Manoa Chocolate in Kailua, Hawaii, makes a variety of single origin bars with beans from farms all around Hawaii, and they also make a range of bars celebrating other crops popular on the islands, like coconut, mango, and passionfruit. Today though we’re going to talk about Manoa’s relationship with craft alcoholic drinks. Manoa makes popular bars made with both rum and whiskey made locally, and they run a wine bar that offers both casual pairing guidance and structured pairings. They’re even working with a local brewery to make a beer made with cacao and then chocolate made with those nibs. All of this, of course, is super interesting to me here on Bean to Barstool, so I sat down recently with founder Dylan Butterbaugh to talk about rum, whiskey, wine, and beer as they relate to Manoa Chocolate.
I can’t wait to hear how that beer and chocolate turn out. If you’re near Kailua, check out Manoa’s wine bar, and please, order some beer. I promise it pairs beautifully with chocolate, and I’ve written an entire zine to prove it, which you can order on the bean to barstool shop.
In the wake of the Maui wildfires in 2023, Manoa also created a special chocolate bar called Support for Maui to raise funds for relief efforts. That bar is still available, so be sure to check it out on manoachocolate.com.
Thanks to Dylan for spending a few minutes with us today, and thanks to all of you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this bonus episode of Bean to Barstool.
Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
TikTok
Sign up for host David Nilsen's newsletter to get regular updates!