When Justin D’Olier moved from Hawai’i to California in 2013, he never imagined he’d end up working for Ko Hana Distillers, a celebrated rum producer on his native island of O’ahu.

With a new executive MBA from the University of Hawai’i, D’Olier had planned to use the high-level business degree to further his career in the banking industry. But after wrestling with doubt over his chosen career path, he ended up landing a gig at Bourbon & Branch, the sleek, speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar in San Francisco.

“When I got the offer, it was like getting a job at the Apple or Google of cocktail bars,” recalled D’Olier, who lives in Santa Rosa. “I took that job and never looked back.”

In 2020, D’Olier had been working at Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen in Healdsburg when the pandemic hit pause on the hospitality industry. Out of a job, he was grateful when a good friend offered him a California-based role at Ko Hana Distillers.

“I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I definitely didn’t expect to find so many similarities between sugarcane farmers and local grape growers,” said D’Olier, who manages California sales for the brand. “It’s helped me develop this incredible kinship with the people in Sonoma County who care about agriculture.”

Highlighting unique flavors, varieties of sugarcane

Introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians around 1,000 years ago, sugarcane has hundreds of varieties, which — like wine grapes — vary greatly in flavor and sweetness.

“Growing up in Hawai’i, I wasn’t aware the Hawaiians had farmed different varieties of sugarcane — not for sugar — but for food, medicine, fiber and cultural purposes,” said D’Olier. “That’s how the islands ended up with this truly unique crop of diverse cane.”

Ko Hana Distillers cultivates 34 heirloom varieties on its 1,000-acre plantation, making it the largest conservator of native Hawaiian sugarcane in the world. Each variety is harvested separately, with the majority done by hand.

“Ko” is the native Hawaiian word for “sugar” and “Hana” means “work”; together, they reflect the labor-intensive process.

“Just like winemakers want to highlight the differences between grapes, we want to express the unique flavors and variations of sugarcane varieties through our rum,” said D’Olier. “I love that I get to geek out with all the wonderful farmers and winemakers in Sonoma County who are doing the same thing, just with a different plant.”

While most rum is made with molasses — a by-product of the sugar industry — Ko Hana uses freshly pressed sugarcane juice, which is fermented and distilled before being aged and bottled as agricole rum — a style common in the French West Indies.

In support of farmworkers

Today, Ko Hana Distillers is the only farm-to-bottle rum distillery that grows all its sugarcane and distills its rum in Hawai’i. And like Sonoma County’s wine industry, farming is at the heart of the operation.

“We recognize agriculture is the most important — and hardest — part of what we do,” said D’Olier. “That’s why we want to extend our support and appreciation to Sonoma County’s farmworkers this harvest season.”

From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, Ko Hana Rum is partnering with numerous Sonoma County bars, restaurants and retailers to offer complimentary Ko Hana Rum daiquiris to local farmers. Deemed “Daiquiri Crush,” the two-month campaign aims to celebrate the deep-rooted connection between all agricultural workers.

“It’s a gesture of solidarity from our sugarcane farms on O’ahu to the vineyards of Sonoma County,” said D’Olier. “We understand the immense effort that goes into harvest, and we want to share a little bit of aloha to help everyone get through the season.”

Over the next few weeks, D’Olier will be delivering small goodie bags to 200 local wineries with tokens that can be exchanged for daiquiris at locations including Lo & Behold and Goodnight’s in Healdsburg, Geyserville Gun Club, Fern Bar in Sebastopol and Catelli’s in Geyserville.

“We also hope to get the public rallying behind the farmers by buying them some daiquiris as well,” he said. “So after a long day of working crush or harvest, they can come in and enjoy a daiquiri on the community.”

Each participating location will be crafting a unique daiquiri, so expect plenty of variation. Ready-to-drink Ko Hana daiquiris and Ko Hana rum will also be available for purchase at Wilibees in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa and participating Oliver’s Market locations.

For more information, visit kohanarum.com.