1 00:59:59,292 --> 01:00:02,918 - [Announcer] "Taste Makers" was funded in part by. 2 01:00:08,999 --> 01:00:10,042 - [Announcer] It all comes down 3 01:00:10,042 --> 01:00:12,792 to creating something unique. 4 01:00:13,667 --> 01:00:16,999 It's important to take pride in one's work 5 01:00:16,999 --> 01:00:19,167 and share expertise. 6 01:00:23,083 --> 01:00:26,999 Edward Jones is proud to support the craftspeople 7 01:00:26,999 --> 01:00:29,876 who define the maker movement. 8 01:00:33,999 --> 01:00:36,999 (upbeat music) 9 01:00:37,167 --> 01:00:40,250 - Here in Hawaii, sugar cane used to dominate the economy, 10 01:00:40,250 --> 01:00:43,542 but tourism has supplanted agriculture and the resorts 11 01:00:43,542 --> 01:00:46,167 have been built in a lot of the old sugar cane fields. 12 01:00:46,167 --> 01:00:48,959 But a little bit of that sugary history remains. 13 01:00:48,959 --> 01:00:51,459 So come along with me in this episode of "Tastemakers" 14 01:00:51,459 --> 01:00:54,999 to the Island of O'ahu, where Ko Hana Distillers is growing 15 01:00:54,999 --> 01:00:57,999 dozens of varieties of ancient sugar cane 16 01:00:57,999 --> 01:00:59,999 to make Agricole Rum. 17 01:01:00,751 --> 01:01:03,792 (upbeat music) 18 01:01:03,999 --> 01:01:06,000 I'm Cat Neville, and for the past two decades, 19 01:01:06,000 --> 01:01:08,584 I've been telling the story of local food. 20 01:01:08,584 --> 01:01:11,709 In that time, American food culture has exploded 21 01:01:11,709 --> 01:01:15,209 in tiny towns and big cities from coast to coast. 22 01:01:15,209 --> 01:01:17,667 In "Taste Makers" I explore the maker movement 23 01:01:17,667 --> 01:01:20,501 and take you along for the journey to meet the makers 24 01:01:20,501 --> 01:01:23,999 who define the flavor of American cuisine. 25 01:01:38,999 --> 01:01:42,125 Once known as the reed that produces honey without bees, 26 01:01:42,125 --> 01:01:45,999 sugar cane is the most widely cultivated crop on earth. 27 01:01:45,999 --> 01:01:48,667 It is the base of a range of products, including granulated 28 01:01:48,667 --> 01:01:51,999 sugar and ethanol and also rum, which is what brought us 29 01:01:51,999 --> 01:01:54,999 here to the beautiful island of a O'ahu . 30 01:01:55,999 --> 01:01:58,999 (upbeat music) 31 01:02:07,667 --> 01:02:13,501 - Moved here in 2008 and this became my new home, Hawaii. 32 01:02:13,834 --> 01:02:15,999 Been an entrepreneur on and off all my life. 33 01:02:15,999 --> 01:02:17,918 And in making this my home, 34 01:02:17,918 --> 01:02:19,334 I started trying to figure out what to do. 35 01:02:19,334 --> 01:02:22,459 Like, what kind of business would I want to start in Hawaii? 36 01:02:22,459 --> 01:02:25,167 And so sugar cane came about because I became very 37 01:02:25,167 --> 01:02:26,292 interested in agriculture. 38 01:02:26,292 --> 01:02:29,999 And so I just started doing agricultural research. 39 01:02:30,959 --> 01:02:33,709 I came up here to talk to the experts in agriculture. 40 01:02:33,709 --> 01:02:35,667 And, you know, after a little while talking, 41 01:02:35,667 --> 01:02:38,834 they said, oh, well, Hawaii's the best place in the world 42 01:02:38,834 --> 01:02:39,584 to grow sugar cane. 43 01:02:39,584 --> 01:02:42,709 In fact, the best yields, best conditions, best everything. 44 01:02:42,709 --> 01:02:44,918 And I was like, well, but there's not really 45 01:02:44,918 --> 01:02:45,999 much sugar cane left here. 46 01:02:45,999 --> 01:02:48,999 So I thought, well, gosh, maybe there's an opportunity 47 01:02:48,999 --> 01:02:50,501 with that decline. 48 01:02:50,501 --> 01:02:53,417 (upbeat music) 49 01:02:56,000 --> 01:02:58,999 I frankly didn't really know much about Agricole Rum 50 01:02:58,999 --> 01:02:59,626 when I started. 51 01:02:59,626 --> 01:03:01,999 It was the history of Agricole Rum that fascinated me. 52 01:03:01,999 --> 01:03:04,709 While I was doing the research into rum 53 01:03:04,709 --> 01:03:07,999 and plants and like, well, what's gonna work? 54 01:03:08,375 --> 01:03:11,000 So Agricole style rum is made only from 55 01:03:11,000 --> 01:03:12,125 fresh pressed cane juice. 56 01:03:12,125 --> 01:03:14,375 That's the core ingredient of what we do, 57 01:03:14,375 --> 01:03:18,918 or a French style with an American Hawaiian twist. 58 01:03:18,918 --> 01:03:21,834 (upbeat music) 59 01:03:24,292 --> 01:03:26,292 - The Polynesians brought sugar cane to Hawaii 60 01:03:26,292 --> 01:03:29,459 about a thousand years ago, and during the 19th century, 61 01:03:29,459 --> 01:03:31,959 sugar cane production dominated these islands. 62 01:03:31,959 --> 01:03:35,584 But during the 20th century, sugar cane production plummeted 63 01:03:35,584 --> 01:03:37,375 as the tourism industry exploded. 64 01:03:37,375 --> 01:03:39,999 And in fact, the last sugar cane plantation 65 01:03:39,999 --> 01:03:41,999 shut down in 2016. 66 01:03:41,999 --> 01:03:45,667 So it's left to small farms like this one here at Ko Hana, 67 01:03:45,667 --> 01:03:48,876 to keep the cultivation of cane alive. 