Waikiki isn't exactly known as a craft beer destination. Most bars on the strip pour the same handful of domestics and maybe a Kona Longboard if they're feeling local. If you actually care about what's on tap — local Hawaiian brews, house originals, and a draft list worth exploring — Skybox Taphouse is the spot. The "Taphouse" in the name isn't just branding.
Two House-Brewed Originals
Skybox has its own beers on tap, and they're both worth trying. The Skybox Blonde is a pale gold ale with caramel malt sweetness and a crisp, clean finish with low bitterness. It's approachable, easy-drinking, and built for a long afternoon of watching games — the kind of beer you can have three of without getting tired of it.
The Skybox Hazy IPA is the more adventurous of the two — a signature hazy India Pale Ale with orange, mango, and guava flavors. It's tropical without being sweet, and it actually tastes like Hawaii. If you only try one beer here, make it the Hazy IPA.
Both are available by the pint, pitcher, or tower. Pints are $8 for the Blonde and $10 for the Hazy IPA.
Local Hawaiian Drafts
Beyond the house beers, Skybox has a solid lineup of Hawaiian brewery drafts on tap. The full draft list includes:
- Kona Brewing — Longboard Lager (the island classic), Big Wave Golden Ale, and Lavaman Red Ale
- Maui Brewing — Big Swell IPA and Pineapple Mana Wheat
- Ola Brew — Dragonfruit Lemonade, which is exactly as good as it sounds
- Mango Cart — a wheat ale that's become a draft list staple
Local pints run $7 during happy hour (Monday–Friday, 3-6 PM) and regular price otherwise. Pitchers are $30 and towers are $41 for local drafts.
Domestic Drafts
The domestic tap lineup covers the standards — Bud Light, Coors Light, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois, and Modelo. Not craft, but they're there when you want something straightforward. Domestic pints are $5 during happy hour, with $25 pitchers and $37 towers.
Pitchers and Towers
If you're with a group — and at a sports bar during a game, you probably are — the pitchers and towers are the move. A pitcher holds 60 oz (roughly four pints), and a tower holds about three pitchers' worth. For a table of four or more watching a game, a tower is more efficient and cheaper per pour than ordering rounds of pints.
During happy hour, a domestic tower at $37 split four ways is about $9 each for what amounts to three or four pints. A local tower at $41 is barely more. That's hard to beat anywhere in Waikiki.
Beyond Beer
Skybox isn't beer-only. The cocktail menu has 11 signature drinks at $16 each ($11 during happy hour). Highlights include the All Tai'd Up Mai Tai, the Goddess Pele with habanero vodka, and the Overtime Buzz espresso martini. There's also wine by the glass (Freakshow Chardonnay, Freakshow Cabernet, and Prosecco), seltzers (White Claw and NÜTRL), and $55 mimosa towers on weekends with two whole bottles of champagne and juices.
Spirit-free cocktails are $9 if you're keeping it alcohol-free — the Touchdown Tropic with coconut, passion fruit, mint, and pineapple is the best of the three.
The Setting
Drinking craft beer on the third-floor open-air lanai of International Market Place, with 20+ TVs showing live sports and a breeze coming through — that's a different experience than most taprooms. Skybox has two full-size bars, so you're not waiting forever for a pour, and the 275-seat venue means there's always room.
Getting There
Skybox Taphouse is at 2330 Kalakaua Ave #302, third floor of International Market Place in Waikiki. Open daily 11 AM to 2 AM. Happy hour Monday through Friday, 3-6 PM. Walk-ins welcome, or save a table for game days. The draft list rotates occasionally, so if you're curious about what's currently pouring, call ahead at 808-378-8542.