Hanalei Spirits sits on the north shore of Kauai in Kilauea, Hawaii, where founders Will Hoover and Rob Littlefield turned a former guava juice processing facility into the island’s first licensed distillery since Prohibition. The pair, both longtime Kauai residents with backgrounds in organic agriculture and sustainable business, opened their doors in 2013 with a mission to create premium spirits using locally-sourced Hawaiian ingredients. Their 5,000-square-foot facility houses a custom-built 500-gallon copper still from Germany and produces rum, vodka, gin, and whiskey that capture the essence of the Hawaiian islands. Hoover and Littlefield’s journey started with a shared vision of creating spirits that reflect Hawaii’s agricultural bounty and cultural heritage. Both had extensive experience in organic farming on Kauai, and they saw an opportunity to showcase the island’s unique terroir through distillation. The conversion of the old guava processing plant wasn’t easy—they spent over two years navigating permits and regulations to become Hawaii’s first craft distillery. Their commitment to using local ingredients means working directly with Hawaiian farmers for everything from sugar cane to tropical fruits, creating spirits that genuinely taste like nowhere else on earth. Visitors get an intimate look at small-batch production in action, with tours that often include seeing the actual distillation process and learning about the unique challenges of making spirits in Hawaii’s tropical climate. The tasting room showcases their full range of spirits alongside cocktails that highlight each product’s distinct Hawaiian character. You’re not just tasting spirits here—you’re experiencing the flavors of Kauai itself, from the volcanic soil that nourishes their ingredients to the trade winds that influence their aging process.