68 01:03:52,999 --> 01:03:55,501 Hawaiian sugar cane, which is called, ko, K-O, 69 01:03:55,501 --> 01:03:58,709 was brought here 1000 years ago by the native 70 01:03:58,709 --> 01:04:01,542 Hawaiian seafarers as an importt part of their culture. 71 01:04:01,542 --> 01:04:04,250 Imagine if you get on a boat and a canoe and you're gonna go 72 01:04:04,250 --> 01:04:07,042 out to 3,000 miles of open ocean. 73 01:04:07,042 --> 01:04:09,584 You're only gonna take with you those things 74 01:04:09,584 --> 01:04:10,667 that are very meaningful. 75 01:04:10,667 --> 01:04:14,334 And as it turns out, ko sugar cane was one of them. 76 01:04:14,751 --> 01:04:17,626 - When sugar cane got here, it was gonna be used not 77 01:04:17,626 --> 01:04:19,959 in the more traditional sort of sense 78 01:04:19,959 --> 01:04:23,125 from the Western ideals, but instead for just day to day 79 01:04:23,125 --> 01:04:26,292 survival, drought prevention, religious ceremonies, 80 01:04:26,292 --> 01:04:29,709 medicinal uses, a myriad of different uses. 81 01:04:29,709 --> 01:04:30,999 (light music) 82 01:04:30,999 --> 01:04:32,709 When you're thinking about the history of Hawaii, 83 01:04:32,709 --> 01:04:35,459 you've got plans growing what they need to survive. 84 01:04:35,459 --> 01:04:37,792 Then you've got contact with the West. 85 01:04:37,792 --> 01:04:39,834 You've got sort of propagation of these plants 86 01:04:39,834 --> 01:04:42,000 that are now gonna be used for commodities for money. 87 01:04:42,000 --> 01:04:46,834 And as that timeline goes forward, you gain a lot of wealth 88 01:04:46,834 --> 01:04:49,209 and then it becomes better to do it somewhere else 89 01:04:49,209 --> 01:04:51,999 from the bookkeeping side of things. 90 01:04:51,999 --> 01:04:53,834 And it goes away. 91 01:04:54,042 --> 01:04:56,375 - I mean, you know, 100 years ago, 92 01:04:56,375 --> 01:04:58,250 all of these islands were covered in sugar cane. 93 01:04:58,250 --> 01:04:59,751 And we made a lot of pineapple here, too. 94 01:04:59,751 --> 01:05:00,999 But all the islands were sugar cane. 95 01:05:00,999 --> 01:05:03,375 I mean, that was the biggest part of the economy. 96 01:05:03,375 --> 01:05:05,501 And the Hawaiian canes all sort of disappeared 97 01:05:05,501 --> 01:05:09,042 into botanical gardens and private collections 98 01:05:09,042 --> 01:05:10,000 and things like that. 99 01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:12,292 And people start to forget about what they were. 100 01:05:12,292 --> 01:05:14,250 And to me, that was sad. 101 01:05:14,250 --> 01:05:14,999 I had no idea. 102 01:05:14,999 --> 01:05:17,417 I just figured that sugar cane was around. 103 01:05:17,417 --> 01:05:19,292 And when I decided to start a farm, 104 01:05:19,292 --> 01:05:22,918 I would have to get one sample, like I'd get a one stalk 105 01:05:22,918 --> 01:05:24,209 of cane and cut it and plant it. 106 01:05:24,209 --> 01:05:27,125 And then as soon as it grew, it cut it and plant it again 107 01:05:27,125 --> 01:05:28,876 and increase the volume of cane. 108 01:05:28,876 --> 01:05:32,292 It took about a year to get about 17 different varieties 109 01:05:32,292 --> 01:05:32,999 in the ground. 110 01:05:32,999 --> 01:05:35,751 And then it took years and years and years of propagation 111 01:05:35,751 --> 01:05:37,083 beyond that to grow the farm. 112 01:05:37,083 --> 01:05:40,125 But I couldn't possibly say this could have even been done 113 01:05:40,125 --> 01:05:42,792 without the help of not only the Hawaiian Agriculture 114 01:05:42,792 --> 01:05:45,999 Research Center, but just all the people 115 01:05:45,999 --> 01:05:48,959 involved in agriculture and Hawaiian history 116 01:05:48,959 --> 01:05:52,209 that were instrumental to us being able to do it. 117 01:05:52,209 --> 01:05:54,876 And I think we have the most comprehensive collection 118 01:05:54,876 --> 01:05:57,083 of native Hawaiian sugar cane in the world, 119 01:05:57,083 --> 01:05:58,918 just in our own farms. 120 01:05:58,918 --> 01:06:01,999 And I've had many people tell me that they didn't know. 121 01:06:01,999 --> 01:06:04,334 Oh, I had no idea of the sugar cane was always 122 01:06:04,334 --> 01:06:05,542 a Hawaiian product. 123 01:06:05,542 --> 01:06:07,209 We always thought it was just brought here 124 01:06:07,209 --> 01:06:09,459 by, you know, the mills. 125 01:06:09,459 --> 01:06:11,999 And I just feel really happy that I could, 126 01:06:11,999 --> 01:06:14,751 in this place that I'm now calling home, that I have made 127 01:06:14,751 --> 01:06:17,999 some small impact and reintroducing something 128 01:06:17,999 --> 01:06:21,999 that I think is very important, and lost up until now. 129 01:06:29,459 --> 01:06:31,292 (birds chirping) 130 01:06:31,292 --> 01:06:33,542 - Ko Hana is a field to glass distillery, 131 01:06:33,542 --> 01:06:34,792 but it's a farm first. 132 01:06:34,792 --> 01:06:36,959 They cultivate 34 distinct varieties 133 01:06:36,959 --> 01:06:40,000 of sugar cane and they preserve each varieties unique 134 01:06:40,000 --> 01:06:42,834 character by making rum out of hand 135 01:06:42,834 --> 01:06:45,375 harvested freshly pressed juice. 