Oahu Rum Distillery Tour & Tasting: Kō Hana Farm

What happens when a pineapple plantation becomes a rum distillery?

You arrive at a renovated plantation general store, taste fresh cane juice, walk through a sugarcane garden and barrel room, then sit at the tasting bar for four different rums plus samples of barrel-aged honey, cake, and hot sauce. The whole experience runs 45-60 minutes with a local guide and groups capped at fifteen people, so you get the full process without the crowds.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided tour and rum tasting

• Arrive at historic Kunia general store
• Enjoy fresh pressed cane juice
• Walk through native Hawaiian sugarcane garden
• Experience aroma of barrel room
• Finish at tasting bar with rum samples

The experience

Forty-five to sixty minutes in Kunia, and you're standing in what used to be the Delmonte general store: now Oahu's first and only rum tasting room with a working farm and distillery attached. The building itself is the story: renovated, kept close to what it was, but now it smells like fermentation and sugarcane instead of dry goods. Your local guide walks you through what that transition looked like, and then you move into it.

The tour starts with a glass of fresh pressed cane juice (not rum yet, just the raw material, sweet and immediate), and then you walk through the garden where they grow native Hawaiian sugarcanes. The plants are tall, dense, nothing like the neat rows you might imagine. After that comes the barrel room, and this is where the distillery tour gets real: the smell hits you before you see anything, wood and time and alcohol all at once. You walk through it, no rushing, and the guide talks about aging, about what happens in the dark.

The tasting bar is where you finish. Four different rums, and you're not just drinking them. You're tasting the difference between what comes out of those barrels at different stages. The distillery also makes barrel-aged honey, rum cake, and barrel-aged hot sauce, and those are part of what you sample. It's not a long sit-down. It's structured but not stiff. Groups stay under fifteen people, so it never feels crowded, and the whole thing (from cane juice to the last pour) takes just under an hour.

The location matters too. Kunia is inland, central Oahu, not the tourist strip. Public transportation reaches it, and everything on site is wheelchair accessible, which means you're not choosing between access and experience here. If you're twenty-one or older and want to understand how rum actually gets made instead of just tasting it at a bar, this is the place that does both.

What’s included

Your tour includes a local guide for the full 45-60 minutes, a glass of fresh pressed cane juice, access to the sugarcane garden and barrel room, four rum tastings at the bar, and samples of barrel-aged honey, rum cake, and barrel-aged hot sauce.

Information

Lasts 45m–1h, runs every day, 4 start times, from US$ 25 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (21 and older) · Youth (13 to 20 years) · Child (1 to 12 years): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Ko Hana Distillers

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see how rum is actually made (from the cane to the barrel to the glass) without spending half a day on it. The small group size and fixed timing mean you get the full process and the tasting without the usual distillery crowds.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 20 years); Child (1 to 12 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the Kō Hana rum distillery tour?

45 to 60 minutes, fully guided from start to finish.

What's included in the tasting?

Fresh pressed cane juice, a walk through the sugarcane garden and barrel room, four rum tastings, and samples of barrel-aged honey, rum cake, and hot sauce.

What's the minimum age to visit?

You must be 21 or older to participate in the rum tasting portion.

Is the distillery wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are also wheelchair accessible.

Where is Kō Hana located?

In historic Kunia, Oahu, inside a renovated general store from the retired Delmonte Pineapple Plantation.

How many people go on each tour?

Maximum 15 guests per tour.

Is there parking or public transportation?

Public transportation options are available nearby, and parking is on-site.