New Article: Okolehao Then and Now
April 17, 2013
Aloha, kakou!
Today I’m really pleased to share with you my latest article, which is about something near and dear to me: okolehao. What is okolehao? Okolehao is Hawaii’s traditional folk liquor made from the roots of the ti plant. Okolehao was widely available through the 1980’s, but then it fell out of favor. In the 1990’s, you couldn’t find any, but today with two new sources on the market, okolehao is enjoying a bit of a renaissance on the islands. Read the article here and find out what’s so special about this Hawaiian original.
A hui hou,
Josh
3 Comments
leave one →
Inu A Kena 
What happened to the okolehao bottling shop on Waimanalo St in Honolulu? This was back in the late 50’s/early 60’s. Same period that Hawaiian Host candies was on the Ward & Waimano corner.
No idea, Gaye! Would have loved to visit 🙂
I remember a man bottled whiskey there and the strong fermenting smell of the whiskey. A narrow driveway separated his shop from my dad’s woodcarving shop. As kids, we used to roam around and got to visit these places during business hours. The building is still there. Thank you for your article. Brought back memories of that neighborhood.