136 01:06:46,584 --> 01:06:49,751 - Sugar cane grows year round here, and depending on when 137 01:06:49,751 --> 01:06:53,501 you plant seasonally, it matures at different times. 138 01:06:53,501 --> 01:06:55,375 So we can stagger our plantings 139 01:06:55,375 --> 01:06:57,999 so that we're harvesting year round. 140 01:06:59,542 --> 01:07:03,209 We only grow and harvest in single varietals. 141 01:07:03,209 --> 01:07:05,501 We have about eleven different ones growing 142 01:07:05,501 --> 01:07:06,999 en masse in our fields with the goal 143 01:07:06,999 --> 01:07:09,918 to have all 34 acres of each one. 144 01:07:09,918 --> 01:07:11,999 They look different, they smell different 145 01:07:11,999 --> 01:07:12,999 and they taste different. 146 01:07:12,999 --> 01:07:16,167 And that comes through in the rums we make as well. 147 01:07:17,209 --> 01:07:18,375 (birds chirping) 148 01:07:18,375 --> 01:07:21,584 - Robert and I are standing here in the fields. 149 01:07:21,584 --> 01:07:24,999 And what variety of sugar cane is this? 150 01:07:24,999 --> 01:07:25,834 - It's interesting. 151 01:07:25,834 --> 01:07:27,751 So this is actually a rhino called Pilimai. 152 01:07:27,751 --> 01:07:29,834 And so all this cane, and we've got acres and acres 153 01:07:29,834 --> 01:07:31,999 of this cane now, literally came for what looked like 154 01:07:31,999 --> 01:07:35,626 a little dead piece of seed stock that we put in it into 155 01:07:35,626 --> 01:07:39,250 a pot and just nursed back to health. 156 01:07:39,250 --> 01:07:39,999 - Amazing. 157 01:07:39,999 --> 01:07:42,292 So how long did it take you to essentially assemble 158 01:07:42,292 --> 01:07:45,709 this library of heritage varieties of sugar cane? 159 01:07:45,709 --> 01:07:47,709 - You know, probably the actual process 160 01:07:47,709 --> 01:07:49,501 started in late 2009. 161 01:07:49,501 --> 01:07:50,584 And really, it's still ongoing. 162 01:07:50,584 --> 01:07:54,209 We're still looking and still always open to trying to find 163 01:07:54,209 --> 01:07:57,417 out which ones are authentically Hawaiian, 164 01:07:57,417 --> 01:07:58,292 through genetic testing. 165 01:07:58,292 --> 01:08:00,999 So there's a lot of work to be done yet, 166 01:08:00,999 --> 01:08:03,876 and we're super excited about doing it. 167 01:08:05,999 --> 01:08:07,999 - [Catherine] So you had harvest everything, 168 01:08:07,999 --> 01:08:10,709 your team does here on the farm. 169 01:08:10,709 --> 01:08:12,918 And why hand harvest? 170 01:08:12,918 --> 01:08:14,918 - I mean, honestly, you're still a very small farm 171 01:08:14,918 --> 01:08:16,167 and we want to be able to protect the cane 172 01:08:16,167 --> 01:08:18,751 because we regrow it in the sort of more 173 01:08:18,751 --> 01:08:19,959 traditional Hawaiian style. 174 01:08:19,959 --> 01:08:23,999 We're cutting it like a grass and allowing it to come back. 175 01:08:27,000 --> 01:08:31,542 So if you look at a piece of sugar cane up close, 176 01:08:31,542 --> 01:08:33,125 it's got buds on it. 177 01:08:33,542 --> 01:08:35,626 And that's what springs up. 178 01:08:35,626 --> 01:08:38,834 And so what we do is we cut this and you cut it, 179 01:08:38,834 --> 01:08:41,209 so you had three buds like this. 180 01:08:41,209 --> 01:08:42,999 That's a piece of seed. 181 01:08:43,125 --> 01:08:44,501 That's seed for sugar cane. 182 01:08:44,501 --> 01:08:46,667 It's got a bud here and a bud here. 183 01:08:46,667 --> 01:08:49,751 You planted in the ground only inches of dirt over. 184 01:08:49,751 --> 01:08:51,999 I mean, just enough to kick over it. 185 01:08:51,999 --> 01:08:52,709 Give it water. 186 01:08:52,709 --> 01:08:55,626 It springs back and becomes essentially a clone of itself. 187 01:08:55,626 --> 01:08:56,999 - [Catherine] Wow. 188 01:08:57,125 --> 01:09:01,459 - So this field behind us was harvested today and the canes 189 01:09:01,459 --> 01:09:03,999 are gonna be gathered up, they're gonna be juiced, 190 01:09:03,999 --> 01:09:06,082 they're harvesting four or five days a week. 191 01:09:06,082 --> 01:09:08,999 So, you're constantly pulling things out. 192 01:09:08,999 --> 01:09:11,082 But standing here, we're surrounded 193 01:09:11,082 --> 01:09:13,834 by this ten foot tall cane. 194 01:09:13,834 --> 01:09:15,417 So it must grow so fast. 195 01:09:15,417 --> 01:09:16,917 - It grows very, very fast. 196 01:09:16,917 --> 01:09:18,000 Like the field we cut right here. 197 01:09:18,000 --> 01:09:20,999 If you come back in a week, you'll see what they call keiki, 198 01:09:20,999 --> 01:09:22,584 which is the Hawaiian word for child. 199 01:09:22,584 --> 01:09:26,042 The little sprigs coming up from where it had been before, 200 01:09:26,042 --> 01:09:27,125 just within a week. 201 01:09:27,125 --> 01:09:28,375 - That's amazing. - Yeah, it's really. 202 01:09:28,375 --> 01:09:29,792 It looks like mowing your lawn, honestly. 203 01:09:29,792 --> 01:09:32,042 This is the grass. - It's grass. 