Drink Honu Beer — and save a turtle, too
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Your old college roommate was right: Drinking beer can make the world a better place.
Photo courtesy Honu Brewing
The makers of Honu Beer, newly created and named after the endangered green sea turtle, are trying to do just that by donating 20 percent of their profits to the World Turtle Trust, a local nonprofit group that helps pay for projects to protect turtles around the world.
Brett Porter decided to make Honu Beer after swimming with turtles off Maui in 1999.
As the beer finds its way to liquor stores on O'ahu this week, its makers hope consumers love the creatures as much as they do and will think of sea turtles and conservation work as a good reason to pick up a six-pack of the golden ale.
The idea came to Brett Porter, Honu Brewing's head brewer, in 1999 during a Maui vacation after his father insisted that he snorkel out and look at the turtles living offshore from the family condo.
"The moment you see a sea turtle face to face is the moment you commit yourself to their preservation," said Porter. "I returned from my Hawaiian vacation knowing I had to do something. And since I'm a brewer, I figured I could make the greatest impact through beer."
John Lindelow, spokesman for the World Turtle Trust, said the Honu Beer donation will go directly to sea turtle conservation efforts around the world. The trust, founded in 1990, is financing four projects — in Hawai'i, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and India — and Lindelow said the goal is to pay for work on 12 projects around the globe.
"We act as a funding conduit to a bunch of grass-roots, small organizations around the world who are doing sea turtle conservation on a local level," Lindelow said.
He said that no one at the trust takes a salary and that all the money generated through beer sales, except some minor administrative costs, will go directly to turtle conservation. He hopes that Hawai'i's love of turtles and a desire to protect them will help sell the product.
"There is so much love in the Islands for the honu," Lindelow said. "People identify with them and like being around them in the water. They are such gentle creatures."
University of Hawai'i marketing professor Dana Alden said donating a portion of a company's profits not only sends a good corporate message but also can be an effective marketing technique.
"It helps them break through the clutter and it shows corporate responsibility," Alden said. "It adds a very nice dimension to our society. It's a friendly side of capitalism and I like to see it out there for that reason."
Alden said the charity work by the Ronald McDonald House, financed by McDonald's restaurants, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream environmental donations are well-established corporate efforts that have been marketed successfully.
"The key is identifying an issue that really matters to the target market," Alden said. "It's one thing to have corporate objectives that the CEO or shareholders are interested in, and that is fine, but in terms of promoting the brand, obviously it has to resonate with the target market or it's not going to motivate purchasing."
Honu Beer is made in Portland, Ore., by Honu Brewing, a subsidiary of Portland Brewing. The company also makes MacTarnahan's Amber Ale.
Twenty percent of the profits from Honu Beer will be donated to the World Turtle Trust.
The first shipment of Honu Beer arrived last week. Paradise Beverages is distributing the beer and is also a partner in the conservation project, donating part of its profits to the cause.
In all, the World Turtle Trust will receive 50 cents per case of beer sold, which could total $700 if just the initial shipment sells out.
Paradise Beverages is looking into the prospects of placing the beer in several grocery stores, restaurants and bars as well as mom-and-pop markets.
Foodland has ordered Honu Beer and expects to have it in all of its O'ahu stores by the third week of the month and on the Neighbor Islands by the end of the month.
The Liquor Collection at Ward Warehouse has also ordered the beer. "We will get Honu Beer as soon as we can," said George O'Hanlon, Liquor Collection general manager.
Porter said the initial shipment of Honu Beer was 1,400 cases.
The beer is golden ale, made with 100 percent malted barley, he said, describing it as an easy-drinking beer. It comes in a clear bottle that shows a swimming sea turtle and fish on a Hawaiian reef.
"It's great beer, a great package and a good cause," Porter said. "We didn't want it to be a token gesture. We wanted it to be a real chunk of our profits, not just a nod to a charity. We want this to do some good work."
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
