After years of planning, homebrewing and navigating pandemic delays, two teachers-turned-entrepreneurs finally opened their craft brewery with a focus on community.
During the grand opening over the weekend of Hawaii Standard Time Brewing in Līhu’e, about 200 to 300 people went through its taproom.
“There’s a little bit of a sigh of relief,” said Paul Schmitz, who co-founded the brewery with Skyler Lassman. “But now it’s the whole rest of our business for the next decade to think about.”
The brewery and taproom, located at 2970 Kress St. near the Līhuʻe Airport, operates without a full kitchen — a deliberate choice by its founders to focus on craft beer while partnering with local food trucks and nearby restaurants.
During the opening weekend, guests sampled beer pairings alongside sandwiches from Kickshaws and products from Lydgate Farms, followed by live music performances throughout the night.
“We’ve been partnering with local food trucks to park food trucks on most nights, and there’s a plan eventually on Kress Street, on our street, to put a food truck circle in,” he said.
The business is a partnership between Schmitz, a math teacher at Hawaiʻi Technology Academy, and Skyler Lassman, a physics teacher at Waimea High School. Schmitz manages operations while Lassman is the head brewer.
Both still teach part-time, balancing their careers in education with running the brewery.
The teachers met in 2017 and bonded over a shared interest in craft beer. What began as a homebrewing hobby — complete with feedback from friends and fellow brewers — gradually evolved into a business.
They were part of the Hawai’i Home Brew Club that met monthly.
“We brought our homebrews to share, and we got a lot of positive feedback from people, including Jim Guerber, the owner of Kauaʻi Beer Co.,” Schmitz said.
“And he kind of was our whisperer and said we could use more breweries in the area, and so we took that challenge seriously.”
The teachers began pursuing the idea seriously before pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I like to say that during COVID I was playing beer fairy where I would do surprise deliveries on people’s doorsteps,” he said. “All we wanted was feedback back from people and honest opinions.”
The feedback helped the duo refine their recipes, dial in certain styles, and hit the ground running with the business.
After securing a lease in 2022 and completing a lengthy permitting and construction process, the pair built the brewery from the ground up, designing every detail of the space themselves.
“We’ve got to realize our vision to the fullest extent,” Schmitz said. “It took a long time to get here.”
Inside, the brewery features up to 20 taps, with 12 beers currently on rotation.
Early favorites include hazy IPAs — a style the owners say is difficult to import to the island in a fresh state — and a hibiscus lager known as “Hibisco Disco,” made with locally inspired ingredients.
Flagship brews include 808 Pils (a German style pilsner), LilʻKoi Sour (a fresh and tart sour), Shark Bite IPA (west coast style IPA with Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe and CTZ hops) and Hazy Dazy IPA (New England style IPA with strong notes of pineapple and other tropical fruits).
Unlike many mainland breweries, HST Brewing intentionally produces smaller batches — about 100 gallons at a time — to keep offerings fresh and frequently changing. The approach also allows the brewers to experiment and introduce customers to a wider range of styles.
“We want to give people a reason to come back,” Schmitz added. “There are infinite variables. It’s very, very engineering heavy, and Skyler was an aerospace engineer, graduated from Cal Poly, so it really fits his interests perfectly.”
The owners say their mission extends beyond brewing. As longtime educators, they describe the business as service-oriented, aiming to create a welcoming gathering place for residents. The taproom also offers nonalcoholic options for the designated drivers, including house-made teas, and emphasizes responsible drinking.
“We just love sharing beer with people,” Schmitz said. “But we also want to introduce people to new styles and make it approachable. There are so many different parts that there really is an art to it, and so it does feel like an expression of art as well.”
The opening comes months after the closure of Kaua’i Beer Co., leaving what some residents described as a gap in the local craft beer scene.
While Schmitz and Lassman say the closure of Kauaʻi Beer Co. is disheartening, they hope to help fill that void and contribute to a growing corridor of local businesses.
“It feels like we’re creating a community already,” Schmitz said. “It’s a sign that we’re creating a place that people want to come to and want to come back to.”
Looking ahead, the owners plan to expand distribution to local restaurants and hotels, begin canning operations, and potentially open additional locations on Kauaʻi. However, they say they have no plans to expand beyond the Garden Island, preferring to remain rooted in the local market.
The brewery is currently open Thursday through Sunday and is limited to patrons 21 and older due to licensing requirements. Outside food is welcome, and food trucks are expected to rotate regularly.
The brewery also makes a non-alcoholic, carbonated, fizzy tea for those who don’t drink alcohol. “Right now, we have a chamomile one and a mamaki tea on tap that we make, so bring your designated driver,” he added.
“We want to make sure that people who don’t drink anymore still feel welcome and can be social.”
This upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5 will feature a new Mexican-style lager release and tacos from El Gato Street Tacos, marking the next step for a business that, for now, is taking things one week at a time.
“We’re just really proud, and we can’t wait to meet everyone,” Schmitz said, “and excited to build ourselves into a valued part of the community.”
Click here for more on HST Brewery and a full list of beers on tap.
