Waikiki Brewing – Boozy Blondes

Welcome back to another episode about beautiful Hawaii! In this episode the girls dish about all the best places to go on the island of Oahu!

The DOE is none other than the famous Hawaiian Mai Tai! Everywhere you go in Hawaii, someone has “the best Mai Tai on the island.” The girls crafted a pitcher of mai tais made with light rum, gold rum, cointreau, orgeat syrup and fresh lime juice. Most have a dark rum floater on top too!

Oahu has a completely different feel from Maui. Oahu is home to the state capital, Honolulu, Waikiki beach and white sand beaches, surfers, classic Hawaiian resorts, and tons of people. There are still many beautiful places to explore outside of the city, and this episode covers it all!

Molly stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach. While it’s super touristy, she enjoyed staying in the middle of the city with the ability to walk to bars, restaurants and stores. The Sheraton has a beautiful adults only infinity pool over-looking the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head as well as great restaurants, bars and shops. Next door to the Sheraton is the Royal Hawaiian – one of Waikiki’s most historic and iconic hotels. It’s known as the “Pink Palace of the Pacific” with pink accents everywhere and a delightful pink plumeria scent. This is home to the legendary Mai Tai Bar overlooking the Pacific with amazing sunset views and musicians nightly.

Molly rented a Jeep and explored the North Shore while she was here. From Waikiki Beach, it’s about an hour drive through beautiful countryside. Along with pulling off on the side of the road to enjoy the beaches and watch the surfers, below are two specific places to visit on the North Shore:

Kahuku Sugar Mill – food trucks, restaurants, local shops and vendors. She ordered food from Da Bald Guy, which appeared on the tv show the great food truck race and the Netflix Street Food USA show. She had drinks at the Kahuku Beer Garden, a tap room with about 14 beers on tap, most from local breweries. Molly had a flight: Churro Cream Ale, Guava Donut Sour, Legends Hazy IPA and Shave Ice Seltzer. Rainer had Hibiscus Sunrise.
Waimea Valley – this felt like going into Jurassic Park (as it should feel since some scenes were shot here from some of the more recent movies). It’s a nature preserve with a destination 3/4 mile hike to a 45-foot waterfall where you can swim. For you lushes, there is bar at the welcome center with fun specialty cocktails. Rainer had a vodka cucumber cooler and MollyI had the daily special – the Hawaiian Passion – tequila, lilikoi liqueur and ginger liqueur.

Traveling to the Southwest corner of Oahu, you’ll find Disney’s Aulani Resort. You can visit the resort even if you aren’t a guest, so Molly had small bites and cocktails at the Olelo Lounge while listening to live music. Molly drank The Old Koa Canoe (a version of an old fashioned) and Rainer had Green Sands, which was a mezcal based drink.

One popular spot scattered around the island is Leonard’s Bakery, serving up the famous malasadas (Portuguese donuts with a crispy outside, fluffy inside and coated in sugar). Chrissy enjoyed a version of these when she visited Portugal; pictured below are Portuguese tarts compared with the Portuguese-Hawaiian malasada. Leonard’s was the first place to introduce malasadas in Hawaii in 1952!

A trip to Oahu must include a visit to Pearl Harbor. At the Visitors Center there are two museums to explore, and you can make a reservation to go out to the Arizona Memorial. The USS Bowfin is also here with an audio tour. You can take a bus to Battleship Missouri, then to the Aviation Museum both located on Ford Island, which is an active military base. If you decide to visit, go as early as you possibly can; it gets extremely crowded. Take note that only clear bags are allowed here.

Time to get boozy! Molly visited Ko Hana Distillery & This Lil’ Piggy BBQ! Ko Hana Distillers specializes in agricole-style rum (French style of rum-making) made from Hawaiian sugarcane, unlike most rums, which are distilled from molasses. Ko Hana initially started making wine, but apparently sugar cane wine tastes like vinegar. They offer three different tasting adventures every 30 minutes on site. Molly had the classic flight: 2 Kea (white), 1 Koho (aged), 1 Kokoleka (cacao & honey) and Rainer had the aged rum flight: 1 Koho (aged), 1 Koa (koa wood aged), 1 Kila (cask strength), 1 Kokoleka (cacao & honey). Ko Hana offers distillery tours and farm tours and has a great shop filled with fun swag!

This Lil’ Piggy is on property serving up delicious bbq options. Molly grabbed a pre-made bottled daiquiri inside Ko Hana with cups and ice to enjoy with sliders and This Lil’ Piggy’s version of chili & rice with chopped Texas Style Beef Brisket.

