# Ola Brew Co.

Producing world-class beers and ciders using local ingredients in Hawai'i County

## Elevator pitch
Did you know that a) More than half of the tropical fruit grown in Hawai'i falls to the ground and never makes it to market; b) U.S. demand for craft alcohols has doubled in the last 5 years, and c) Most beer and cider consumed in Hawai'i is imported? Our conclusion: it’s time Hawai'i County had its own brewery designed to turn the state's abundance of produce into revenue for local farmers. And as the experienced beverage entrepreneurs who started Hawaiian Ola, we are the best team for the job!

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/olabrewco
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:9510
- Last updated: 2026-06-11T05:00:03Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-11T17:43:57Z

## Quick facts
- First to bring production scale, locally sourced, craft cider to Hawaii.
- Raised over $2.5M for equipment, facility build out, and taproom.
- Launched our 14,000 sq. foot beverage facility and taproom in December of 2017.
-  Launched our retail products in stores statewide in July, 2018, 7 months after we opened doors. We are now in over 250 retail locations throughout the state including Wholefoods, Costco, Safeway, CVS and many local chains and independent stores.&
-  Our founding team signed 3-year work commitments, and each team member has a stake in the company, incentivizing them to take ownership and pride in everything they do. 
- Managed by seasoned beverage industry professionals. 
- Will open first satellite taproom on Oahu in the fall of 2019.
- Raised $707,205 from 634 investors on Wefunder since May 2017.

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:21778: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)
- wefunder:fundraise:16290: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)
- wefunder:fundraise:42975: 506(c) successful (USD)
- wefunder:fundraise:5492: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)

## FAQ
1. **What's your reasoning for choosing the SAFE route and your basis for your valuation? Thanks.**
   - Our original plan was to offer convertible notes; however, SAFE, which is substantially similar with respect to terms, offered a key advantage: simplicity. The documentation describing SAFE to investors is straightforward and to the point, which was important to us because we wanted to go with an offering that everyone, not just sophisticated investors, could take part in. Our valuation is based on projections, which show the company reaching $3.5M in annual revenues by year three—at which po...
2. **You reference a future arrangement where your new facility will co-pack and distribute for up to 10 other brands. Is this revenue stream included in this offering or will that be a completely separate business?**
   - Absolutely. The co-packing component is included in this offering. In Hawaii, there’s a serious shortage of manufacturing resources need to enable entrepreneurs to create products on island. For this reason, local businesses are typically forced to ship their ingredients to the mainland to have them packaged. Hawaii Cider Co. plans to utilize the equipment and facilities, during the times that they are not being used to produce cider, to co-pack for other companies in exchange for a co-packin...
3. **How are you calling it hard cider when it legally has to be made from fermented apples?**
   - Great question. While we’re excited about making ciders using a variety of tropical fruits, Hawaii Cider Co. will definitely be making cider with apples, too. The ciders we make with other tropical fruits will include subtext on the bottle to identify them as “sparking wine”, which is the definition currently set forth by industry regulators. We think it’s a minor technicality and are committed to working within the confines of the TTB and related tax authorities in order to ensure the compan...
4. **This sounds exciting. Will your facility be able to also manufacture other products such as avocado oil? - which can be made even with avos that are watery and no high fat content, thus taking advantage also of so many avocadoes that go to waste around the island...**
   - We’re open to all kinds of collaborations! Avocado oil sounds like a great opportunity. Working with a diverse spectrum of local farmers and entrepreneurs is probably our favorite part of the job. We are already working with a local hot pepper guru who would like to co-package his amazing line of Hawaiian hot sauces, under the brand: Spicy Ninja Sauce, with us. Similarly a local tea company is ready to begin working with us, as soon as the facility is up and running. Email me directly chris@h...
5. **Do you anticipate that your distribution to the mainland will be fairly seamless, given the relationship Hawaiian Ola already has with large retailers?**
   - Great observation. Yes. We do anticipate that our existing partnerships with large retailers such as Whole Foods, Safeway, CVS/Longs, etc. will translate into a very quick ramp-up for distribution of the new ciders on the mainland. Likewise, we also anticipate many of our small independent grocery, specialty, and gourmet stores to follow suite. It took Hawaiian Ola years to develop this retail network and the trusting relationships that come with it. Now, Hawaii Cider Co. will benefit from ha...

