Kaua‘i Beer Company

Smokin’ Jalapeno Popper from the Steak Burger menu, which boasts a “half pound of seven on a taro bun”, and I think they are correct. And they are not kidding when they talk about heat. Between the jalapenos, chipotle and the chili flakes, I was burning up. Muenster cheese and cream cheese cool it down, making it a wonderfully visceral experience.

By Anni Caporuscio

By way of introduction to this article, let me laud all the small businesses and restaurants that are finding success by pivoting from the “normal” mode of operation and that are experimenting with “new normal” ways methods of business. It is the businesses that can stay on top of the weirdness that will get through what appears to be an extended period of difference with flexibility, grace and creativity.

All this is true, and I deeply miss a good pub. The kind you walk in, and the staff is casual and knows my name, sets a pint down before I even know I want one. The bartender asks after my job and how my dog is doing. We chat a bit about politics and current events and draw neighboring patrons into the discussion and we all tell some jokes. I spot a few old friends across the room and take my pint over for a visit and a chat and we share some Garlic Fries or some Kung Pao Brussel Sprouts. An acquaintance drops in after work and there’s high fives all around, even hugs.

Remember those days?

This is the Kauai Beer Company, a hub of good times and friends meeting for pints and meals, a stopping-place after work, and a great restaurant for rubbing elbows and shoulders in a crush of smiling people. The Kauai Beer Co. is one of those pivoting restaurants that are staying on top of the times and making creative choices to stay relevant and bring as much community as we can in our socially starved island.

Veggie Paradise in a Pita. Smoked portobello mushroom makes the “meat” in this all vegan gyro, complimented by fresh crunchy veggies and a lemon garlic tahini. It’s filling and fresh and clean.

Justin Guerber and Kim Wright confirmed all these notions with me. They say Kauai Beer Co. has always wanted to be your stop between work and home, and they still are.

For COVID-related caution, they are not messing around. You walk in through the garage on the left of the building, and walk out through the front door, it’s a one-way system. All silverware and condiments are single-use and personal. There is extra sanitizing, so this could be one of the cleanest restaurants I have ever seen. The dining area stands at 50-percent capacity and there is no mingling between tables, although I waved a greeting to some distant old friends.

To limit contact between staff and tables, they introduced a futuristic ordering system in which guests order and pay from the table. There also use an app called Toast, coming soon, in which you can see the menu, order, pay and receive texts when your food is ready.

The kitchen at Kauai Beer Co. has been staying creative. Now that our world has reorganized dining-out, they have plans in the works. Chef Scotty plans a Taco Tuesday that features a different upscale taco every week, things like Jerk Chicken with Oxtail, Portabello Mushroom, Fresh Catch with Pineapple Salsa. He’s also continuing the Family Meals, which is a takeout pack to feed four (although I’m told these could feed six easily). There will be a prime rib special. Enchiladas! Amazing homemade pickles! All the local ingredients they can get their hands on!

Justin Guerber and Kim Wright from the Kaua‘i Beer Co., balancing COVID-compliance with pub life well.

The bar side of the Beer Co. has been busy, too. They just started mixing cocktails on tap I immediately pondered the volume of mixing a keg of cosmos. Think Margaritas, Mai Tais, Manhattans, Martinis, Cosmos, all with their signature attention to detailed flavor. And the beer brewing is back. Guerber says he had halted brews during the sparse period of the year but has since started fresh to bring our old favorites back: the Lihue Lager, Black Limo, Kokobopo, the IPAs and all the rest.

The Kaua‘i Beer Co. is still here, still brewing, and still your home away from home. Check out the new things and have a good time. Find them in the heart of Lihu‘e at 4265 Rice St. Visit www.kauaibeer.com or call 245-2337 for more information.

Okonomiyaki Fries are the next level gooey, shareable snack. A mash up of Japanese flavors with French fries, it’s topped with katsu sauce, mayo, bonito flakes, green onion and furikake. The bonito flakes are delicate fish flakes that wave around as they absorb the heat from the plate of fries, making this a deliciously salty and sweet dish, and an interactive one as well.

Kaua‘i Beer Co. started serving cocktails on tap. Pictured here are two Margaritas, one of them with li hing mui rim, and a Mai Tai that is still in the experimental phase.