204 01:09:32,751 --> 01:09:35,501 - Good thing my lawn doesn't look like this. (laughing) 205 01:09:35,501 --> 01:09:37,751 - It's a lot of work. - Yeah. 206 01:09:38,584 --> 01:09:41,999 (machine thrumming) 207 01:09:54,501 --> 01:09:57,417 (upbeat music) 208 01:09:57,834 --> 01:10:00,209 - As much as 98% of the rum in the world 209 01:10:00,209 --> 01:10:01,584 is made from molasses. 210 01:10:01,584 --> 01:10:04,709 And molasses is an industrial byproduct 211 01:10:04,709 --> 01:10:05,834 of the manufacturer of sugar. 212 01:10:05,834 --> 01:10:08,959 But it's incredibly cheap because the mills make it 213 01:10:08,959 --> 01:10:10,167 and they don't know what to do with it. 214 01:10:10,167 --> 01:10:12,834 I mean, it's how rum came to be to begin with. 215 01:10:12,834 --> 01:10:15,375 And some very intrepid entrepreneurs in Barbados said, 216 01:10:15,375 --> 01:10:18,209 wait a minute, there's still a lot of sugar in this. 217 01:10:18,209 --> 01:10:18,999 Let's distill it. 218 01:10:18,999 --> 01:10:19,959 Let's make alcohol. 219 01:10:19,959 --> 01:10:22,584 So rum had been made for hundreds of years with molasses. 220 01:10:22,584 --> 01:10:24,999 And the French were really the first ones to say, 221 01:10:24,999 --> 01:10:26,459 no, let's not do it that way. 222 01:10:26,459 --> 01:10:28,834 Let's treat sugar cane as a fruit 223 01:10:28,834 --> 01:10:32,125 and let's make rum the way we make cognac. 224 01:10:32,459 --> 01:10:35,709 And that's how Agricole Rum came to be. 225 01:10:36,626 --> 01:10:38,292 - So I'm standing here with Chandra. 226 01:10:38,292 --> 01:10:42,709 I'm just outside of Ko Hana, and she's gonna essentially 227 01:10:42,709 --> 01:10:47,375 take us on a journey through rums, kind of a rum 101 class. 228 01:10:47,375 --> 01:10:48,042 - Yes. 229 01:10:48,042 --> 01:10:51,584 So we have four different white rums today. 230 01:10:51,584 --> 01:10:52,417 (upbeat music) 231 01:10:52,417 --> 01:10:54,209 So this first one that we're trying, 232 01:10:54,209 --> 01:10:57,250 I wanted to show you a molasses base. 233 01:10:57,250 --> 01:11:00,999 This is actually gonna be Bacardi Superior. 234 01:11:04,999 --> 01:11:07,999 - So it has a more complex flavor than it does aroma. 235 01:11:07,999 --> 01:11:08,834 - Yes. 236 01:11:08,834 --> 01:11:10,334 The aromatics are almost nothing, 237 01:11:10,334 --> 01:11:13,459 but really on the palate you get a hint of that vanilla, 238 01:11:13,459 --> 01:11:16,709 a little creaminess, but it is essentially age rum 239 01:11:16,709 --> 01:11:18,999 with just the color taken out of it. 240 01:11:18,999 --> 01:11:20,209 - How interesting. 241 01:11:20,209 --> 01:11:20,999 All right. 242 01:11:20,999 --> 01:11:23,999 - So the next one we have is Banks 5 Island. 243 01:11:23,999 --> 01:11:26,876 So this is actually 21 different rums, 244 01:11:26,876 --> 01:11:30,834 molasses and kind of Agricole blended together from six 245 01:11:30,834 --> 01:11:35,626 different distilleries from five different islands. 246 01:11:41,042 --> 01:11:41,999 - Oh wow. 247 01:11:41,999 --> 01:11:44,000 - So different, isn't it? 248 01:11:44,000 --> 01:11:44,751 - Yes. 249 01:11:44,751 --> 01:11:45,999 It doesn't have that vanilla sweetness to it. 250 01:11:45,999 --> 01:11:47,999 - No. - I mean, a little bit. 251 01:11:47,999 --> 01:11:48,792 A hint. 252 01:11:48,792 --> 01:11:51,709 It almost has a medicinal kind of flavor to it. 253 01:11:51,709 --> 01:11:53,250 It's so different. 254 01:11:54,459 --> 01:11:58,501 - So Rhum JM is really the most iconic 255 01:11:58,501 --> 01:11:59,999 distillery in Martinique. 256 01:11:59,999 --> 01:12:02,834 Typically, the French speaking islands, in the Caribbean 257 01:12:02,834 --> 01:12:05,417 are the ones that produce this style of rum, 258 01:12:05,417 --> 01:12:06,834 which is called Agricole. 259 01:12:06,834 --> 01:12:09,250 So this is the fresh pressed sugar cane juice 260 01:12:09,250 --> 01:12:12,250 that is then fermented and distilled. 261 01:12:13,167 --> 01:12:14,999 - That is very hot. 262 01:12:14,999 --> 01:12:15,959 (Chandra chuckles) 263 01:12:15,959 --> 01:12:17,000 - It is 100 proof. 264 01:12:17,000 --> 01:12:17,792 - Okay. 265 01:12:17,792 --> 01:12:19,125 - So you're correct. 266 01:12:19,125 --> 01:12:24,417 But even though it is very big after you sip it, 267 01:12:24,417 --> 01:12:25,918 it's very mouth filling. 268 01:12:25,918 --> 01:12:26,542 - Absolutely. 269 01:12:26,542 --> 01:12:30,125 And to me, this is much more complex than the molasses base. 270 01:12:30,125 --> 01:12:31,209 It has a lot more going on, 271 01:12:31,209 --> 01:12:34,918 like layers of flavor and transports you there. 272 01:12:35,542 --> 01:12:36,501 That's awesome. 273 01:12:36,501 --> 01:12:36,999 Okay. 274 01:12:36,999 --> 01:12:39,751 - So in comparison, we have another Agricole, 275 01:12:39,751 --> 01:12:42,667 but this one is produced right here where we are. 276 01:12:42,667 --> 01:12:47,292 This is Ko Hana, and this is the varietal Kea. 277 01:12:48,626 --> 01:12:51,000 You almost get that feeling of when you're walking 278 01:12:51,000 --> 01:12:53,584 the cane fields in the glass. 279 01:12:54,417 --> 01:12:55,959 - I love that. 280 01:12:55,959 --> 01:12:56,792 - Isn't it wonderful? 