Kihei Area Guide
Maui Craft Beer & Breweries Guide: Best Hawaiian Brews
Late afternoon, Kihei side. The trade winds have finally cooled things down, the sun is still maybe an hour from setting, and you walk into a concrete-floored warehouse where garage doors are flung wide open to the mountains. Someone at the bar pours a pineapple IPA that smells, for real, like you just cracked open a fresh pineapple — because they did, an hour ago. There’s a food truck out front slinging kalua pork tacos. Somebody’s dog is asleep under a picnic table. This is Maui craft beer.
For a small island, Maui has an outsized beer scene. You’ve got one of the most recognized craft breweries in Hawaii, a clutch of smaller taprooms doing genuinely excellent small-batch work, and an island-grown ingredient list — fresh fruit, lilikoi, coconut, local honey, even mamaki tea — that gives Maui beer its distinctive character. Whether you’re a hop-head who wants the double IPA or you just want a cold Kolsch after a beach day, here’s where to drink.
Maui Brewing Company (Kihei) — The Flagship
If you only visit one brewery on Maui, make it Maui Brewing Company’s Kihei production brewery and pub. It’s the original heart of an outfit that now ships its cans across the Pacific, and the on-site experience is miles better than anything you’ll get in a mainland grocery store.
The taproom pours 30+ beers on draft, including a rotating lineup of small-batch and taproom-only brews you won’t find in cans. Flagships worth trying: Bikini Blonde Lager (crisp, coconut-forward), Big Swell IPA (bright, citrus hops), Coconut Hiwa Porter (chocolatey with real toasted coconut), and whichever seasonal Pog Sour or fruit IPA is pouring the day you visit.
The food menu is substantial — poke bowls, kalua pig nachos, mahi fish and chips, great burgers — so this is a legitimate dinner destination, not just a tasting room. They also run a 45-minute brewery tour most afternoons ($15, includes samples) that’s worth doing once.
If you’re staying nearby in Kihei, Maui Brewing is a 5-minute drive or a $10 rideshare from almost any condo south of the airport. Our Kihei local’s guide walks through the neighborhood’s walkable pockets and best pairings.
Local’s Tip: Go at 3–5 p.m. on a weekday. You’ll miss the dinner rush, the flight of samples comes out faster, the garage doors are open to the afternoon light, and you can still walk the brewery tour before the evening crowd. Sunday afternoons are packed.
Maui Brewing’s Kihei taproom pours 30+ beers and anchors the island’s craft scene.
Kohola Brewery (Lahaina)
Before the 2023 Lahaina fires, Kohola Brewery operated a beloved tasting room in Lahaina that was one of the most underrated spots on the island. As Lahaina rebuilds, Kohola’s beers continue to be distributed across Maui and their status continues to evolve. Ask any bartender in South Maui what’s pouring fresh from Kohola and you’ll usually get a recommendation.
Kohola’s lineup leans hoppy and balanced — the Lokahi Pilsner is a crisp everyday drinker, and their rotating IPAs are consistently the best small-batch hop bills on the island. Support them when you see them on tap; it matters.
Local’s Tip: Ask your server or bartender where to find Kohola pouring this week. As the brewery’s footprint evolves post-fire, the best taprooms rotate — and locals always know.
Kihei Coconut Wireless & Neighborhood Taprooms
Beyond the big brewery, South Maui has a small but real neighborhood beer culture. A few spots worth stopping into:
South Shore Tiki Lounge
Not a brewery — a bar — but it pours a legitimately good rotating tap of Hawaiian and Pacific Northwest craft beer in the Kihei Kalama Village complex. Late-night vibes, $6 happy hour drafts 2–5 p.m., and a central location within walking distance of tons of Kihei condos.
Nalu’s South Shore Grill
Surf-shack atmosphere in the Azeka Mauka Shopping Center, with a rotating craft tap list that usually features 2–3 Maui Brewing options plus a handful of Big Island (Kona, Big Island Brewhaus) selections. Excellent kalua pork nachos and one of the best happy hours in South Kihei.
Fork & Salad / Tin Roof (for local beer with local food)
Fork & Salad has a compact but thoughtful beer list skewing local. Tin Roof (chef Sheldon Simeon) has a tiny rotating can selection but excellent food — a good combo stop on a Kihei walking night out.
For more on Kihei’s food-and-drink pockets, see our Maui food experiences guide — it sorts recommendations by neighborhood and vibe.
Flights are the best way to taste a brewery — pick 4–6 and compare side by side.
Upcountry & Island-Wide Stops Worth the Drive
Kula Bistro area / Upcountry
Upcountry Maui doesn’t have its own commercial brewery, but the beer list at Kula Bistro and Grandma’s Coffee House in Keokea includes solid Hawaii-brewed options and local ciders. Worth pairing with a lavender farm visit.
Mahalo Aleworks (taproom partners)
A smaller Maui-based operation that distributes to select taprooms and restaurants. Their hazy IPAs are excellent when you find them. Ask bartenders in Paia and Haiku.
Paia Brewers’ Festival (annual)
Usually held in May at Paia Inn’s courtyard area, this single-day festival is the single best way to taste Maui, Big Island, Oahu, and visiting mainland craft breweries side by side. If your travel dates line up, buy tickets early.
