Kona Brewers Festival 2011

It was our pleasure to participate in the Kona Brewers Festival 2011.

Mahalo to the organizers and volunteers who rallied quickly to avoid areas damaged by the tsunami generated by the Sendai earthquake. The Kona Brewers Festival 2011 was moved up mauka from our traditional gathering grounds at the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i to the parking lot outside Kona Brewing Company. Thankfully for Kona BrewFest attendees, this new venue was only a short walk away.

Kumu Keala Ching and Halau Na Wai Iwi Ola opened the event with a ceremony of Hawaiian blessing.

Kumu Keala Ching opening the Kona Brewers Festival

Hawai’i Nui Brewing was strongly represented. Some of the team members were too hot and sweaty to be pictured here. LOL! Others on the team remained photogenic longer…

Hawaii Nui Brewings Madison, Dannie, Head Brewer Kaiao, and Leah -- all looking cooler than they felt at the Kona Brewers Festival 2011

The Daniel Thiebaut restaurant of Waimea offered a delicious preparation of Big Island grass-fed beef. Chef Thiebaut braised the beef brisket in Hawai’i Nui Brewing Hapa Brown Ale. It was served atop a puree of potatoes and butternut squash, was garnished with a papaya chutney. Ono!

Chef Daniel Thibault and his team emphasized eating local. The popular Waimea restaurant presented Big Island grass-fed beef brisket braised in Hawaii Nui Brewing Hapa Brown Ale

Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse served Tahitian ceviche — tiger shrimp and local fish marinated in lime, cilantro, tomato, fresh herbs and coconut milk. Each flavorful serving was presented on top of a taro chip. Cool, refreshing, delicious!

Team Humpys offered an unforgettable ceviche at the Kona Brewers Festival

Café Pesto delivered a mouth-watering preparation of beef braised in Hawai’i Nui Brewing Hapa Brown Ale. It was accompanied by local mushrooms simply cooked for an unforgettable taste.

Café Pesto offered a beautiful dish of local beef braised in Hawaii Nui Brewing Hapa Brown Ale

As a palate cleanser between the offerings of so many talented Hawai’i chefs, I passed often by the stand offering a selection of Big Island fruit and locally grown edible flowers.

Big Island fruit and edible flowers

Volunteers poured Hawai’i Nui Brewing Hapa Brown Ale and Sunset Amber Ale, along with Mehana Mauna Kea Pale Ale and Volcano Red Ale. Our assigned spot was one of the few without a tent. Because the whole event was located this year in a parking lot on top of a black lava field on a very warm day in Paradise, our spot felt like an oven. As luck would have it, we were downwind of the smoker at the next stand. A special shout-out of thanks to the volunteers who were assigned to pour our beer. They deserve a medal of honor!

No shade in a hot parking lot at mid-day... What did these volunteers do to deserve to be assigned to our stand?

From time to time, we were able to wander around the BrewFest, but our volunteers had to stay put, roasting in the sun.

Andy Baker and Renée Cettie (background) following our fearless leader Keith Kinsey as he sidled into a neighboring stand, seeking a little shade.

The Kona Brewers Festival was a great opportunity to try beers from around the country. My hands-down favorite on that hot day hailed from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales.

Ninas favorite new flavor at the Kona Brewers Festival. Not the most artistic photo, but I wanted you to have the info to track this down for yourselves.

The Kona Brewers Festival is a time to reconnect with friends and remember those we’ve lost. Here we raised a toast to Hawai’i homebrewer Rocket Rod.

Remembering Rocket Rod and all the ones weve lost along the way

The King Kam Hotel was sorely missed, not only for its hospitality, but also for its ocean breezes. The hotel suffered considerable Tsunami damage, but the art collection was unharmed. See our Facebook page for photos of the damage to the grounds of the King Kam Hotel.

Sand, seawater and broken glass in the lobby of the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kailua-Kona. Thankfully the tsunami of March 12, 2011 did not damage the art collection.

Aloha, Nina Lytton