281 01:12:56,792 --> 01:12:59,083 - It really is wonderful and it's kind of soft. 282 01:12:59,083 --> 01:12:59,999 - Mmhmm, it is. 283 01:12:59,999 --> 01:13:01,209 - It's not like the other Agricole, 284 01:13:01,209 --> 01:13:02,584 which kind of like hit your palate, 285 01:13:02,584 --> 01:13:03,667 like with a sharpness. - Right. 286 01:13:03,667 --> 01:13:05,918 - And then again, the layers of flavor. 287 01:13:05,918 --> 01:13:08,709 There's so much going on and it's herbal 288 01:13:08,709 --> 01:13:10,501 and it still has a sweetness. 289 01:13:10,501 --> 01:13:13,667 You can't get a rum to taste like this 290 01:13:13,667 --> 01:13:15,501 anywhere else in the world. 291 01:13:15,501 --> 01:13:16,042 - Exactly. 292 01:13:16,042 --> 01:13:17,042 - Only right here in Hawaii. 293 01:13:17,042 --> 01:13:19,459 - That's right. (Catherine laughing) 294 01:13:19,459 --> 01:13:22,375 (upbeat music) 295 01:13:25,626 --> 01:13:29,999 - We're standing in the actual distillery here at Ko Hana. 296 01:13:29,999 --> 01:13:33,667 And the aroma is so distinct. 297 01:13:33,667 --> 01:13:35,999 How would you describe what the smells like? 298 01:13:35,999 --> 01:13:38,167 - Heaven, I think is the best way to describe it. 299 01:13:38,167 --> 01:13:40,999 And there's just something so beautiful about a fresh 300 01:13:40,999 --> 01:13:44,834 product like this, because all we're doing here is we got 301 01:13:44,834 --> 01:13:46,167 that sugar cane juice. 302 01:13:46,167 --> 01:13:48,125 We're just throwing yeast into it. 303 01:13:48,125 --> 01:13:50,209 There is nothing else that goes into it. 304 01:13:50,209 --> 01:13:51,000 There's no additives. 305 01:13:51,000 --> 01:13:52,876 It's just so beautiful that we're able to just 306 01:13:52,876 --> 01:13:56,876 take that one product for a minute and just let it go. 307 01:13:56,876 --> 01:13:59,125 (liquid trickling) 308 01:13:59,125 --> 01:14:01,626 - Sugar just tastes like one thing, it tastes like sugar. 309 01:14:01,626 --> 01:14:04,626 But sugar cane juice and having that juice 310 01:14:04,626 --> 01:14:06,000 from these different varieties, 311 01:14:06,000 --> 01:14:08,918 how much variation do you have in flavor and aroma? 312 01:14:08,918 --> 01:14:10,792 - It's about the same variation that you have in wine. 313 01:14:10,792 --> 01:14:13,876 So when you think a different grapes, it's you know, 314 01:14:13,876 --> 01:14:14,876 we had the same kind of thing. 315 01:14:14,876 --> 01:14:17,667 There's a couple thousand different varieties of sugar cane, 316 01:14:17,667 --> 01:14:20,999 but we stick to those Hawaiian canoe crops 317 01:14:20,999 --> 01:14:21,999 that we're brought over. 318 01:14:21,999 --> 01:14:24,999 - [Catherine] Once you have the fermented sugar cane juice, 319 01:14:24,999 --> 01:14:25,959 then what do you do? 320 01:14:25,959 --> 01:14:27,334 - So once the juice hits full attenuation, 321 01:14:27,334 --> 01:14:29,751 it'll be pumped over into the pot still. 322 01:14:29,751 --> 01:14:31,292 And we do 500 gallon washes. 323 01:14:31,292 --> 01:14:36,209 So from that 500 gallons, we'll get about 50 gallons 324 01:14:36,209 --> 01:14:37,375 of good spirits out of it. 325 01:14:37,375 --> 01:14:39,459 And from there, we can do a couple of different things. 326 01:14:39,459 --> 01:14:42,209 Any of our wide expressions, we will resin the stainless 327 01:14:42,209 --> 01:14:44,042 steel for a minimum of 90 days. 328 01:14:44,042 --> 01:14:45,417 But then we also have a barrel house 329 01:14:45,417 --> 01:14:48,250 that will do all of our barrel-aged resting. 330 01:14:48,250 --> 01:14:49,999 (upbeat music) 331 01:14:49,999 --> 01:14:52,042 - So I'm standing here in the barrel room with Kyle, 332 01:14:52,042 --> 01:14:54,501 and we've already had a chance to taste 333 01:14:54,501 --> 01:14:56,709 the un-aged spirit with Chandra. 334 01:14:56,709 --> 01:14:58,751 But now we're gonna play around 335 01:14:58,751 --> 01:15:00,125 with what age does this rum. 336 01:15:00,125 --> 01:15:03,209 - Indeed, it's time to talk about maturity. 337 01:15:03,209 --> 01:15:06,751 Let's talk about letting these spirits go from being 338 01:15:06,751 --> 01:15:09,667 natural, grassy, funky to not letting 339 01:15:09,667 --> 01:15:10,876 something else interact with them. 340 01:15:10,876 --> 01:15:14,709 So this wood is gonna take that beautiful white spirit, 341 01:15:14,709 --> 01:15:20,876 add color, add flavor, tiny bit of what I really dislike 342 01:15:21,125 --> 01:15:22,250 referring to as like, smoothness. 343 01:15:22,250 --> 01:15:23,167 (Catherine laughing) 344 01:15:23,167 --> 01:15:24,292 You get that, all of those things. 345 01:15:24,292 --> 01:15:26,999 - And is this a spent bourbon barrel? 346 01:15:26,999 --> 01:15:27,918 - These are, yeah. 347 01:15:27,918 --> 01:15:30,417 So we have multiple spent bourbon barrels. 348 01:15:30,417 --> 01:15:32,209 You've got new American oak. 349 01:15:32,209 --> 01:15:34,501 You've got used bourbon. 350 01:15:34,501 --> 01:15:35,959 Wine casks. 351 01:15:35,959 --> 01:15:36,417 Madeira. 