Local’s Tip: If you’re renting in Kihei or Wailea, the breweries and beer bars you’ll visit most are all in South Maui — which means zero Highway 30 driving late at night. Another reason we love a South Maui base camp.
Hawaii-Wide Beers Worth Ordering on Maui
Even when you’re not at a brewery, knowing what to order at restaurants makes dinner a little more local. A quick cheat sheet of beers from across Hawaii that routinely show up on Maui tap lists:
Maui Brewing: Bikini Blonde, Big Swell IPA, Coconut Hiwa Porter, Pineapple Mana Wheat
Kona Brewing (Big Island): Longboard Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale, Lavaman Red — widespread availability
Big Island Brewhaus (Kamuela): White Mountain Porter, Golden Sabbath — excellent when you see them
Kohola (Lahaina): Lokahi Pilsner and rotating IPAs
Waikiki Brewing (Oahu): Jasmine IPA, Black Strap Coconut Porter — occasionally poured on Maui
Honolulu Beerworks (Oahu): Pia Mahi’ai and limited releases
Rule of thumb: if a beer was canned in Hawaii within the last 60 days, it tastes materially better than a mainland craft beer that took 3 weeks in a shipping container to reach you. Order local.
Sunset plus a local IPA at a Kihei oceanfront bar is the unofficial end-of-beach-day ritual.
Pairing Breweries with a Maui Evening
The beer scene pairs beautifully with the rest of a Maui night. A few easy itineraries we recommend to guests:
The South Maui Happy Hour Circuit
Start at South Shore Tiki Lounge at 3 p.m. for $6 drafts, walk ten minutes to Kihei Caffe (yes, a cafe — but with a beer garden) for appetizers, then roll into Maui Brewing by 5 for a sunset flight and dinner. Easy, walkable, one Uber at the end.
For a broader list of sunset drinking spots — oceanfront happy hours, tiki bars, and hotel lobby bars with views — see our Maui sunset happy hours guide.
Brewery + Luau Combo
Some guests want the cultural experience of a luau but don’t want to commit their full evening to it. Do a 3–4 p.m. brewery stop at Maui Brewing, then head to a 5:30 p.m. luau at Grand Wailea or Wailea Beach Resort. You’ll start your night with a good local beer, then transition into traditional Hawaiian food and cultural programming.
Brewery + Fine Dining
The surprise combo: appetizers and a flight at Maui Brewing, then dinner an hour later at a nicer Wailea spot. You eat well, you drink interesting, and your dinner check is $80 smaller because you already did apps.
For the full restaurant lineup to pair a brewery visit with, see our roundup of where to eat in Maui.
Local’s Tip: Ma’alaea Harbor has no brewery of its own, but if you’re doing an afternoon Molokini snorkel trip, the Ma’alaea General Store sells Maui Brewing cans cold. Sunset beer on the deck post-tour is hard to beat.
What to Bring Home: Maui Beer as a Souvenir
Checked-bag rules on airplanes technically allow canned beer in your luggage (under 5 liters per person, under 24% ABV). Pack it in a hard-sided suitcase with clothes wrapped around the cans and double-bag it in case of pressure changes. A 4-pack of Maui Brewing Pineapple Mana Wheat is a legitimately great gift for the beer nerd back home.
Alternatively, Maui Brewing ships nationally. If you’ve just discovered a new favorite, order a case after you land and don’t bother wrestling it into your luggage.
Canned Hawaiian beer travels surprisingly well as a souvenir — wrap it in clothing in checked luggage.
Where to Stay for Brewery-Friendly Access
If craft beer is part of your Maui vision, the answer is easy: stay in Kihei. You’re within 5 minutes of Maui Brewing Company and within walking distance of South Shore Tiki Lounge, Nalu’s, and a dozen other solid beer-list restaurants. A vacation rental in Kihei means cold beer at your place for beach days, no resort-markup prices, and no late-night drives.
Browse our Kihei vacation rentals — most are 5 minutes from Maui Brewing and a short walk to South Kihei Road.
Prefer the quieter, more upscale side of South Maui? Wailea rentals are a 10–15 minute drive from the Kihei beer scene, and most of them have poolside lounging that makes bringing home a 4-pack of Bikini Blonde genuinely appealing.
And if you’re piecing together the full nightlife picture of the island, our Maui nightlife & evening entertainment guide maps out the full evening landscape, from live music to luaus to late-night bars.
A cold local beer on your own lanai at sunset — the South Maui vacation rental payoff.
Quick Reference Recap
Maui Brewing Company (Kihei) is the must-visit. Go weekday 3–5 p.m. and get the flight.
Order fresh Hawaii-canned beer when you see it on menus — it tastes noticeably better.
South Shore Tiki Lounge and Nalu’s anchor the Kihei craft-beer bar scene.
Kohola Brewery distributes across the island post-fire — ask bartenders what’s pouring.
Paia Brewers’ Festival in May is a once-a-year tasting of nearly every Hawaii brewery.
Kihei vacation rentals are the most brewery-friendly base on the island.
Canned beer travels well as a souvenir in checked luggage, wrapped in clothing.
Explore Kihei vacation rentals →
A hui hou — may your next sunset come with a cold local IPA in hand.