Hāmākua Coast Premium was founded by Brandon Ventura and Kalei Jury, a pair of Hawaiʻi bartenders inspired to make better cocktails by using local ingredients. They have been friends for 15 years and have been bartending at resorts on the Kohala Coast for almost as long. Their concept is simple: "we have some of the best raw ingredients here in Hawaiʻi, why don't we use them in making drinks".