Great View, Grocery Store Wine List
Ali'i Drive / Waterfront · Kailua-Kona · American pub fare and bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Humpy's Big Island Alehouse’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're sitting on a lively waterfront patio in Kailua-Kona with the Pacific doing its thing right in front of you, and then the wine list lands. It's short, California-only, and reads like someone grabbed a case from Costco and called it a program. The beer list is clearly where Humpy's put its energy, and fair enough — but if wine is your thing, you'll notice the mismatch immediately.
Ten to twenty wines, all California, with the visible anchors being Edna Valley Chardonnay, Rosehaven Rosé, and Josh Craftsman Cabernet Sauvignon — the kind of bottles you'd find stacked near the checkout at Total Wine. There's no old world representation, no Pinot Noir, no sparkling, no texture or range to speak of. This is a list built for convenience, not curiosity. If you came to Hawaii hoping to explore something interesting with your fish and chips, the wine list won't be your vehicle.
Six to ten pours by the glass, which sounds decent until you realize the roster barely changes from the bottle list. The happy hour pricing on the Edna Valley Chardonnay, Rosehaven Rosé, and Josh Cab is genuinely the best reason to engage with the wine program here. Outside of happy hour, the value proposition gets thin fast.
Edna Valley Chardonnay — Happy hour pricing
Edna Valley is a reliable Central Coast producer making clean, food-friendly Chardonnay. At happy hour, it's the most defensible glass on the list — honest wine at a price that won't sting.
Rosehaven Rosé
It's easy to overlook rosé at a sports bar, but on a hot Kona afternoon with an ocean breeze, a cold glass of Rosehaven Rosé is actually the right call. Nobody orders it, which means it might be the freshest pour on the list.
Josh Craftsman Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars markets hard and delivers little. A Cab Sauv at a humid waterfront bar in Hawaii is already a stretch, and paying pub markup for one of the most over-distributed brands in the country makes it a hard no. Order a local draft instead.
Edna Valley Chardonnay + Fish and chips
The Chardonnay's brightness and light citrus cut through the batter without fighting the fish — it's the most logical match on a list that doesn't give you many options.
The Bottom Line
Humpy's is a genuinely fun spot to watch a game, drink a craft beer, and catch a sunset over Ali'i Drive — but the wine list is an afterthought at best. If wine matters to you even a little, save it for a proper dinner elsewhere and come here for the cold beer and the view.
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Hawaii Regional Cuisine / Asian Fusion Seafood Grill
Roy's Waikoloa is a reliable night out with food that outpaces the wine list by a full length. Drink the Sonoma-Cutrer with the butterfish, skip the markups on the obvious stuff, and let the view do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Italian osteria with locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients
Pueo's isn't building a destination wine program, but it's doing something harder — keeping prices honest in a market that rarely does. Send your friends here for dinner; just know the list is a supporting character, not the headliner.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Beachside Hawaiian and Pacific Rim
Come for the sand, the sunset, and the Huli Huli chicken — just don't come expecting the wine list to match the view. Order the best white they have cold, tip your server well, and make peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alii Drive · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian-style barbecue / plate lunches
We would never send someone to TJ's for the wine list — we'd send them for the smoked brisket and the ocean view. But if you want something in a glass while you eat, the list does just enough to keep you covered, and $12 a pour is fair by Hawaii standards.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian-inspired and pan-Pacific fare with a classic tiki bar
Don the Beachcomber is a genuinely fun place to spend an evening in Kona, and the cocktail program absolutely earns its reputation — so get the mai tai and leave the wine list alone. If you insist on a bottle, grab the La Crema, accept your losses, and watch the sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Contemporary American and Seafood
Come for the manta rays and the sunset, order a cocktail, and make your peace with it. The wine list is a hotel afterthought dressed in markup we can't recommend with a straight face.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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