Howzit Brewing

Sommelier Audit Deconstruction

Howzit Brewing keeps things small and specific: this is a Honolulu brewery built around small-batch releases and a genuine tropical-fruit sour program rather than trying to be all things to all drinkers. That focus is exactly what makes it stand out among Oʻahu's growing brewery count. An overall score of 4.4 backs up the reputation — this is a taproom where the sours aren't a side project but the main event, and it shows in how confident and well-executed the fruited offerings are. If you tend to skip past sours at other breweries, Howzit is worth resetting your expectations at. The Lilikoi Margarita Sour is the beer to lead with — tart, bright, unmistakably local in its use of passion fruit — and the Island Blender is a fun follow-up if you want to keep exploring the tropical-fruit direction the brewery clearly does best. Both are good evidence that fruited sours can taste like a specific place rather than a generic style. Visitors looking for something they can't get back home should make a point of stopping in. Locals who've written off sours as a passing trend should give Howzit a chance to change their mind — this is the small-batch program worth tracking release to release.

From the Tasting Ledger

Beers we've reviewed from Howzit Brewing

Lilikoi Margarita Sour

Howzit Brewing // 7.8/10

Island Blender — Mango, Lime, Lilikoi

Howzit Brewing // 7.6/10