The Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery is situated in the central upcountry of Maui and offers visitors some pretty exciting attractions. This 80-acre organic farm and distillery offers fantastic tours and fresh vodka tastings for those who make the trip. This tour and distillery visit is a good itinerary choice for those who want to learn more about agricultural processes in Hawaii or who simply a quality shot of vodka taken high on a volcano’s ridge overlooking the Hawaiian coast.
You will find Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery along a winding back road in the heart of Maui’s plantation country. Depending upon which way you go, you might pass by other popular agricultural locations like Surfing Goat Dairy, Kula Lani Ranch, and the Haleakala Creamery. All of which offer their own exciting visitor opportunities, but none of which boasts the unique drinking experience of Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery.
The Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery is 100% certified USDA organic, and all of their products are gluten-free. This location and brand also has the unique designation of being the only company in the world (yes, the world!) to produce vodka that is sourced from both organic sugar cane and deep ocean mineral water. That deep ocean mineral water comes from water collected just off of the Kona Coast and from a water depth of over 3,000 feet. In fact, it was an article about this deep ocean mineral water that inspired the owners of Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery to get into the business!
Learning more about this deep mineral water and how it is used to create the deliciously clean and fresh Ocean Organic Vodka is just one thing you will glean when completing the farm and distillery tour. This tour goes through the entirety of the vodka-making processes here and shows just why this Hawaiian liquor company stands out. Tour guests will meander through sugar cane fields and see the sustainable manner in which the farm grows, harvests, and returns what isn’t used from the stalk back into the soil. This location does not use slash and burn techniques but rather employs a sustainable and renewable method across its 80 acres.
Sustainability is a central value of Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery and the method of sugar cane harvesting and mulching is just one way this organization fulfills that value. During the farm and distillery tour, guests will also learn about their other sustainability practices, including their near full reliance on solar power for operations. Tour guides also emphasize the importance of the ocean and land conservation and the reasons why they choose fully organic farming processes.
At the end of the tour, guests are invited to the onsite tiki bar where they can purchase a number of the fantastic spirits made at this location. This includes the Ocean Vodka brand as well as rum spirits. The tour itself also includes a number of tastings, and with drinks this good you might want to book an Uber to and from the tour.
Insider Tips:
-While many Hawaiians seem to be a bit lax on schedules, running often on so-called “island time”, the tours here are not such. When you reserve online for a specific time, be there for that time. The group gets strict, and you may miss out on the tour if you run even a couple of minutes over your stated arrival time.
-You will find a sort of pizza on their menu but not much else in terms of food. For a more complete meal, consider going a bit north after you’re done with the tour to enjoy a late lunch or dinner in one of Makawao’s many premier dining establishments.