Okolehao
Okolehao is the only native Hawaiian spirit. Often dubbed as Hawaiian moonshine, it is distilled from fermented roots of ti plant (also known as oke). The history of the drink is ancient and vague, but it is believed that it gained its final form in the late 1700s with the introduction of distilling techniques.
Before that, the crude, original version was mostly made as a potent brew. This distilled spirit was familiar on the islands until two imposed prohibitions—a local one introduced in 1818 by King Kamehameha that was lifted in 1833, and the national prohibition in 1920.
Throughout these years, okolehao was probably made illegally, and though most styles were made as a simple distilled spirit, some producers introduced oak aging—giving okolehao a new, mellow and complex character. Sometimes, ti was even replaced or fermented together with rice or pineapple. Read more
During and following WWII, the spirit fell out of favor. There are several claims that some variations did not include traditional distillation but instead used flavorings and whiskey as a base. In the 1990s and the early 2000s, the spirit was virtually non-existent.
Few examples that appeared on the market were sweet and syrupy and mostly labeled as liqueurs. In 2012, Oahu’s Island Distillers introduced their version named Hawaiian Moonshine—which is made with a high proof spirit of ti root and sugar cane, and which was the only true take on the original spirit.
Despite many styles that appeared through history, okolehao is mainly promoted as a great cocktail ingredient that provides earthy and herbaceous notes.
