People thought Steve Jefferson was crazy when he wanted to grow sugarcane on Hawaii Island in 2013, years after the sugarcane industry had left the island. After a trip to Martinique, a place with a climate similar to Hawai‘i’s, Jefferson was inspired to make rhum agricole to honor the legacy of sugarcane in Hawai‘i and to support the industry that Hawai‘i Island does best: agriculture. And so Kuleana Rum Works was born. While the vast majority of rums on the market are made from molasses, rhum agricole is made from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice. Kuleana Rum uses 40 varieties of Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane grown on its farm in Hawi and avoids added sweeteners or coloring to create its premium rums. If you’re visiting the Kohala Coast, be sure to pop into Jefferson’s restaurant, Kuleana Rum Shack at Queens’ Marketplace in Waikoloa, which serves island favorites to go along with the Kuleana Rum cocktails. 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Drive, 238.0786, kuleanarum.com