Big Island Brewhaus

What Big Island Brewhaus does

Big Island Brewhaus is a privately held, founder-operated craft brewery and brewpub located at 2,764 feet elevation in Waimea/Kamuela on the Big Island of Hawaii, founded by Thom and Jayne Kerns and opened on March 4, 2011. The business operates a 10-barrel brewhaus producing a 13-SKU portfolio spanning IPAs, pilsners, porters, Belgians, rice lagers, and farmhouse ales, with award-winning flagships including Overboard IPA, White Mountain Porter, Golden Sabbath, Odin's Sword, and the 2025 U.S. Open Beer Championship gold-winning Migoto Rice Lager.

The brewpub serves seated dining from a menu inspired by Mexican, Hawaiian, and Asian cuisines using locally sourced fish, beef, and produce, open daily 11AM-9PM with no reservations. Packaged beer is sold to-go in cans (since August 2023), quart and half-gallon mason jars, and growlers, while wholesale distribution places the brand in hundreds of retail stores, restaurants, resorts, and bars statewide. Online takeout ordering and gift cards are processed through Toast Tab, and weekly Open Mic and live music programming anchor the venue as a community gathering space.

The company is profitable in style (no external funding, founder-owned), employs 11-50 staff, and relies entirely on traditional artisan brewing rather than technology differentiation. Revenue is generated through three streams: in-haus food and beverage sales, takeout and to-go orders, and wholesale distribution, with unit pricing on pints ($9), goblets ($5.50-$9), 6-pack cans ($17-$19), and growler fills ($0.35/oz). Sustainability credentials include Surfrider Foundation Platinum Ocean Friendly Restaurant and Blue Zones Project Approved certifications.

Name

Big Island Brewhaus

Legal name

Big Island Brewhaus LLC

Website

https://bigislandbrewhaus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Island Brewhaus is a founder-owned craft brewery and brewpub in Waimea, Hawaii, brewing a 13-SKU award-winning portfolio on a 10-barrel system, operating daily dine-in service, takeout, and statewide wholesale distribution of canned and draft beer across Hawaii.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery and Brewpub

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Brewpub restaurant
• Handcrafted beer
• Craft beer distribution
• Brewpub dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Kamuela

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. In-Haus Food & Beverage Sales: Seated dining and craft beer sales at the brewpub location in Waimea/Kamuela. Food menu features locally sourced fresh fish, beef, and produce inspired by Mexican, Hawaiian, and Asian cuisines. Beer served in samplers, flights, half pints, pints, and goblets.
2. Takeout & To-Go Orders: Food and beer available to-go via online ordering through Toasttab. Beer sold in cans, quart and half gallon mason jars, and 1/2 gallon growlers.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Handcrafted beers distributed to hundreds of stores, restaurants, resorts, and bars across the state of Hawaii. Products available at retail and on tap throughout Hawaii.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Big Island Brewhaus is a craft brewery and brewpub in Waimea/Kamuela, Hawaii, producing handcrafted beer on a 10-barrel brewhaus system and serving it alongside a full food menu inspired by Mexican, Hawaiian, and Asian cuisines for on-site dining. The company also sells its beer to-go in cans, mason jars, and growlers, and distributes it to retail stores, restaurants, resorts, and bars throughout the state of Hawaii.

