Manoa Honey & Mead is a popular honey and mead company based on Oahu. They make super good honey! They have a retail shop and tasting room in Wahiawa. You can also find their products at many markets on the island.
Location
Manoa Honey & Mead is in Wahiawa. Just follow the directions on your GPS when driving, it'll take you what seems like a residential area with small streets but you're heading in the right direction!
Manoa Honey happens to be a few minutes drive from one of my favorite saimin restaurants on Oahu! It's also a fun stop on the way to the North Shore. I like to come on weekdays close to opening time - that way you can beat the traffic and still have time to get lunch in Haleiwa.
Ideally you'd get an early lunch at Shige's, then go to Manoa Honey for honey and a mead tasting. Then drive to Haleiwa to explore, shop, and get a late lunch!
Retail Shop
The store is divided into three main areas (store, tasting area, and mead production). When you first enter, the retail shop is on the left. It's tiny and super cute inside. One wall is lined with all of their honey and mead products.
Other side has a small area where you can taste all the different honeys before deciding what to buy.
I am fan of the 2-ounce honey jars, which we affectionately call "baby honey" at home. It is my son's go-to honey for making honey butter toast ^_^
They sell them in three packs, or you can buy them individually. Super good for small gift giving. The one flavor that is not included in the three pack is the Christmas Berry Honey. You can only buy the Christmas Berry Honey at the retail store.
This is the Christmas Berry Honey! And yes, it is delicious. The honey bears come in three sizes: 2, 8, and 12 ounces.
- 2 ounce is super adorable and good for gifts.
- 8 ounce is nice and convenient.
- 12 ounce (pictured above) is the only size where the bear is adorned with a little lei. I love it!
They also make speciality honey wellness products. I've been enjoying this royal jelly and honey blend. They recommend taking 1 teaspoon a day.
After I finish this jar, I am curious to try the MANA which blends honey with bee pollen, royal jelly, maca, and propolis.
There's also a third blend which has honey with turmeric and propolis.
You can also buy little pouches of fresh bee pollen! So tasty sprinkled on a bowl of yogurt or acai bowls.
Mead Tasting Area
The mead tasting area is outdoors. About five tables, all shaded. You can pre-book a mead tasting online (good idea if you plan to come on the weekend afternoons).
The mead tastings are offered Friday to Sunday, from 11am to 6pm. The last seating at 5pm. Here's a look at the menu!
It's $20 or $25 for tasting flight of six meads. The $20 are the classics. The $25 is for a mix of classics and seasonal meads.
You can also get a honey and cheese box if you want a little food to go with it.
There's also a by the glass (or bottle) menu, if you prefer.
We shared the classic tasting flight and added a few glasses of the ones we liked best. I really enjoyed the Ginger Honey Hopper...
...and the Sleep-Ping-Potion.
All so tasty and refreshing on a warm day!
You can buy bottles of any of the meads inside the retail store.
They also hold a "mead talk" class and a "bees to mead" tour where you can visit their apiary and see how they harvest honey and make mead. Both are definitely something I'm curious to do one day!
Insider Tips
Sold at supermarkets and farmers market.
If you can't make it to their Wahiawa location, no worries! I've seen Manoa Honey for sale at many supermarkets (like Whole Foods, Foodland, etc) and stores like ABC Stores, Dean & Deluca, etc) across the island. They are also at the KCC Farmers Market (on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month).
Share tasting flights.
If you want to try the set tasting flights but feel that 6 glasses is too much, they let you share! I split the tasting with my mom when we went and it was the perfect amount.
Parking.
There is parking right in front of the store. It's only a few spots which is why I prefer to go early and on a weekday. Otherwise you have to drive around the neighborhood to find street parking.
Can sample before you buy.
They have a little sampling section inside the retail shop so that you can taste any (and all!) of the honeys that they sell. That way you can make sure you buy the ones you like best.
Mānoa Honey & Mead: Info
Address: 930 Palm Place, Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
Hours: Monday-Tuesday: Closed. Wednesday-Thursday: 10am-4pm. Friday-Sunday: 10am-6pm.
Website: manoahoney.com
Instagram: @manoahoneymead
Phone: (808) 493-9081
Mahalo for Reading!