Spirit and Stillness: Tequila Tasting in Makawao
Mist clings to the hills as the road curves upward into Makawao, where pastureland meets cloud line and the air cools to a gentle hush. Here, on the slopes of Haleakalā, time moves differently. measured not in hours but in the sound of hooves on damp earth, the scent of eucalyptus carried on the breeze, the soft rhythm of rain on corrugated tin. Makawao’s charm lies in the weathered wood of its storefronts, in the slow artistry of glassblowers and painters tucked behind modest porches, in the quiet pride of its paniolo roots. Upcountry Maui breathes differently.
It was here at Waikulu Distillery that the woman found herself unexpectedly still. She didn’t come to Maui for tequila, but that’s how travel works—the most surprising moments arrive quietly, without fanfare, and linger the longest. Travel, like distilling, transforms intention through alchemical accident.
There was no grand tasting room, just a modest building tucked into Makawao’s misty uplands, where the distiller himself offered a quiet, impromptu tour. It was intimate, unpretentious—an experience made memorable by the sheer knowledge and pride with which he poured.
He explained how the agave takes seven years to mature, growing under Hawaiian sun and rainbows before being slow-roasted for 48 hours until the hearts turned sugary and dark. The woman listened, fascinated, as he described how the caramelized agave was then crushed, fermented, aged—each step a labor of love, every bottle touched by hand.
The woman and her husband tasted three of Waikulu’s handcrafted tequilas, each one complex and distinct. The Smoke Pepa unfolded in stages, with the ember-glow warmth spreading through her collarbones.
There was nothing ostentatious about the distillery: just a small building, with everything it needed. And yet, she was captivated. Not by spectacle, but by process. It hadn’t just been a tasting. It had been a reminder: beauty lives in attention. The honesty of small-batch craft and the pleasure of meeting the maker is the kind of experience that stays with you—personal, rooted, and real.
