Froot Lupes — Aloha Beer Co.

Evaluating unpasteurized expressions after ocean transport requires strict thermal controls. When buying Monkish beer in Hawaii or sourcing other mainland craft allocations, local collectors frequently encounter oxidized characteristics. Heat spikes on tarmacs and cargo container baking typically compromise the yeast and hop profile before the cans reach Honolulu shelves.

This batch of Froot Lupes was shipped under our strict 38°F trans-pacific cold corridor, resulting in a pristine presentation. The mouthfeel is exceptionally clean, with the hop aromatics completely intact.

Froot Lupes is Aloha Beer Co.'s answer to the hazy IPA craze that's taken over Honolulu's beer shelves, built at 7.3% ABV to land solidly in the style's juicy middle ground rather than push into double-IPA territory. The name hints at where this one leans: expect a burst of tropical and citrus fruit up front, the kind of orange-juice hue and soft, pillowy mouthfeel that hazy IPA drinkers chase, with bitterness kept low so the fruit character can do the talking. The finish should stay smooth and rounded rather than sharp, more dessert-adjacent than piney. At a 7.5 out of 10, Froot Lupes earned its ledger spot as a crowd-pleasing, easy-drinking hazy that doesn't ask much of the drinker beyond enjoying it cold. It's the kind of beer that works as a warm-up in a flight or a solo pour on a Friday, unpretentious and fruit-driven rather than technical. For members outside Hawaiʻi, Froot Lupes is a window into what's actually filling taps in Honolulu right now: a homegrown hazy IPA that plays in the same juicy lane as the mainland's biggest names, made by a brewery rooted in the islands rather than shipped in.