LIHU‘E — The new line of bottled beer at the Kaua‘i Beer Company is not because Wednesday is observed as National Beer Day in the country.
“This bottled beer is something we’ve talked about for a while,” said Emma Sloan, a Kaua‘i Beer Company employee who is credited with the designs for the new lineup of eight different varieties brewed in the back of the Lihu‘e location that is described as “the place between work and home.” “We rolled out the first bottles during the summer. Tourists love the idea of being able to just pack it instead of going through the trouble of getting growlers. As the travel loosens up, we’ll probably get a lot more demand for bottled beer. I’m glad I was part of this project.”
National Beer Day is self-promotion for beer, said Larry Feinstein, one of the leaders with the Kaua‘i Beer Company along with owner Jim Guerber who was out of town, Tuesday morning. Beer bottling is something new in the beer world.
At the Kaua‘i Beer Company, the bottled beer joins the two mainstays — Lihu‘e Lager, and Black Limousine — on tap.
“We only sell what we brew,” Feinstein said. “The bottled beer is available in the eight varieties we brew in the 300-gallon stainless steel tanks. The bottles are 22 ounces, and Emma designed the labels for each variety.”
“Beer, in order to be called beer, according to the Germans, needs to have four ingredients — water, yeast, grain, and hops,” Feinstein said. “It is a living thing, fragile and delicate. When beer is ready, it goes from our stainless steel tanks right to the tap. No trucking, or temperature variations from hot to cold to hot.”
April 7 also marks the celebration of World Health Day which was started in 1948 and taking effect in 1950 to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization. Since its inception, the observance has brought light to important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change.
“What is important when it comes to health, is state of mind,” Feinstein said. “Beer makes you happy, and feel better. The better you feel, the healthier you are.”
Online searches for the health benefits of beer include, beer contributing to an individual’s daily nutrient intake, may lower the risk of diabetes, may make your heart healthier, may build stronger bones, may boost brain power, cleans teeth, may reduce inflammation, and may help one live longer.
“Moderation is the rule,” Feinstein said. “You’ll get into trouble if you over do things. That applies to beer as well.”
Moderation, described by several online healthy living websites, is between one and two beers a day for males, and half that amount for women.
“Beer is Heart-Healthy,” states the everydayhealth.com website. “Huge studies have found a 25 percent lower risk of heart disease in people who drink from one-half to two drinks, daily.”
The healthline.com website states, “In the United States, a standard beer is 12 ounces. Drinking one, or two standard beers per day may have some health benefits.”
Among the lineup in Kaua‘i Beer Co. bottled beers, the Sleeping Giant is described as a “barley wine ale.”
“The Sleeping Giant is happily high in alcoholic content,” Feinstein said. “It’s the brewing process that brings it very close to wine.”
Opening in 2013, the Kaua‘i Beer Company welcomes the day as Ha Coffee Shop from 6 to 11 a.m. before transitioning to become “the place between work and home” from noon to 9 p.m. The shop is closed on Sundays.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
