Kona Brewing Co. announced the appointment of experienced brewer Billy Smith as brewmaster for Kona Brewing in Hawaii. While this is Smith’s first time brewing in the islands, he is no stranger to Kona, having brewed Kona beers since 2008 on the mainland.
Kona Brewing Co. announced the appointment of experienced brewer Billy Smith as brewmaster for Kona Brewing in Hawaii. While this is Smith’s first time brewing in the islands, he is no stranger to Kona, having brewed Kona beers since 2008 on the mainland.
As brewmaster for Kona Brewing’s flagship brewery in Kailua-Kona, Smith oversees the entire brewery operation, leading a team of 11 brewers.
A native of Indiana, Smith homebrewed alongside his father beginning at age 13, and joined Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) as a brewer six years ago in Woodinville, WA before being promoted to lead brewer. He was then promoted to Brewmaster at Redhook’s facility in Portsmouth, NH where he oversaw brewing for CBA’s flagship brands Kona Brewing, Widmer Brothers, Redhook, and Omission. Under his leadership, the Portsmouth brewery grew from 90,000 barrels in 2010 to 190,000 barrels in 2013.
“This is a dream job for me,” Smith said about his new role. “Being able to make world-class beer in the beautiful state of Hawaii — it doesn’t really get any better than that. I’m also looking forward to working with the team here to continue innovating our brewing processes and supporting Kona’s leadership and environmental stewardship in the community.”
Said Matt Licklider, senior director of brewing and quality operations, “We’re thrilled to have Billy’s breadth and depth of brewing experience help continue our growth at our Kona brewery. He will be a great mentor to the team, and he already embodies ‘Kona’s Liquid Aloha Spirit.’”