HOPS

Hops :: O‘ahu

Title: Hops and Grinds

Words :: Phillip Roberts

Images:: Philip Roberts

Honolulu’s resident beer enthusiast and founder of the Hawai‘i Nui Brewing Company, Andy Baker, has been organizing the Hops and Grinds beer-tasting monthly event for the last five years, and it has gained quite a following among Honolulu residents.  How are the twelve-to-forty beers selected for each event?  "The beers always match the theme.  We choose the theme first and then choose the best beers."

 At July’s event, the theme was "reds, whites, and blues."  Amongst the potables I sampled was the Mad River Jamaica Red. Originally created for the Reggae on the River festival in Humboldt County, California, you could really smell the hops.  The Mehana Humpback Blue was by far my favorite of the evening.  The Hawaiian-style Kolsch ale had a very crisp taste.  Andy’s favorite beer of the night was Mehana Brewing’s Volcano Red  ale. Wolaver’s Wit Bier from Vermont was also a beer I sampled with great interest and found quite delicious.  I would have never tried the brew unless I attended the event. 

Isn’t that what the experience of Hops and Grinds is all about?

German beers will be spotlighted in September, including Spaten Optimizer, Loewenbraeu, and G. Schneider and Sohn.

October’s beer theme has yet to be decided upon, but I trust Andy’s selection process.   

November’s winter beers will include many seasonal beers.  San Francisco’s Anchor Steam celebration ale will be featured, as well as Sierra Nevada’s annual holiday brew.

Visit :: Beer808.com

Hops O‘ahu

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Title: Halloween in Hawai‘i continues to amaze

Words:  Mark Tarone

Photos:  Michelle Tricca

 If you’re visiting the islands during the fall and ask local residents what's the top can't-be-missed event of the season, you’ll repeatedly hear, "Halloween in Hawai‘i!"  Island residents have long cherished the holiday as an opportunity to uncork their artistic energies and band together with friends at massive celebrations throughout the state.

Last year, a new event, the Hallowbaloo Music + Arts Festival, landed on Hawai‘i's Halloween map, and it’s already making a big splash.  Nearly ten thousand costumed crazies joined the inaugural celebration in the Honolulu Arts District, and virtually everyone gave the mele rave reviews. 

While Hawai‘i’s traditional Halloween block parties in Lahaina, Maui, and O‘ahu’s Waikiki continue to please, Hallowbaloo takes things a step further by combining a sensational setting with a world-class music festival.  Nu‘uanu Avenue and the surrounding streets (the Honolulu Arts District) are shut down and transformed into the perfect stage for hosting an ”All Hallows’ Eve” celebration: four different performance platforms deliver heart-pumping rhythms seemingly everywhere you turn; historic storefronts conjure up visions of spirits from the past; wide, long streets allow for unrestricted gallivanting by herds of ghouls and goblins; and a broad array of music clubs ranging from dark and haunted to light and artsy undoubtedly provide a mood to meet everyone’s fancy.

The music at this year’s extravaganza is sure to deliver as well, starting with indie powerhouse sextet Blitzen Trapper from Portland, Oregon.  Rolling Stone ranked the band’s 2008 album, Furr, as one of the top fifteen albums of the year.  Another highlight will be the soul-drenched sounds of Anders Osborne, an icon in his hometown of New Orleans.  If you’re a fan of Hawai‘i’s John Cruz, Jackson Browne, or New Orleans’ rhythm and blues (Anders not only exudes great feeling with an acoustic guitar, but also pulls as much grit and funk out of his Stratocaster as anyone in New Orleans), it’s highly recommended that you head to Hallowbaloo early and wiggle your way to the front of the pack for his set.

There will also be no shortage of top local talent, including Na Hoku Hanohano-winner Ernie Cruz Jr., as well as the Doolin Rakes, Our Distance, Johnny Helm, Cherry Blossom Cabaret, Haberdashery, and many more.  Perhaps best of all, there is no charge for climbing aboard the Hallowbaloo street festival (running from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)—that means that all of the above entertainment is 100 percent free!  Plus, there’s a costume contest with over $1,000 of cash and prizes to be awarded, and the area’s bars and clubs will serve up a dizzying assortment of entertainment until 1:30 a.m. 

If you haven’t already created a costume, best get to work soon.  Halloween will be here before we know it.  No matter if you choose Hawai‘i’s customary outlets of Lahaina and Waikiki or the new superfestival Hallowbaloo, you can rest assured that you’ll be greeted by thousands of freaky creatures and characters.  The smiles are always bigger and the laughs louder when you’re a participant rather than a spectator.  So, put on your thinking caps, devise an entertaining getup, and dive into the creative release known as Halloween in Hawai‘i.  

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Nu’uanu Avenue, 5:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m.

Visit www.hallowbaloo.com