After Ko Hana Molly found her way to Manoa Mead & Honey. Manoa specializes in raw, locally sourced honey and craft mead. It’s a very small space, mostly outdoors. Molly and Rainer each ordered a flight. Molly had the In Bloom Flight and Rainer enjoyed the Essential Flight. Manoa offers “bees to mead” tours, which includes an introduction into beekeeping, honey production & mead making.

Diamond Head State Monument is home to an iconic volcanic crater near Waikiki and is one of Hawaii’s most famous landmarks. It’s a popular hiking trail – 0.8 miles to the top and a little more strenuous than Molly anticipated! If you want to visit, you must make reservations to enter park if you’re not a HI resident (6AM gates open – trail closes at 4PM). Make sure to go early, it’s a narrow path that is used to go both up and down.

If you hike on a Saturday, you can visit the KCC Farmer’s Market (Kapiʻolani Community College) following your venture. Every Saturday 7:30AM – 11AM you can find local produce, handmade goods, coffee, snacks, etc.

The Abhasa Spa at Royal Hawaiian is the only spa in Honolulu offering luxurious treatments in a serene tropical garden setting. Molly didn’t love it here; she thought the tropical garden setting was beautiful, but too many outside noises interfered with the serenity. She loved her service though!

Molly enjoyed a four course tasting menu dinner at the Moana Surfrider Resort at the Beachhouse. Located outside the back of the hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean you can catch amazing sunset views from your table. As a good Boozy Blonde, she ordered the wine pairing to go with her meal.

Following dinner, she attended Auana – Cirque du Solei, which was a beautiful tribute to the Hawaiian culture with incredible performers. To Molly, it seemed the show highlighted the four elements, earth, air, water, and fire, with different performances. She also thought each performer was incredibly beautiful! There is a VIP experience available which includes a 90-minute reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as well as opportunities to meet the performers!

To round our her trip, Molly enjoyed drinks at two local breweries, Waikiki Brewing and Maui Brewing. She had visited these breweries on Maui as well. This time she enjoyed a Mai Tai at Waikiki Brewing, and was able to enjoy her favorite, Mango Stickee Rice IPA, one more time at Maui Brewing. Maui Brewing is located in the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, which is home to Auana. And fun fact, Maui Brewing provides the food and beverages and is the host for the VIP Experience mentioned above!

If you find yourself on Oahu, the girls guarantee you’ll enjoy your time there. One of the most beautiful places in the world with so much to enjoy – boozy or not! Have you been to any of the places the girls recommended? Send them a message, and let them know what you think! Or send them a rec for a place they missed! Cheers!

Aloha, lushes! The Boozy Blondes are taking you to Maui in this episode! Maui in known for its natural beauty, lush rain forests, the Road to Hana, abundant marine life and amazing beaches – and the girls cover their recommendations including some great boozy stops to hit while you’re there.

The DOE for this episode is a selection from Maui Brewing, Hawaii’s oldest craft brewery! Molly is drinking the OMG Hazy, a 6% IPA brewed with orange, mango, and guava while Chrissy enjoys the Coconut Hiwa, 6% Porter with hand-toasted coconut and hints of mocha.

Molly was the Boozy Blonde lucky enough to make this trip, and this episode covers things to do in Maui – what she experienced and what she wish she had experienced. The girls hope this episode helps any of you planning a trip to Maui – there is so much to do and see, planning can be a bit overwhelming!

Rent a car if you are visiting Maui. Two major attractions are the Road to Hana and Haleakala. The Road to Hana is about 65 miles of rainforests, waterfalls and the coastline. There are black sand beaches, one lane bridges and windy, scenic roads. Lots of places to pull off and explore. You can book or a tour or drive yourself.

Haleakala is a dormant volcano and is known as one of the world’s best sunrise spots. You’re basically above the clouds when the sun rises. You need to make a reservation to enter the national park and make the ascent. Haleakala means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian and Legend has it demigod Maui lassoed the sun from Haleakala’s summit on its journey across the sky slowing its descent to make the day last longer.

Molly stayed at the Grand Wailea and would highly recommend it, although it’s a bit pricey. At the time of this recording there are 10 pools, over 5 miles of beach access and 9 culinary offerings – the tenth was under construction when Molly was there. The daily resort charge includes two refillable water bottles, hula and ukulele lessons, photography session, fitness classes (it’s a huge two story fitness center), beach yoga, beach cruisers, scuba and snorkel lessons, beach chairs and wifi – there is so much to do! If you book remember the difference between “ocean view” and “ocean front” rooms. Ocean view could mean you can barely see a piece of the ocean if you hang over your balcony and crane your neck.

Molly’s favorite thing about the Grand Wailea was the Kilolani Spa. Treatments here are inspired by and follow the Hawaiian moon calendar which divides the month into three moon phases. Before or after your treatment you can enjoy the Hydrotherapy Gardens – which include high impact purification and contrast bathing circuit – hot, cold, hot, cold – which stimulates the circulatory system and stabilizes your nervous system to invigorate the body, strengthen your immune system and activate the body’s self-healing power.