352 01:15:36,417 --> 01:15:37,918 The cool part about rum being the Wild West, 353 01:15:37,918 --> 01:15:39,000 of the spirits world and not having a ton 354 01:15:39,000 --> 01:15:43,125 of rules is you can mold it into what you want it to be. 355 01:15:43,125 --> 01:15:44,959 - [Catherine] Yeah, that's great. 356 01:15:44,959 --> 01:15:46,250 So what are we gonna try first? 357 01:15:46,250 --> 01:15:46,999 - All right. 358 01:15:46,999 --> 01:15:49,334 So we're gonna try our aged spirit, which is called Koho, 359 01:15:49,334 --> 01:15:53,501 which means to select, choose or vote. 360 01:15:53,999 --> 01:15:56,250 This gets bottled right at 90 proof. 361 01:15:56,250 --> 01:15:59,292 And hopefully you're gonna pull nodes of vanilla, 362 01:15:59,292 --> 01:16:01,999 maybe a little bit of baking spice, but still get some 363 01:16:01,999 --> 01:16:04,542 of that grassiness on the back end. 364 01:16:05,417 --> 01:16:06,042 - Oh wow. 365 01:16:06,042 --> 01:16:08,000 This is a completely different spirit 366 01:16:08,000 --> 01:16:10,999 from the clear un-aged version. 367 01:16:10,999 --> 01:16:14,751 It does have that kind of warm baking spices 368 01:16:14,751 --> 01:16:16,417 character that you get from bourbon, 369 01:16:16,417 --> 01:16:17,292 which I love bourbon. 370 01:16:17,292 --> 01:16:20,417 But it still has that funky grassy thing happening 371 01:16:20,417 --> 01:16:22,042 that you get from that Agricole rum. 372 01:16:22,042 --> 01:16:24,792 It's a really unique combination. 373 01:16:24,792 --> 01:16:25,334 - I agree. 374 01:16:25,334 --> 01:16:26,626 And it's cool to be able to have something that 375 01:16:26,626 --> 01:16:29,250 is familiar, but it challenges a little bit. 376 01:16:29,250 --> 01:16:31,626 And I think that's what aged Agricole Rum can do it. 377 01:16:31,626 --> 01:16:34,292 It gives you nodes that you already know you like, 378 01:16:34,292 --> 01:16:36,584 but then it takes you to somewhere a little bit new. 379 01:16:36,584 --> 01:16:39,584 And that's what we like to do. 380 01:16:40,459 --> 01:16:44,584 - So when we arrived a couple days ago, there was a Japanese 381 01:16:44,584 --> 01:16:47,918 magazine crew in here taking photos of this barrel 382 01:16:47,918 --> 01:16:50,999 and what you guys are doing with it, this is really unique 383 01:16:50,999 --> 01:16:54,459 and it's made from koa wood which is native to Hawaii. 384 01:16:54,459 --> 01:16:55,083 Correct? 385 01:16:55,083 --> 01:16:56,751 - Yeah, so koa is actually endemic. 386 01:16:56,751 --> 01:16:59,375 So, unlike the ko which was brought here 387 01:16:59,375 --> 01:17:03,999 with the first Hawaiians, koa was on the back of birds. 388 01:17:03,999 --> 01:17:08,417 So quite literally, this endemic acacia wood 389 01:17:08,417 --> 01:17:09,999 has been here ever since. 390 01:17:09,999 --> 01:17:10,876 - That's amazing. 391 01:17:10,876 --> 01:17:15,125 And so how is the flavor of this wood different from oak 392 01:17:15,125 --> 01:17:16,792 that you're gonna find in a typical barrel? 393 01:17:16,792 --> 01:17:18,751 - So it's really interesting about what we're doing, 394 01:17:18,751 --> 01:17:22,626 is we're using oak first and then finishing in this. 395 01:17:22,626 --> 01:17:24,626 So because it's such an interesting wood, 396 01:17:24,626 --> 01:17:27,542 you're able to add sort of those finishing nodes from it. 397 01:17:27,542 --> 01:17:29,999 So the nodes you're gonna get off of koa 398 01:17:29,999 --> 01:17:31,999 are actually gonna be more savory. 399 01:17:31,999 --> 01:17:34,375 It's got this like selenic thing that happens, 400 01:17:34,375 --> 01:17:36,125 which is really neat. 401 01:17:36,125 --> 01:17:39,042 (upbeat music) 402 01:17:40,999 --> 01:17:41,626 - Oh wow. 403 01:17:41,626 --> 01:17:42,751 So still casts strengthens. 404 01:17:42,751 --> 01:17:43,834 It's very hot. (man laughing) 405 01:17:43,834 --> 01:17:46,999 But the character really has changed. 406 01:17:46,999 --> 01:17:49,834 The vanilla has started to recede. 407 01:17:49,834 --> 01:17:53,501 And you do have that like spiciness that is really 408 01:17:53,501 --> 01:17:55,292 being pushed forward. 409 01:17:55,959 --> 01:17:56,999 Wow. - Fun, right? 410 01:17:56,999 --> 01:17:57,667 - Yeah. 411 01:17:57,667 --> 01:18:00,834 It's got that like, you know, not at the beach, 412 01:18:00,834 --> 01:18:02,999 but at the trees near the beach. 413 01:18:02,999 --> 01:18:04,000 - [Catherine] Yes, exactly. 414 01:18:04,000 --> 01:18:04,999 - It's really cool. 415 01:18:04,999 --> 01:18:07,792 And this is the only place that you can make this. 416 01:18:07,792 --> 01:18:08,501 - This is it. 417 01:18:08,501 --> 01:18:10,501 Hawaii, koa, I mean, there's nowhere else 418 01:18:10,501 --> 01:18:11,501 in the world with it. 419 01:18:11,501 --> 01:18:14,375 - And that's a perfect thread of what you guys are really 420 01:18:14,375 --> 01:18:17,792 focused on here, which is bringing back the culture 421 01:18:17,792 --> 01:18:21,834 of these varieties of sugar cane and kind of reviving 422 01:18:21,834 --> 01:18:22,999 what was almost lost. 423 01:18:22,999 --> 01:18:26,250 Being able to, you know, take that one step further 424 01:18:26,250 --> 01:18:28,626 and age it in this endemic wood, 425 01:18:28,626 --> 01:18:30,292 it just kind of completes that story. 