37: All About the Kō: Making Hawaiian Rum with Single Sugarcane Varietals (with Kyle Reutner of Kō Hana Distillers)

In this episode, we talk to Kyle Reutner of Kō Hana Distillers about the Hawaii distillery’s approach to making fresh sugarcane juice rum from heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane varietals. We go deep into: How sugarcane’s journey to and role in Hawaii differs from other places around the world Why Kō Hana is focusing exclusively on single cane varietals in their rum The distillery’s production process (and how it’s designed to isolate the sugarcane as the key variable outside of time and location) The differences between heirloom sugarcane varietals and sugarcane that was used for modern sugar refining before the decline of Hawaii’s sugar industry The challenges of creating aged rums that highlight the sugarcane rather than obscuring it What the future of Hawaiian rum as a category looks like Kō Hana’s place in the larger category of sugarcane juice rums around the world And more!