Bob Gunter spent 18 years turning Kōloa Rum from a Kaua'i startup into Hawaii's premium rum standard. Now Robert Ramer, who started as an intern in 2011, is taking over as COO effective May 1.
Gunter joined Kōloa in 2008 and became President and CEO two years later. Under him, the distillery—Kaua'i's first legal operation since Prohibition—grew into a brand distributed across 38 states and select international markets. He leaned hard on local sourcing: cane sugar and rainwater from Mount Waiʻaleʻale, plus a constant emphasis on the Spirit of Aloha that became Kōloa's calling card. Beyond the business, Gunter served on the Hawaii Employers Council and embedded the brand in community work.
Ramer's path mirrors the distillery's own growth. He interned at Kōloa in 2011, left for a shot at professional baseball and corporate sales, then returned in 2019 as Director of Mainland and EU Business Development. He rose to Chief Commercial Officer, where he drove strategy across domestic and international channels. The promotion signals continuity—Ramer knows the operation, the team, and the market pressures.
The timing matters. Premium spirits are in a weird spot: consumers want authenticity and sustainability, but they're also price-sensitive and hunting for value. Kōloa checks the first two boxes with its local ingredients and Hawaiian roots. Ramer's job is to scale that story without diluting it, a balancing act that's tripped up plenty of craft distillers who expanded too fast or lost their narrative in distribution deals.
Gunter's exit is amicable and planned. Ramer inherits a brand with momentum, a clear identity, and distribution infrastructure already in place. The question now is whether Kōloa can grow beyond its current 38-state footprint without becoming just another shelf rum. If Ramer keeps the focus tight—Hawaiian provenance, quality over volume, and smart market selection—Kōloa has room to run. If he chases every distributor and retailer willing to take a meeting, the brand risks becoming wallpaper.
