Taste of JASH
NOMU EDITION
The Japan-America Society of Hawaii is honored to team up with three Oʻahu distillers to present TASTE OF JASH: NOMU EDITION.
Virtual pau hana events held on Thursdays at 5:30pm, join Kо̄ Hana Distillers, Hawaiian Shochu Company, and Mānoa Honey & Mead via Zoom for distillery tours, tastings (for 21+), and talk-stories.
Questions? Email us at admindir(at)jashawaii(dot)org or call 808-524-4450.
Must be 21+ to pre-order beverages; IDs will be checked at pick-up.
We do not support underage drinking, excessive or binge drinking, or any other unsafe drinking behavior.
Always drink responsibly.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021
5:30PM (HST)
Zoom Pau Hana
Farm-to-Bottle Kо̄ Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum is handcrafted from heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane (kо̄) brought to the islands by the early Polynesian voyagers. Their popular tasting tours are offered daily in both English and Japanese. Click here to learn more about Kо̄ Hana Distillers on their website.
In this ToJ pau hana moderated by JASH NexGen Delle Tanioka, attendees will experience a virtual walkthrough tour of Kо̄ Hana's distillery in Kunia. LIVE from the distillery, General Manager Kyle Reutner and Brand Manager & Mixologist Teves Freitas will teach you how to taste spirits like a pro, featuring their KEA White Hawaiian Agricole Rum. Complete with time to talk-story, you won't want to miss this virtual pau hana.
Featuring KEA White Hawaiian Agricole Rum
Enjoy a drink with our pau hana program!
If you’d like to order a bottle of their featured KEA White Hawaiian Agricole Rum or any other Kо̄ Hana products, select “JASH Pick-Up” from the pick-up options during checkout from the Kо̄ Hana online store. Orders will be available for pick-up from the JASH Office (1600 Kapiolani Blvd Ste 204) on Wednesday, November 3 from 9:00am-4:00pm. You must be 21+ to order; IDs will be checked during order pick-up. Pre-orders close November 1, so place your order today!
Can't make the JASH pick-up? Kо̄ Hana products can be found at many retailers throughout Hawaii, including Foodland, Whole Foods, and Fujioka's. Or, you can order directly from their distillery in Kunia by clicking here.
Kyle Reutner - Kō Hana General Manager
Kyle Reutner is the general manager for Kō Hana Distillers. Kō Hana Distillers is Hawaii’s first vertically integrated distillery where every ounce of rum is made with heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane grown on their own farm. In addition, Kyle is currently working with Dave Power and the owners of Feté on creating a beverage program in Waikiki. With his degree in chemistry and over fifteen years in the restaurant industry, Kyle is one of the few people that have worked in all aspects from producing spirits, mixing cocktails and creating hospitality programs for a guest to enjoy.
Before joining KōHana Distillers has worked behind the stick at the best bars in Honolulu. Under the tutelage of Christian Self, Dave Newman, and Jon Schwalbenitz, Kyle has been able to make a name for himself nationally. In 2012, he was recognized as one of ten “Mixologists to Watch” by Beverage Media. He has competed in many competitions representing the Aloha State and has had his drinks featured in Travel and Leisure and Food and Wine amongst countless others.
Teves Freitas - Kō Hana Brand Manager & Mixologist
Teves began his career in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher and worked his way through the ranks; heading the beverage program for Eating House 1849 in Waikiki and concocting signature cocktails for Roy’s restaurants throughout the islands. Having experience with Roy’s ever evolving menu has shaped his out look on flavors, textures and cuisines from around the globe. In addition, Teves has been featured in numerous publications, local TV, and he has participated in more than a handful of cocktail competitions.
The unique story and process of Kō Hana Distillers are amidst many of the reasons why Teves jumped at the chance to join the company. As the brand manager, he is honored to partake in the work Kō Hana has been doing to revitalize sugarcane farming in Hawai’i and their efforts to preserve its history.