426 01:18:30,292 --> 01:18:31,417 - I completely agree. 427 01:18:31,417 --> 01:18:32,417 And the fun part about this, too, 428 01:18:32,417 --> 01:18:36,083 is we're actually able to help reforestation efforts with it 429 01:18:36,083 --> 01:18:40,792 by planting more koa as we take from those trees. 430 01:18:40,792 --> 01:18:44,250 So we're actually laying down more what will hopefully 431 01:18:44,250 --> 01:18:47,375 become very significant forest alongside 432 01:18:47,375 --> 01:18:48,292 a lot of really cool people. 433 01:18:48,292 --> 01:18:50,792 So it's trying to connect a lot of dots. 434 01:18:50,792 --> 01:18:52,999 - Bringing back the ko as well as the koa. 435 01:18:52,999 --> 01:18:55,459 - Yep, and hopefully a lot of other things. 436 01:18:55,459 --> 01:18:56,709 - I love that. 437 01:19:00,209 --> 01:19:03,083 (upbeat music) 438 01:19:16,918 --> 01:19:18,999 And now we're here in Honolulu to meet up with some 439 01:19:18,999 --> 01:19:21,709 of the city's top bartenders and hear how they use 440 01:19:21,709 --> 01:19:26,250 Agricole rums unique flavor to enhance their cocktail list. 441 01:19:27,959 --> 01:19:31,999 - The difference to me between Agricole and like, 442 01:19:31,999 --> 01:19:33,999 a molasses based rum is flavor. 443 01:19:33,999 --> 01:19:35,292 I Agricole, you're tasting the earth, 444 01:19:35,292 --> 01:19:37,375 you're tasting the cane, your taste in the sugar, 445 01:19:37,375 --> 01:19:40,834 which it doesn't even compare, when it comes in molasses. 446 01:19:40,834 --> 01:19:42,999 And when you're talking about cocktails and you're trying 447 01:19:42,999 --> 01:19:44,334 to achieve a flavor profile, 448 01:19:44,334 --> 01:19:47,501 why not use something with more flavor? 449 01:19:47,501 --> 01:19:50,459 (upbeat music) 450 01:19:51,709 --> 01:19:54,999 Being from Hawaii, it's great pride to share anything 451 01:19:54,999 --> 01:19:56,375 from Hawaii, you know. 452 01:19:56,375 --> 01:19:59,250 So when I found out about what Ko Hana was doing 453 01:19:59,250 --> 01:20:02,918 with what I call canoe cane, it was great because I can 454 01:20:02,918 --> 01:20:06,834 share the story over the bar and it creates an experience 455 01:20:06,834 --> 01:20:08,999 beyond the taste of a cocktail. 456 01:20:09,334 --> 01:20:11,125 - One of my favorite parts of bartending is actually 457 01:20:11,125 --> 01:20:14,334 having a conversation with a guest trying to figure 458 01:20:14,334 --> 01:20:15,584 out exactly what mood they're in. 459 01:20:15,584 --> 01:20:18,042 What they normally like, how much they want to get 460 01:20:18,042 --> 01:20:18,999 out of their comfort zone. 461 01:20:18,999 --> 01:20:22,000 And they're just trying to create a cocktail that just dials 462 01:20:22,000 --> 01:20:23,667 that all in together. 463 01:20:24,459 --> 01:20:27,417 To be able to share something that's locally produced, 464 01:20:27,417 --> 01:20:29,334 that's actually a quality product, 465 01:20:29,334 --> 01:20:30,751 it gives me a huge sense of pride. 466 01:20:30,751 --> 01:20:32,918 So anytime that conversation starts, 467 01:20:32,918 --> 01:20:35,167 when my eyes light up, I get really excited about it 468 01:20:35,167 --> 01:20:38,125 to share something that's really special here. 469 01:20:38,125 --> 01:20:41,000 (upbeat music) 470 01:20:41,876 --> 01:20:43,999 - When Kyle introduced me to all the different varietals 471 01:20:43,999 --> 01:20:47,292 and the colors and the flavors of it, it surprised me. 472 01:20:47,292 --> 01:20:51,167 There's varietals with banana nodes, clove nodes, 473 01:20:51,167 --> 01:20:53,667 with grassy nodes, and there's some with like, 474 01:20:53,667 --> 01:20:56,042 a smoky node to it, which is really cool. 475 01:20:56,042 --> 01:21:00,209 As a bartender, I enjoy having a little bit of fun with it. 476 01:21:08,792 --> 01:21:12,501 - Here at MW Restaurant in Honolulu, the focus is on refined 477 01:21:12,501 --> 01:21:16,125 Hawaiian cuisine and the pastry chef uses local coffee, 478 01:21:16,125 --> 01:21:18,792 chocolate fruit and also Ko Hana rum 479 01:21:18,792 --> 01:21:20,667 to enhance their desserts. 480 01:21:21,209 --> 01:21:24,167 (upbeat music) 481 01:21:29,083 --> 01:21:32,999 So tell me how this restaurant is conceived. 482 01:21:32,999 --> 01:21:35,417 I know you use a lot of local ingredients. 483 01:21:35,417 --> 01:21:36,792 - When we opened this restaurant, 484 01:21:36,792 --> 01:21:40,334 we wanted to share a little piece Hawaii, 485 01:21:40,334 --> 01:21:41,626 and what makes us so special, 486 01:21:41,626 --> 01:21:44,292 and to tell a story to our guests. 487 01:21:45,584 --> 01:21:48,209 - [Catherine] You have ingredients coming to you 488 01:21:48,209 --> 01:21:49,042 all throughout the year. 489 01:21:49,042 --> 01:21:51,209 - Yes, we're pretty fortunate in that way. 490 01:21:51,209 --> 01:21:53,999 As I tell people, we have two seasons in Hawaii. 