Drinking Made Easy: Maui

Episode Guide for the Maui, Hawai’i episode of “Drinking Made Easy”

Just because Hawaii is the newest state in the union doesn’t mean it was late to the party. Hawaiians have been distilling, brewing, and imbibing for centuries. Mix together one part laid back atmosphere, one part beach paradise, and mix in a plethora of fresh fruit, and you have a recipe for some delicious drinking. In this episode, Zane belly flops onto Hawaii’s second largest island, Maui. Follow him along the sandy path to find who is doing the best mixing, brewing, and hallucinating in this island paradise.

WHERE WE WENT

• Mala Ocean Tavern Small, oceanside bar and restaurant, serving Mediterranean, Pacific Rim and Latino inspired dishes. Try the award-winning mai tai.
  1307 Front Street, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761 | (808) 667-9394

• Maui Brewing Company. Offering brewery tours on Fridays and Saturdays, tasting room open most days (check the website for details).
  910 Honoapiilani Highway #55, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761 | (808) 661-6205

• Maui Brewing Company Brew Pub While their brewery and production facilities are located in Lahaina, just up the coast in Kahana you’ll find the only microbrewery on Maui. Delicious food using local ingredients and 16 of their own beers on draft, including their flagship ale, Coconut Porter.
  Kahana Gateway Center, 4405 Honoapiilani Highway #217, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761 | (808) 669-3474

•  Wow-Wee Maui’s Kava Bar & Grill. Kava is a non-alcoholic drink with hallucinatory effects, and Wow-Wee Maui’s serves up some mean kava. Be forewarned: a couple of cups, will knock you on your ass.
  333 Dairy Rd, Kahului, Maui, HI 96732 | (808) 871-1414

• MonkeyPod Kitchen. Impressive culinary cocktail list and a massive list of draft microbrews (served at a temp of 29 degrees). They also offer dining options using local produce, organic and sustainable farming, ranching and fish practices.
  10 Wailea Gateway Place, Unit B-201 Kihei, Maui, HI 96753 | (808) 891-2322

• Leilani’s on the Beach. Part of the Whaler’s Village just off the beach. Great spot for people watching. Try the Straight 808 martini, a chilled martini consisting of Island 808 Vodka, a triple distilled pineapple vodka infused with gobs of fruit.
  2435 Kaanapali Parkway, Bldg. J Lahaina, Maui HI 96761 | (808) 661-4495
• Gemini Sailing Tours  Just outside The Westin, you can charter the Gemini, a 64’ Catamaran that sails daily from Ka’anapali Beach. The Gemini offers year round snorkeling sails and seasonal whale watching and sunset sails. All trips are catered by Ono and Tropica Restaurant at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa.
  2525 Kaanapali Parkway Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761 | (808) 669-0508
• Kula Lodge  At 3,200 feet about sea level, it’s about 1/3 of the way down Mt Haleakala.  Perched high above the green hills of Kula, the restaurant features indoor and outdoor dining with breathtaking views of the Valley Isle.
  15200 Haleakala Hwy, Route 377
, Kula, Maui, HI | (808) 878-1535
  
• The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali Great place for cocktails. Their signature restaurant Tropica Restaurant & Bar features waterfalls, tiki torches, beautiful ocean views and a delectable menu of fresh and local foods. Also home to the Waileile Polynesian Luau which features a four course family style menu and free flowing drinks like the Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian, the signature Westin Sunset, red and white wines, and beers.
  2365 Ka’anapali Parkway, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761 | (866) 500-8313

WHAT WE DRANK

Mala Mai Tai Recipe

Lava Flow Recipe

Rain Tree Elixir Recipe

MonkeyPod Mai Tai Recipe

Okole Wow Recipe

Westin Mai Tai Recipe

Gemini Mai Tai Recipe

Pau Tini Recipe

Straight 808 Recipe

WHAT WE FEATURED

• Maui Brewing Company Makers of CoCoNut PorTeR, Bikini Blonde, Big Swell IPA, Mana Wheat and many others.
• Pau Maui Vodka High end local spirit  distilled with pineapples, yet carries no flavor.
• Island 808  A triple distilled pineapple vodka that is infused with local ingredients like mango, lychee, pineapple orange guava (POG), pineapple and coconut.
• Okolehao Liqueur A local spirit made from the fruit of a Ti plant. Produced by Haleakala Distillers who also make Maui Dark Rum and Maui Gold Rum, Okolehao is called ‘oke’ by the Native Hawaiians whose ancestors were the first to make it.

THANK YOU, SIR. MAY I HAVE SOME MORE?

Want to learn more about planning your drinking adventure in Maui? Check out this site.