There’s no better way to beat the summer heat than with a frozen cocktail. Here are a few new options for refreshment in Honolulu, plus a few tried-and-true drinks that have remained popular over the years.
SUPERIOR SLUSHIES
>> Before Danny Kaaialii opened Encore Saloon at 10 N. Hotel St. in Chinatown in October, he spent quite a bit of time traveling to do market research for his beverage program, which focuses heavily on quality Mexican tequila and mezcal. But one of those trips also turned him on to the idea of turning classic cocktails into frozen slushies.
“We went to High Five Ramen (in Chicago), and they had a slushy machine there,” he explained. “They had a Painkiller and Last Word on tap, and the Painkiller was probably the best cocktail I had the whole time I was in Chicago.
“Boozy slushies are where it’s at. They’re just fun. I knew I wanted to do it, so it was just a matter of us opening so we could.”
Kaaialii said bar manager Quinn Mears mixes up about 5 gallons of each flavor at a time, to last about one week. Last week’s flavors, at $10 each, were a Zima-rita (made with the limited rerelease of the popular 1990s malt beverage Zima) and a classic strawberry daiquiri.
Kaaialii and Mears agreed that the most popular flavors have been frozen versions of the classic Aviation and Last Word cocktails, but Mears hit it out of the park a few months ago when he made a mango margarita with fresh fruit harvested from his own yard.
Encore Saloon is open 11 a.m. to midnight daily except Sundays (and until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays); call 367-1656.
>> Over at BLT Market, 383 Kalaimoku St., a new Frose cocktail ($15) capitalizes on the growing popularity of rose among wine drinkers by bringing a mainland trend to Waikiki. BLT’s version combines Wairau River Rose with fresh strawberry and lemon to create what tastes like an upscale wine cooler that’s light and refreshing. But I was even more impressed with a frozen lemongrass gimlet ($16), made with Hendrick’s gin, fresh lemongrass and grapefruit juice. It has just the right amount of tartness, but the underlying gin flavors help remind you there’s alcohol in there, too. Call 729-9729.
BLENDED BLISS
Not every bar on Oahu has a frozen drink dispenser like Encore Saloon or BLT Market, but some have been making magic with blenders for a long time.
>> Take the Mai Tai Bar Ala Moana’s Icy Mai Tai ($8), my go-to pick-me-up at the mall for at least 15 years. You can get one for just five bucks during the bar’s late-night happy hour, 8 to 11 p.m. daily, too. My advice is to add a shot of Kraken spiced rum for $1 more, then ask your server for a can of Red Bull ($5). Enjoy a few sips of the mai tai, then stir in some Red Bull. The energy drink plays off the sour flavors of the mai tai and melts it down just enough to make this deceptively easy to drink on a hot day. Call 947-2900.
>> Going holoholo in Waikiki this summer? My usual suggestion to friends playing tourist for a few days is to order something you normally wouldn’t — like a cocktail served in a fresh pineapple. Sadly, this is getting harder and harder to accomplish, with the Royal Pineapple ($30) served at the Mai Tai Bar in the Royal Hawaiian hotel often cited as one of the only options left along Kalakaua Avenue.
That might be true, but if you like pina coladas and dive bars, you’ll love the Real Pina Colada ($16) at Cuckoo Coconuts Waikiki. Tucked away at 333 Royal Hawaiian Ave. behind the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, this hole-in-the-wall might feel a little kitschy, but it’s worth the journey to pull up a chair and enjoy live music seven days a week with a drink made with local ingredients.
Not only is the hollowed-out pineapple grown in Hawaii, but Cuckoo’s pina colada blends in locally sourced fresh pineapple and coconut juice as well.
This place is a must-try if you want to support a small local business that’s become a keeper of the flame for a quintessential old-school Waikiki cocktail experience. Open 11 a.m. to midnight daily; call 926-1620.
WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM
Any bar — or restaurant with a liquor license, for that matter — with a blender can add a shot of liquor to some milk and ice cream for a perfectly serviceable adult milkshake. But it’s the details that set Koko Head Cafe’s Morning Milkshake ($15) apart from the rest.
Using Maker’s Mark bourbon as its base, the Morning Milkshake mixes in flavors of honey and maple with vanilla gelato to create a decadent treat that’s cold in the glass but also warms the throat thanks to the whiskey inside. What puts it over the top are a couple of thick pieces of candied bacon and a healthy scoop of granola that gives this drink some texture — and we all know everything is better with bacon! Koko Head Cafe is at 1145 12th Ave., open 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily; call 732-8920.
>> Fans of Japanese whiskey will want to check out Nomu at Waikiki Yokocho Gourmet Alley inside the Waikiki Shopping Plaza starting July 30, when the bar unveils its Hibiki gelato. Owner Frank Clark said it “came out even better than I thought” when I tasted some of his first batch last week, and I can’t wait to go back and create my own “affogato” with even more Hibiki instead of espresso! A 2-ounce portion of Hibiki gelato will cost $9 at Nomu and will be available until Aug. 31, with customer response a big factor in determining whether it sticks around permanently. Call 777-3558.
Jason Genegabus has written about the local bar and drink scenes since 2001. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @honolulupulse or email jason@staradvertiser.com.