Delle Tanioka - Program Moderator, JASH NexGen
Delle Tanioka grew up in Hilo on the Big Island. She is currently the Senior Account Manager for Automated Healthcare Solutions (AHCS), a medical technology and billing company where she oversees accounts in Hawaii, Alaska, California and Nevada. Delle originally pursued a career in education, starting out as a preschool teacher at KCAA, eventually moving to Our Redeemer Lutheran Schools where she started the Preschool program. After 8 years as Preschool Director and coordinator, Delle served as the Oahu Coordinator for PATCH (People Attentive to Children) overseeing numerous programs.
Delle has been an active member of the JASH NexGen Committee and also served on the JASH Annual Golf Tournament Committee which assisted in producing one of the most successful JASH golf tournaments. She was elected the second president of JCI HNL in 2017 and serves as the current and 77th State President of JCI-Hawaii.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021
5:30PM (HST)
Zoom Pau Hana
Hawaiian Shochu Company Founder and Owner Ken Hirata and his wife Yumiko produce small-batch Honkaku Shochu in Haleʻiwa using locally-sourced sweet potatoes (imo) through traditional, old-style techniques. Releases are made twice a year: once in the spring, and once in the fall. Click here to learn more about Hawaiian Shochu Company on their Facebook.
This ToJ pau hana will kick-off with an virtual tour of Hawaiian Shochu Company's Haleʻiwa distillery, filmed specially for this program. Joining us LIVE, Owner Ken will lead a tasting of his shochu and answer any questions you have about his traditional distilling process.
SPECIAL PRE-ORDER & JASH PICK-UP
Usually, the only way to get a hold of their exclusive shochu is drive out to their distillery on the North Shore. Exclusive for this JASH event, we’re excited to offer order pick-up at the JASH Office! Hawaiian Shochu Company currently has three types of shochu available: their NamiHana #17 Hawaiian Blend 2 ($42.75+tax), NamiHana EXTRA ($44.75+tax), and their NEW Haleiwa Rainbow Shochu Gin ($68+tax) (details below).
Orders will be available for pick-up from the JASH Office (1600 Kapiolani Blvd. Ste. 204) on November 15-17 from 9:00am-4:00pm. You must be 21+ to order; IDs will be checked during order pick-up.
JASH Orders are now closed.
You can still order and pick-up bottles of shochu directly from the Haleiwa distillery throughout the year by contacting Ken at HIRATA@HISHOCHU.com.
NamiHana #17 Hawaiian Blend version 2 ($42.75 + tax)
“This is our authentic and classic SHOCHU made from Hawaii-grown sweet potatoes. Similar to the previous batch #16, we blended a few different varieties of sweet potatoes from all over the Hawaiian Islands. Due to this long-lasting pandemic, many farmers are going through a tough time. We wanted to source as many sweet potatoes as possible from as many farmers as possible.”
NamiHana EXTRA ($44.75 + tax)
“This limited version of NamiHana is called ‘EXTRA.’ The base of EXTRA is our regular sweet potato SHOCHU, but compared to our regular NamiHana, it is extra dry, matured extra long, extra smooth, and SUKOSHI extra volume. EXTRA is a blend of Okinawan purple sweet potatoes and red skin yellow meat sweet potatoes from Waiahole.”
*NEW* Haleiwa Rainbow Shochu Gin ($68 + tax)
“What is the uniqueness of “Hawaiian Rainbow” SHOCHU Gin? Majority of gin makers add botanicals to neutral spirits, which are super clean, high-proof spirits. For each bottle of our Hawaiian Rainbow, we use 1.6 bottles of our NamiHana Shochu! We add Italian juniper berries along with Hawaii-grown botanicals: red hibiscus, orange mango, yellow jabon, green ti leaves and limu from the ocean, blue butterfly pea, and purple sweet potatoes… giving us our shochu gin ‘Haleiwa Rainbow.’ We believe these botanicals from Hawaii make our ‘Haleiwa Rainbow’ special and unique.”