## Team
- Naehalani Breeland (Marketing Director)
- Brett Jacobson (CEO)
- Chris Whidden (Brand Manager)
- Derek Pittman (Director of Operations )
- Kris Jacobson (Production Manager)
- Yvette Miller (Accounting)
- Jeffrey Dela Cruz (Graphic Designer)
- Buddy Ahnee (Production Manager)
- Pauahi Kamakau (Compliance / Admin)
- Shawn O’Shaughnessy (Tap Room Manager)
- Brett Jacobson (founder)

## Recent posts
- Ola Brew: November Newsletter (2025-12-05T22:29:07Z)
- Aloha Investors! (2025-10-16T23:10:00Z)
- Exploring the Most Unique Relationship in Investing (2018-10-09T00:26:20Z)
- Hello Everyone, Attached is a 1st Quarter update. Please email directly with any questions. Thank you for your continued support. Mahalo, Brett (2018-04-20T18:03:12Z)

## Q&A
- Q: Hello Brett and Ola Founders,  We have read the questions below and notice that questions regarding investment exit strategy seem to be unanswered.  We invested in Ola in 2018 and the terms of the promissory note gave a date of December 5th, 2019 as the date we would either receive a return on our investment or it would be converted into Common Stock.  Please give some feedback to the investor community on your exit strategy.  Mahalo, Mary and Jeff
- Q: I got a notice from IRA provide that the Ola Brew notes were coming due in December. Is that still the case?
- Q: You reference a future arrangement where your new facility will co-pack and distribute for up to 10 other brands. Is this revenue stream included in this offering or will that be a completely separate business?
  - A: Absolutely. The co-packing component is included in this offering. In Hawaii, there’s a serious shortage of manufacturing resources need to enable entrepreneurs to create products on island. For this reason, local businesses are typically forced to ship their ingredients to the mainland to have them packaged. Hawaii Cider Co. plans to utilize the equipment and facilities, during the times that they are not being used to produce cider, to co-pack for other companies in exchange for a co-packing fee. This will not only support more local entrepreneurs and products it will also provide an additional revenue stream to Hawaii Cider Co.
  - A: Providing co-packing services for other companies is something we're definitely looking forward to being able to do in the future. As you read, Hawaii Island does not have much in the way of production facilities for small to medium sized businesses who would like to make and market locally produced goods. Our projections do not include future revenues coming from co-packing services. Our first priority is to get the Cider Co. up and running smoothly and swiftly--once we have achieved this, we will begin working with select businesses in our community to explore mutually beneficial co-packing opportunities. Revenues generated for these services will be reflected in the Cider company's bottom line. Great question, Marc!
- Q: Would like to check on my investment
- Q: Hi, I invested in May of 2017. Are there any company updates available? Thank you.
  - A: Aloha Joanna, Thank you so much for reaching out! We send out quarterly updates regarding the progress of Ola Brew! Would you mind sending a current email address so that I can make sure you are on the list? I will send you all of them that you have not received. I look forward to hearing back from you and get you the information you are looking for! Mahalo, Naeha
- Q: Aloha! I'm a recent investor (May round) and wondering if I will receive any form of confirmation (and my investor benefits) from Ola. Mahalo!
- Q: Hi, we are sophisticated and “mature” investors. We like what you are doing; however, what we don’t see is an exit strategy for early investors. You say that your business plan is not to grow and sell. While a later stage large equity investor eventually may buy a good percentage of shares, absent that it appears we likely would not have an opportunity for a full liquidity event within 5-7 years with any certainty. Is that an accurate assessment?
- Q: Assuming conversion to equity, how do investors ultimately see a return on those shares? Will you be offering dividends? Will you be buying back shares? I'm not sure if terms have changed from past offerings - I see a question here about WeFunder reserving the right to sell shares, but don't see that detailed in the current offering documents. Has there been a change or resolution to this issue? I'm interested in a long-term relationship as an investor, but would also like to have a better sense of how I will be able to see a return after conversion to equity. Is there a market for these shares? Thanks!
- Q: Aloha, I was an initial investor back on the first round and have not received my perks as of yet. I have reached out a few times without reply. Would anyone else be having this concern or is there issue with the perks? May I request someone from the company to reach out to me to rectify?
- Q: Bonjour, Je suis MONTIER Robert; Investisseur privé.J'ai opté pour le financement de projets pour accompagner financièrement toutes personnes sérieuses porteuses de projets.Contacter moi en cas de besoin. Voici mon mail:montierrobert12@gmail.com
- Q: Hey Guys, I'm ready for an update - tell us all the exciting stuff!
- Q: I don't see any updates in a while what current information do you have for investors?
- Q: Any updates on how the company is doing?
- Q: I'm happy with the decision to convert (hopefully) to preferred shares at $1.42 per. It seems further investments will require a $25K minimum? Is this also true for those of us whom are awaiting conversion? I'm glad I invested and appreciate the updates as well as the strategic decisions implemented. Thanks.
- Q: Hello Ola, I invested last year, but haven't received my freebees for my $1000 investor level. My birthday is coming up and I don't want to miss my free birthday pour. I am really looking forward to that. Mahalo, Dean
  - A: Aloha Dean, Thanks for checking in! Birthday pint can be redeemed in the taproom and your shirt will be ready this week! But we never received your size! What is your size? and that will be ready this week too! Looking forward to seeing you soon!