About Us
OUR STORY
We believe in welcoming everyone with open arms. We believe in having a deep connection to the land. We believe in never trading trade winds for anything and in the happiest of happy hours all day long. We also believe in distilling spirits of the highest quality.
Each drop we produce is crafted, bottled, and labeled by hand. In fact, perfection is one of our most important ingredients! Distilling, to us, isn’t just a process, it’s a skill, an art, and a passion.
What sets us apart from the competition? Our spirits use locally sourced ingredients and the purest form of sugar on the planet: raw Hawaiian honey. There are over 4,000 craft distillers, and only a small percentage make use of this premium, high-end ingredient. By including honey in our process, we are able to take spirits to another level. Yes, bees aren’t just vital to our planet; they’re also vital to our liquor cabinets! Honey creates different variations depending on where pollination took place at the time of harvest, and the result is uniqueness in every bottle.
12th Hawaii Distiller is the first distillery in Kona since the 1950’s and the 12th distiller in the state of Hawaii. We have been licensed since 2017 and plan on distilling for decades to come. Every drop we make is produced right there on the Big Island. Our purpose is to bring out the best that Hawaii has to offer and to invite everyone to take a taste of life… one sip at a time.
OUR DISTILLER
Distilling runs through Dave Puckett’s veins like whiskey flowing from a spout—the perfect process is ingrained within his DNA. His great-great-great-grandfather began distilling in the 1800’s, and that passion was passed down through generations. As the 1920’s roared, Dave Puckett’s grandfather started distilling spirits, and when in the 1960’s the Watts Riots broke out near his grandfather’s store, it was spared out of respect for the high-quality alcohol he was selling.
Dave grew up in the sun, a California child turned fisherman. He relocated to Oahu in early 1980 and lived there for 16 years. He fell in love with all things Hawaii: the culture, the beauty, and the diversity. He eventually moved to the Big Island for a simpler and more rewarding life, and it was there that he laid down permanent roots. He found success in the construction industry the day after his high school graduation in 1976, and he stayed in that industry for more than forty years. He was often asked to manage construction jobs because of his keen attention to detail and his drive for perfection. It is that same drive that propels his distilling to this day.
Dave started experimenting with whiskey and other spirits in 2010. Six years later, he retired from construction work and traded in his copper nails for copper stills. He’s been perfecting his craft ever since.
OUR STILL
We use a beautiful jacketed copper pot still with a bubble plate column. Our still has top-quality construction with a beautifully rounded curve that is perfect for producing craft spirits.
Not only is the still aesthetically beautiful, with its lustrous copper sheen, but it is purposeful as well.
Copper has been touted as the ideal still construction material because it is an excellent conductor of heat. It disperses heat evenly and creates an even distillation. Copper also strips unwanted odors and flavors, which results in a smooth taste and finish.