, contribWr uted $252.4 million in taxes and employed 8,340 people - 398 of those specifically in brewing. The Beer Institute and National Beer Wholesalers Association commission this comprehensive eeonomie impact study every other year, noting that the beer industry is a cornerstone of America's economy. Within the larger beer industry is a growing and increasingly popular niehe market for what is known as "craft beers" - essentially beer made in a traditional or non-mechanized way by smaller breweries in smaller quantities. But what sets craft beer apart - and what has made it especially popular with younger Gen X and Millennial consumers - is the sheer diversity of beer styles and taste profiles. Many craft brewers use loeal ingredients and flavors in ffesh ways and this creativity, as well as the brewers' commitment to sustainability, matters to younger consumers Founded in 2012, the Hawaiian Craft Brewers Guild is "dedicated to craft beer brewed 100% in Hawai'i." In the past decade, its membership has grown to 16 breweries on O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and Hawai'i Island. Three of those companies are owned and operated by Native Hawaiians. Here are their stories.