The Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki is a great spot for any drink. The menu is a rainbow of tropical refreshment in blues, reds, greens, oranges, and pinks.
The Royal Mai Tai is gorgeous with its orchid-fruit-mint salad on top. The Pink Palace (the hotel's nickname) is a pale pink blend of light rum, coconut, and pineapple. For those who have had their fill of fruity hooch, the hotel has its own private label pink champagne. It's not on the menu, but they always have some on hand.
WARNING: Don't be tempted to try every drink on the menu in one day.
***
United Flight 81 LAX to Honolulu
Even the pretzels taste exotic on the way to Hawaii. That first sip of Mai Tai on the plane as you're getting used to everyone saying "Aloha" and "Mahalo" just tastes so good. Some people actually start relaxing right on the plane! United uses a bottled mix by Trader Vics. When they have time to garnish, this Mai Tai truly stands up.***
House Without A Key at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki
A very special Mai Tai. Diamond Head. Sunset. Jeff Au Hoy's steel guitar is a friendly docent leading the tour of the lilting world called Waikiki. Imbibe.
***
La Mariana Sailing Club in Honolulu
A collection of cast-off vintage Tiki icons from yesteryear, this shrine is a paean to a cringe-worthy side effect of U.S. colonialism. That said, it is a kitsch utopia, unparalleled in the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii.
We love their Mai Tai for the generous float of dark rum.
***
Our Vacation Rental (North Shore)With a little homework, we usually find a vacation rental with a great view of the sunset. We have a tradition of making our tropical masterpiece every day right before the sun goes down. Then we sit back and marvel at the beauty of it all.
Every vacation rental on Oahu boasts the presence of a blender in the list of amenities. The supermarkets have handy packets of frozen coconut milk, exotic tropical fruit juices, and really good fresh fruit. Fresh local fruit is available at roadside stands and farmers markets. With a full palette of creative options we often go nuts.
***
Dry Tai
After a few nights of tropical blender drinks or Mai Tais at the local resort bar, the cocktails start to feel sticky and taste cloying. That is why I invented the "Dry Tai." Here is my recipe:
Pour 2 jiggers of light rum over cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass. Follow with 2 ounces of pineapple juice. Squeeze the juice from 1/4 lime and stir to combine. Top with a float of 151 dark rum and garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple and a small tropical flower.
***
ONE LAST WARNING: As any fan of "Lost" already knows, the DUI laws are strictly enforced on Oahu. Don't drive drunk.
No comments:
Post a Comment