Barfly: Oktoberfest, RumFire, Beer Lab, Paradise Ciders

September may have just begun, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start making Oktoberfest plans.

The biggest celebration of the year will be at Bishop Museum, where Eat the Street will host its fifth annual Honolulu Oktoberfest from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 22. A variety of German cuisine will be available alongside a curated lineup of German-style beers from around the world, with a mix of Hawaiian and German live entertainment planned throughout.

Tickets are $20 and include two drink tickets; buy more presale drink tickets at five for $20. A “presale special” offers admission, valet parking, two drink tickets and a commemorative mug for $50. VIP tickets add to that early entry at 4 p.m., a commemorative bottle opener and light pupu, for $75.

Visit hnloktoberfest2018.eventbrite.com to buy tickets online (fees apply).

On Sept. 18, Gordon Biersch hosts its annual Fest Bier Tapping Celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Along with traditional “oompah” music and a chicken dance contest, employees will tap a traditional wood barrel and host a “stein hoisting” competition. Call 599-4877.

And on Oct. 2, Waikiki Brewing Co.’s Kakaako location will host an Oktoberfest Beer Dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Four courses will be served alongside WBC’s 808 Pale Ale, Rye Saison, Paddy’s Irish Stout and the brewery’s first-ever attempt at a traditional German Marzen. Tickets are $65; call 591-0387 or visit 808ne.ws/wbc- oktoberfest-2018.

OAHU RESIDENTS in town and on the windward side have benefited the most from the local brewery boom in recent years, but now Waipio is getting some time in the spotlight, thanks to the guys at Beer Lab HI.

After opening across the street from Puck’s Alley near the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2016, business partners Nicolas Wong, Kevin Teruya and Derek Taguchi inked a deal last year on warehouse space at 94-515 Ukee St. The new tasting room opened last month.

At approximately 3,000 square feet, the new Beer Lab location is significantly larger than the Moiliili space. Wong and crew say the demand is there for quality microbrews produced in Hawaii, and I couldn’t agree more.

The new Beer Lab HI in Waipio is open from 4 to 10 p.m Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Call 517-3128 or visit beerlabhi.com.

CONGRATS ALSO to the team at Paradise Ciders, who officially opened a new tasting room and production facility at 2003 Colburn St. in Kalihi this month after a soft-opening phase over the summer.

Until now, you had to visit one of the three dozen or so bars and restaurants on Oahu that had access to limited runs of each batch of cider produced by co-owners Shaun Peck and Kasey Sulheim.

Now, fans of their Lei’d Back Lilikoi, Pineapple Cruzer, Mango Daze and Guava Lava ciders can go directly to the source for tasting flights, growler fills and individual bottles of the good stuff, from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Me? I’m looking forward to stopping by and trying their latest release, the Killah Dragon, made with dragonfruit and raspberry. The tasting room also will offer smaller, exclusive limited batches that won’t be sold anywhere else. Visit paradiseciders.com.

AFTER 10 years on the beach at the Sheraton Waikiki, RumFire remains an enjoyable destination for visitors and residents alike. It’s also probably the only place on Oahu where you’ll be able to try a limited-edition bottling of Real McCoy rum.

In honor of RumFire’s 10-year anniversary this month, the bar and lounge hosted a cocktail competition featuring some of the top bartenders working in Waikiki. I was there on Aug. 30 when finalists Jared Kamisato, Justin Kipapa, Jesse Greenleaf and Sam Miller returned to see who had the best drink of the bunch. Miller, who works at Morimoto Asia Waikiki, took home bragging rights with his play on an Old-Fashioned that used three Real McCoy expressions and incorporated a homemade blackstrap molasses syrup that gave his drink a subtle spice kick.

In the end, however, the star of the show was definitely the limited-edition Real McCoy, which includes a blend of 3-, 5- and 12-year rums from Barbados distilled in both copper column and pot stills. RumFire received nearly all the bottles allocated to Hawaii, and the rum was the featured spirit poured at RumFire’s VIP anniversary party Sept. 2.

The celebration also served as an official unveiling of Firebox, the bar’s new VIP lounge and game room. Along with a mix of video games and pool tables, the room features a custom mural designed and installed by local artist John “Prime” Hina. The nearly 500-square-foot piece of art was completed over two days in February.

Email RumFire manager Bryan Simpson at bryan.simpson@sheraton.com to reserve the room for your next party.