Ken Hirata - Founder & Owner
.jpg)
It was POI that brought Ken HIRATA to Hawaii for SHOCHU making.
Ken was born and grew up in Osaka, Japan. After he graduated from high school in Osaka, he had a chance to study in the U.S. It took him 6+ years to obtain a B.B.A from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He could not have done it without all the friendship and help from the Hawaii kids attending the school with him at that time.
After college, he went back to Asia and started working in finance. One summer, he was visiting Hawaii as a tourist enjoying POKE and POI and thought, “If there is POI in Hawaii, maybe we can make SHOCHU because POI is fermented, too.” Obviously, his college life had taught him some knowledge about drinking. It was just a joke and everyone including himself was laughing about it because he didn’t know anything about making alcohol.
Several years later when he was working in the field of Japanese traditional craft art, the idea of making SHOCHU in Hawaii suddenly came back to his mind, and he thought, “It would be fun if we can really make SHOCHU in Hawaii.” A few months later (in 2005), he was accepted as an apprentice by Master MANZEN in Kagoshima, Japan. In 2013, he started a small SHOCHU distillery in Haleʻiwa.
John Rankin - Program Moderator, JASH Board Director and NexGen Member
John Rankin is a Real Estate Advisor with Cushman & Wakefield Chaney Brooks, Hawaii's largest and oldest locally-owned commercial real estate company and advises clients on sales and leasing of commercial property. Previously he held high-level positions in the travel and tourism industry and also spent six years working abroad in Tokyo, Japan.
John is a JASH Board Director as well as a founding member of the JASH NexGen Committee and has helped organize many prior events including the Taste of JASH, Natsumatsuri and the Annual Gala celebrations. When he is not working or drinking shochu he enjoys spending time with his wife Rosie and one year old son Noah.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
5:30PM (HST)
Zoom Pau Hana
Oʻahu's one and only Hawaiian craft mead mixes Hawaiian honey and tropical fruits, creating a drink tailored for the local climate. Since taking over Mānoa Honey in 2014, owners Yuki and Erika Uzuhashi and their team in Wahiawā also produce raw honey and specialty hive products. Click here to learn more about Mānoa Honey & Mead at their website.
In this ToJ pau hana, attendees will learn all about the Mānoa Honey House & Meadery. Joining LIVE from the meadery, Owner Yuki will introduce their products and answer any questions you may have about bees, honey, and of course, mead. This program will be moderated by JASH NexGen Gina Maeda.
Yuki Uzuhashi - Owner
Yuki Uzuhashi and his wife Erika own and run Mānoa Honey & Mead, which originally was founded in Mānoa valley in late 90's. Yuki's interest in bees began while he was studying sculpture at a Kyoto art school. Since taking over Mānoa Honey & Mead in 2014, Yuki and Erika have poured their passion into producing the finest products, expanding their line-up from raw honey to honey infusion, specialty hive products, and to Oahu's one and only Hawaiian craft mead.
Gina Maeda - Program Moderator
Born and raised in Pearl City, Gina Maeda is a proud Charger alum who went on to graduate with a PharmD from the University of the Pacific. After working as a pharmacist for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii for almost 9 years, it was time for a career change and Gina joined the MDX Hawaii team as a quality program analyst. Today, she is a practice performance manager with UnitedHealthcare.
Gina has been a member of the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce since 2010, serving in different Board of Directors positions, including Cherry Blossom Festival General Chair. She also enjoys volunteering with non-profit Sakura Hawaii Alumnae and coordinating press and media relations for local conventions Kawaii Kon and Comic Con Honolulu. Earlier in 2021, she joined the JASH NexGen committee to help with the annual Natsumatsuri celebration.
In 2022, Gina looks forward to serving as state president for JCI Hawaii and continuing to connect with fellow JASH NexGen-ers.