491 01:21:53,999 --> 01:21:56,167 Mango season and non-mango season. 492 01:21:56,167 --> 01:21:57,375 (Catherine and Michelle laughing) 493 01:21:57,375 --> 01:21:59,999 But pretty much, we can get tomatoes and pineapples 494 01:21:59,999 --> 01:22:04,999 and coffee and mushrooms and cheese throughout the year. 495 01:22:04,999 --> 01:22:08,959 We have Ko Hana rum, which I met through Kyle. 496 01:22:08,959 --> 01:22:13,999 It's very unique and you can kind of taste to sugar cane 497 01:22:13,999 --> 01:22:17,125 in the field and the different types 498 01:22:17,125 --> 01:22:18,417 of sugar cane that he has. 499 01:22:18,417 --> 01:22:22,834 So it's interesting to hear this story and then be able 500 01:22:22,834 --> 01:22:25,417 to create a dish with it. 501 01:22:25,751 --> 01:22:28,125 Today we're gonna make you the Mochi Baba. 502 01:22:28,125 --> 01:22:32,250 using his Koho rum, which is his age rum. 503 01:22:32,250 --> 01:22:34,709 Usually a baba is a rum soaked cake. 504 01:22:34,709 --> 01:22:36,834 But what we do is we do it with mochi, 505 01:22:36,834 --> 01:22:38,209 so you get a little bit chewiness. 506 01:22:38,209 --> 01:22:39,292 - [Catherine] Oh, fantastic. 507 01:22:39,292 --> 01:22:40,709 - And then we caramelized some pineapple. 508 01:22:40,709 --> 01:22:44,751 So it's like pineapple upside down, meets the baba, 509 01:22:44,751 --> 01:22:46,626 meets the twinkie, because we fill it 510 01:22:46,626 --> 01:22:50,375 with a lili koi custard and then you get the creaminess 511 01:22:50,375 --> 01:22:54,584 of that and the hot baba with the butter mochi ice cream 512 01:22:54,584 --> 01:22:58,042 which is like a little bit coconut flavor. 513 01:22:58,042 --> 01:23:00,209 So you get all the flavors - That's amazing. 514 01:23:00,209 --> 01:23:01,417 - Of the islands and it all 515 01:23:01,417 --> 01:23:02,667 complements with the rum. 516 01:23:02,667 --> 01:23:03,792 And that's what it's about, 517 01:23:03,792 --> 01:23:04,667 to highlight the rum. 518 01:23:04,667 --> 01:23:07,167 - [Catherine] That's really cool. 519 01:23:07,167 --> 01:23:10,083 (upbeat music) 520 01:23:25,999 --> 01:23:26,959 - This isn't mine. 521 01:23:26,959 --> 01:23:28,000 I mean, this isn't even my culture, 522 01:23:28,000 --> 01:23:32,125 and so I feel just blessed to even be allowed 523 01:23:32,125 --> 01:23:33,501 to take a small part in it. 524 01:23:33,501 --> 01:23:36,667 And we have had the Kahuna who are keepers 525 01:23:36,667 --> 01:23:38,918 of Hawaiian history, bless our cane 526 01:23:38,918 --> 01:23:41,167 and really understand what we do. 527 01:23:42,083 --> 01:23:43,334 (upbeat music) 528 01:23:43,334 --> 01:23:46,334 You know, it all started with these canoes and Hawaiians 529 01:23:46,334 --> 01:23:47,501 bringing these beautiful plants here, 530 01:23:47,501 --> 01:23:50,501 and then we trying to now reintroduce them in a new way 531 01:23:50,501 --> 01:23:53,709 with this luxury rum product, and then we teach you not only 532 01:23:53,709 --> 01:23:57,459 how we farm and what we grow, but how we do it. 533 01:23:57,459 --> 01:24:00,417 (upbeat music) 534 01:24:01,999 --> 01:24:02,792 - These are just plants. 535 01:24:02,792 --> 01:24:04,999 They're just growing how they ought to grow. 536 01:24:04,999 --> 01:24:07,125 And so you're not getting in their way. 537 01:24:07,125 --> 01:24:10,667 And for us, the most important thing really is they still 538 01:24:10,667 --> 01:24:12,626 have every bit of flavor that was originally in them. 539 01:24:12,626 --> 01:24:15,959 So instead of just pushing the sugar and getting rid of all 540 01:24:15,959 --> 01:24:18,792 of the interesting things that are alongside 541 01:24:18,792 --> 01:24:20,000 of that sugar, we don't. 542 01:24:20,000 --> 01:24:22,125 we let it just be what it is. 543 01:24:22,999 --> 01:24:25,999 (upbeat music) 544 01:24:36,542 --> 01:24:38,250 - [Robert] Ko, means sugar cane. 545 01:24:38,250 --> 01:24:39,083 Hana, means work. 546 01:24:39,083 --> 01:24:42,042 Everything we do is the work of the cane. 547 01:24:49,667 --> 01:24:51,334 - From field to glass, we followed the journey 548 01:24:51,334 --> 01:24:52,792 of these ancient varieties of sugar cane, 549 01:24:52,792 --> 01:24:55,999 that Ko Hana is cultivating, preserving a piece of Hawaii's 550 01:24:55,999 --> 01:24:59,334 agricultural past while connecting with the resurgence 551 01:24:59,334 --> 01:25:00,459 in artisan distilling. 552 01:25:00,459 --> 01:25:03,125 For more information on Ko Hana, as well as all of the other 553 01:25:03,125 --> 01:25:05,999 incredible makers that we're featuring in this series, 554 01:25:05,999 --> 01:25:08,209 just head to, WeAreTasteMakers.com. 555 01:25:08,209 --> 01:25:12,250 Thank you for joining me here in Hawaii and cheers. 556 01:25:15,125 --> 01:25:16,584 (upbeat music) 557 01:25:16,584 --> 01:25:19,999 Connect with us online at WeAreTasteMakers.com 558 01:25:19,999 --> 01:25:23,417 or through social media on these handles. 559 01:26:03,459 --> 01:26:07,709 - 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