Jaunted

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Honolulu Airport Brews

[Ed. Note: Jaunted's Hawaii correspondent Alex Salkever checks-in from Hawaiiarama to let us know getting drunk is about the only way to tolerate Honolulu International.]

The Honolulu International Airport is a fairly grim place. During the 16-hour power blackout on Oahu in October 2006 caused by generator shut-downs after an earthquake, the airport's sewage pumps failed, leaving travelers literally holding it in for much of the day or wandering the nearby industrial nabe in search of a loo.

The airport itself is straight out of the 1970s with heavey concrete stylings, realy expensive crappy food, and nary a people mover in sight. You either have to walk or ride around in the WikiWiki bus, which doesn't have air conditioning, to move between terminals.

Fortunately, the otherwise completely featureless bars at the airport have recently started carrying beer by Kona Brewing Company. This Hawaii suds company makes stellar libations that are on par with any microbrews in the country: the Longboard Lager, which is on tap at the airport, competes quite nicely with Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, or the Brooklyn Brewery. Alas, the airport does not pour the recently released stupendously good Pipeline Porter, which is flavored with pure Kona coffee and so smooth you could give it to an infant and they wouldn't burp. At any rate, before a long, long ride in a sardine can, a savvy traveler should tank up on a few pints of Hawaii's finest while they have the chance.

[Photo: benoburdy]