Product overview

Big Island Brewhaus is a single-location brewpub in Waimea, Hawaii that operates as both a restaurant and craft brewery. The core offering consists of handcrafted beers brewed on-site in a 10-barrel brewhaus, sold alongside a full food menu featuring locally sourced Mexican, Hawaiian, and Asian-inspired cuisine. Beers are available for on-site consumption (samplers, pints, goblets) and takeout (cans, mason jars, growlers). The product portfolio includes award-winning beers such as Overboard IPA, White Mountain Porter, Golden Sabbath, Dark Sabbath, Hoptopias IPA, Paniolo Pale Ale, Graham's Pilsner, Red Giant, Migoto Rice Lager, Vivo Pils, Coconut Creme Ale, and Odin's Sword. The business also offers online ordering and gift cards through Toast Tab platform. Live music events on Thursday (Open Mic) and Friday evenings complement the dining and drinking experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Overboard IPA India Pale Ale with 6.9% ABV and 56 IBU featuring American hops with tropical fruit, pine, and wildflower notes harmonizing with bready malt character; sold for on-site consumption and to-go.
• White Mountain Porter Robust Porter with 5.8% ABV and 33 IBU featuring toasted coconut and coffee aromas with hints of chocolate and dark malt; brewed with hand-toasted coconut and estate coffee.
• Golden Sabbath Belgian Style Abbey Ale with 8.5% ABV and 45 IBU featuring noble hops, pale malt, and Hawaiian honey with caramel-apple nuances from Belgian yeast.
• Dark Sabbath Belgian Style Dark Abbey Ale with 9.5% ABV and 35 IBU featuring dark and pale malts, noble and new world hops, and Hawaiian honey with notes of pepper, raisins, and figs.
• Red Sea of Cacao Imperial Red with 8.7% ABV and 28 IBU featuring local cacao, sea salt, and a special malt and hops blend creating chocolate and salted caramel flavors.
• Hoptopias IPA Double IPA with 8.0% ABV and 59 IBU featuring tangerine, passionfruit, peach, and pine hop flavors with a dry, lingering bitterness.
• Paniolo Pale Ale Pale Ale with 5.7% ABV and 40 IBU featuring American Cascade, Cashmere, and Citra hops with tropical fruit and wildflower flavors.
• Graham's Pilsner Czech-Style Pils with 5.6% ABV and 35 IBU featuring Czech Saaz hops leading to bready malt flavors and a crisp finish; named after a friend and supporter.
• Red Giant Red IPA with 6.8% ABV and 53 IBU featuring light and dark caramel malts and American hops with dry hop and toffee flavors.
• Migoto Rice Lager Japanese-style dry lager with 4.4% ABV and 15 IBU brewed with pilsner malt, rice, and noble hops; pronounced 'Me-Go-Tow', meaning superb, awesome, and amazing.
• Vivo Pils Dry-hopped Italian Pils with 5% ABV and 31 IBU featuring Hallertauer, Saphir, and New Zealand Riwaka hops with fresh flowers, herbs, and orange blossoms; cans only.
• Coconut Creme Ale Cream Ale with 5.1% ABV and 20 IBU featuring hand-toasted coconut with a creamy, golden, slightly dry profile.
• Odin's Sword Baltic Porter with 8.0% ABV and 30 IBU featuring semi-sweet maltiness with rummy-raisin, licorice, chocolate, and coffee notes.
• Dine-In and Takeout Food Service Restaurant and takeout service featuring locally sourced fresh fish, beef, and produce in dishes prepared from scratch daily, inspired by Mexican, Hawaiian, and Asian cuisines and classic pub food; available for dine-in and takeout via Toast Tab online ordering.
• Draft and Packaged Beer Sales Handcrafted beers available for on-site consumption (samplers, flights, half pints, pints, goblets) and to-go (cans, quart and half gallon mason jars, 1/2 gallon growlers, 2 liter growlers); distributed across hundreds of stores and restaurants throughout Hawaii.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable for food, beer, and merchandise at the Big Island Brewhaus brewpub, sold via the Toast Tab platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals at major competitions including U.S. Open Beer Championships, World Beer Cup, and Great American Beer Festival since 2011
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Lanai Brewing Company: Small Hawaii craft brewery operating on Lanai with a tasting-room and limited distribution. Comparable Hawaii island craft brewer with on-premise service model.
• Hapa's Brewing Company: Big Island Hawaii craft brewery based in Kona, producing small-batch beers and operating a taproom. Directly comparable on geography (Big Island Hawaii) and craft-brewery + taproom business model.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Brewing: Large U.S. craft brewer operating multiple brewpubs and broad wholesale distribution. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the craft brewing + brewpub space, though at substantially larger scale.
• New Belgium Brewing: Large U.S. craft brewery with national distribution and a flagship brewpub/tasting room. Comparable as a broad incumbent in craft brewing + on-premise hospitality.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Large U.S. craft brewery with national distribution and an on-site taproom/brewpub. Comparable as a broad incumbent craft brewer combining manufacturing scale with brewpub hospitality.
• Deschutes Brewery: Pacific Northwest craft brewery with multiple brewpubs and broad regional distribution. Comparable as an established craft brewer with brewpub + multi-state wholesale model.

Direct peers

• Kona Brewing Company: Iconic Hawaii-based craft brewery headquartered in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, founded1988. Operates a brewpub plus extensive Hawaii and U.S. mainland distribution — directly comparable in geography, Big Island footprint, and statewide craft beer distribution model.
• Honolulu Beerworks: Oahu-based craft brewery and gastropub producing small-batch beer with on-premise food service. Comparable as a Hawaii craft brewpub combining brewing with full food service.
• Waikiki Brewing Company: Hawaii craft brewery with brewpub operations on Oahu producing award-winning beers for the local market. Comparable as a Hawaii-based craft brewer operating brewpub + wholesale distribution within the state.
• Maui Brewing Company: Hawaii-based craft brewery and brewpub founded in 2005 by Garrett Marrero, where founder Thomas Kerns previously worked as Brewmaster. Operates as both a manufacturing brewery and on-premise restaurant venues in Hawaii, distributing statewide and nationally — directly comparable business model and Hawaii craft market positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bigislandbrewhaus
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigislandbrewhaus

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Island Brewhaus