Get out your IDs! MauiTime is turning 21 and we are celebrating with a bar crawl. The MauiTime ‘ohana will be whooping it up on this virtual drinking tour, and you are invited!
First stop is the South Shore Tiki Lounge for the holy trifecta of live music, cold booze and scooby snacks. Soak it up – we have a lot of imbibing to do! We traipse around the Barmuda Triangle for a while, taking in the lively sights and sounds, and savoring the fact that we have just hit up Kahale’s, Dog and Duck, What Ales You, VIBE, Three’s and L.A.B. from one parking spot. Plus the Love Shack! We have to dance to at least one song at each spot, have a drink at each and, of course, hydrate, because at 21 we are pros at this. Extra points for popping across the street, singing karaoke and grinding a half price late night roll at Sansei in between shots. -Jen Russo
Next up we head to the Fairmont Kea Lani. We are having the Logsdon cocktail at the Luana Lounge: Woodford Reserve bourbon, Benedictine liqueur, cardamaro, Angostura and creole bitters, and Kiawe-vanilla smoke. First the bartender stirs bourbon, bitters and liqueurs, then he lights the wood and vanilla on fire and traps the smoke in a snifter. When the smoke fills the snifter, the bartender adds the liquor. It’s served up. It’s different, has whiskey and is smoky special. Sip it slowly, and relax. -Anthony Pignataro and Angie Thompson
We are going to get loose with an epic Maui sunset view – a dirty martini and a hottie is always a good choice. Then welcome to my wino: we are going to a couple of my favorite spots for a glass of grape. First a crisp and always acid-free glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at Ferraro’s. Then the lip-smackingly delicious 2015 Roth Cabernet Sauvignon at Mama’s Fish House. Last we take a trip to Tamura’s to stock up for our wine-infused, celebratory, turning-21 dinner party. -Alex Mitchell
Off to the Hang Loose Lounge where the Salty Dog’s are cold, calm and collected. This casual, classic Kahului spot is all about comfort, so settle in and grab some Mexican food from Amigo’s next door. -Sean Hower
We grab an Uber to the West Side en route to Spanky’s Riptide. Spanky’s is a warm blanket for the liver. My health tonic here is a shot of tequila and a Miller High Life bottle (Sometimes a PBR pint). After all I only fly business class. Then it’s off to The Dirty Monkey where we have a similar routine but a bougie, highfalutin variation of the one at Spanky’s. Since Matt (Robb, the owner) is constantly juggling the tap selection, I can’t really tell you what the fuck beer we are having, just know it’s damn good. If the planets align, Firestone Walker 805 is there. Then it’s a neat pour of Elmer T. Lee Bourbon or something from the Buffalo Trace family. Here’s where we get fancy: Sip the whiskey and use the beer as a palette cleanser. Finish that up already – now it’s time for some gin, and Sean at Lahaina Coolers crushes the martini game. Dude knows the perfect ratio of olive juice to gin. -Aydin Say
Guess what? Sometimes going to the bar isn’t about getting a hip $20 drink. Sometimes it’s about putting the world on hold and disappearing for a bit to watch the game, chill with friendly faces, or sing some ‘90s jams along a properly stocked bar. L’AVA’s is that place. Tucked away on Lower Main Street (but not a hostess bar!), with cheap happy hour drafts, TVs for sports or karaoke, and people having a good time – it’s a good place for a relaxing drink. Bottoms up! -Axel Beers
Well, since we were underage and not drinking for the past 21 years, it only makes sense that we like kombucha. Every Tuesday, Alex Mitchell comes skipping into MauiTime Headquarters with her half-drank booch. I heard the Wai Bar, which is just down the street from the office, serves ginger beer and kombucha on tap for those who choose to stand up for their health or lay off the booze. Sweet, right? It’s the perfect pau hana for the non-alcoholic beverage drinker, who stills wants to circulate the bar scene! With live musicians and DJs platformed above the dance floor, Wai Bai is a place where all Mauians are welcome. Mahalo, Amanda, Johnny and the Wai Bar ‘Ohana! -Shan Kekahuna
Our next Maui bar of choice is Milagro’s… their lanai has the best views for Pa‘ia people watching (and pointing and laughing). Obviously, I’d be drinking the house margarita on the rocks with no salt, during happy hour. Only five bucks, baby! We might do a tequila shot from their fantastic selection since we are celebrating, and we’ll probably wash that down with a Tecate or two. Then we’re gonna snicker into Charley’s for a bit of musical entertainment, cocktails and more PPW. -Sarah Gerlach
Now it’s time for a couple Black Rock Black IPA’s at Maui Brewing Company’s Kihei Tasting Room. It pours a jet black color with a tan or off-white head. I love the fruity grapefruit aroma mixed with the roasted malt flavors, and the best part about this beer is the fruity hop finish that sports just a hint of black licorice throughout. Chef Jojo Vasquez heads up their new restaurant with great food and atmosphere to go along with your craving for locally made craft beers. There are over 20 beers on tap at any given time. The knowledgeable staff can help you choose, but my favorite beer is their Black Rock Black IPA which is a very drinkable 6.2% ABV American IPA. -Darris Hurst
Phew! Time to head to the North Shore for a taste of Maui Kombucha’s handcrafted booch. Their kombucha is perfect – light, fizzy, tasty and with an edge to it. The flavors are always shifting and their brewers are creative, crafting options ranging from fruity to earthy to crisp, with sweet to savory options. The “Booch-tenders” are friendly and happy to let you try different flavors before you commit to a jar of bubbly goodness. Bring your own mason jar, because that will save you some, so you can afford more of the good stuff. Kombucha is earthy and fermented, so it provides some of the fond feelings of drinking a beer without the hangover. Or maybe it’s our hangover helper. Try the Palo Santo, which is a wild wood native to Mexico. Palo santo translates as holy wood, and it’s often used as an incense to purify and heal, which I suppose we could all use some more of. –Lantana Hoke
There are many spoken and unspoken rules when it comes to drinking in bars. One of the most relevant for turning 21 is this: Time and Place. There’s a time to have a blended kumquat-infused, coconut-washed rum and pineapple cocktail with POG foam, and that place is not the Sly Mongoose. The Goose reminds you that there’s beauty in simplicity. Sanctity in communing with your fellow bar comrades. Magic in the moment. Ordering a shot and a beer (aka a Boilermaker) is not only an economical way to consume two drinks at the same time (NOTE: this is a sipping shot, not a ‘shooting’ shot) but it’s also a means to keep it simple, to not have you or your barkeep have to work too hard on what you’re drinking so that you can focus on being present, on releasing the toils of the day and getting back to what keeps you grounded. My preference at the Goose is for Jameson Irish Whiskey and a Silver Bullet (Coors Light in a can). It’s a sentimental choice – nowhere else in the world would I crave this particular combination. But something about the warmth and earthy spice of the whiskey complements the crisp neutrality (some would say “blandness”) of this domestic beer, which the Goose always keeps icy cold. The notion that “silver bullet” is also a term for a simple solution to a difficult problem is entirely indicative of the kind of synchronicity that only happens at the Goose. -Samantha Campos
Photos: Sean M Hower
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