The gardens include a steam room, sauna, ice bucket splash or misters, a warm waterfall shower, hot tub, heated benches, and beautiful botanicals. The co-ed area has a salt water vitality pool for a weightless floating experience, more showers, Halotherapy-infused infrared saunas in which warming light wavelengths are directly absorbed into the body, reducing pain, stiffness, and fatigue, while medical-grade salt inhalation enhances respiratory health, reduces inflammation, and improves skin function.

While waiting for your treatment there is the reflection lounge – this offers the best views on property, over looking the grounds straight to the pacific ocean. With your treatment, you get an hour to spend in the hydrotherapy gardens, but you can also buy a 2-hour pass to the gardens.

One of Maui’s most famous restaurants is Mamas Fish House. Its doors opened in 1973 on the north shores of Maui. It was named Mama’s Fish House because most Maui restaurants at the time were steakhouses and they wanted their customers to know they served fish. If you want to eat here, reservations open 6 months in advance! So plan ahead, you won’t regret it!

Molly’s favorite place on the island (aside from the Kilolani Spa) was Ocean Organic Farm & Distillery. She booked a cocktail and food pairing here and ended up spending hours enjoying the grounds, taking a tour and shopping for the best boozy swag she’s found. That’s a bold statement, and she stands by it.

Ocean Organic Farm & Distillery produces premium organic spirits, including their flagship Ocean Organic Vodka – you will recognize it from the beautiful blue spherical bottles. They also produce Ocean Espresso (pre-crafted espresso martini), Kula rum, FY gin and Brum – barrel aged rum. The distillery emphasizes sustainability by cultivating over 30 varieties of Polynesian sugar cane and utilizing deep ocean mineral water in their production process.

The views here are spectacular – panoramic views of Maui’s north and south shores. You can book tours that showcase the distillation process and the company’s commitment to organic farming – along with tastings, of course. The on-site café offers a menu featuring local ingredients. Fun fact, Ocean Organic Farm & Distillery is voted top 10% Attractions Worldwide.

Keeping with the boozy theme, Molly visited three breweries on Maui: Maui Brewing, Waikiki Brewing and Kohola Brewing.

Maui Brewing is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery and was established in 2005! It has 5 locations, 3 on Maui and 2 on Oahu. Their commitment to sustainability is evident through eco-friendly practices, including solar-powered brewing facilities.

Molly visited the Kihei location just up the road from Grand Wailea. This is the brewery headquarters and has a restaurant with delicious food and 36 beers on tap! They also host a full bar. They have live music every night of the week and yard games. It’s a great space! Molly was obsessed with the Mango Stickee Rice, a 6.2% milkshake IPA with mango, rice and coconut.

Waikiki Brewing was within walking distance from the Grand Wailea in an open air space. They had a full bar and kitchen. Molly had a mimosa flight here – pineapple, orange, cranberry and POG.

Waikiki Brewing was established in 2015 starting with just 7 barrels – which they quickly outgrew. Their commitment to sustainability is evident through practices like repurposing spent grain as livestock feed and utilizing locally sourced ingredients such as chocolate, lemongrass, honey, and coffee in their brews.

Kohola Brewing is across the street from Waikiki Brewing. Molly loved this space; it was branded so well with red accents throughout the open air bar just like in their logo. It was established in 2016 in Lahaina and sadly was destroyed by the wildfire in 2023. They reopened in Wailea with a taproom and restaurant. The brewery’s name, “Koholā,” means “whale” in Hawaiian, symbolizing their deep connection to the island’s culture and environment. The red accent in the K of Kohola is a whale tale. The taproom has live music, happy hours, and a vibrant atmosphere. Molly enjoyed the Shandy Beach which was a pilsner with paradise cider. Field drinker Tanya was with Molly and loved her IPA flight.

Molly ended her time in Maui with the Grand Wailea Grand Luau. The dancers were beautiful and the fire dancers were intense! The luau is a beautiful celebration of Hawaiian culture and the performers take you on a journey through history. This comes with an amazing feast during sunset.

The girls wrap up the episode with a few things Molly was unable to see but would recommend:

Whale watching – she was there in February, which is prime whale watching season (January – March). During this time thousands of North Pacific humpback whales migrate from Alaska to Hawaii to breed, give birth, and nurse their young in the warm, shallow waters around the islands. Jose from 4 Ever Acres Kitchen and his wife Charlie went through PacWhale Eco Adventures.
Golfing – if you’re a golfer, Wailea Golf Club has three courses with breathtaking views.
Turtles and Taco Snorkel Sail – this is definitely an excursion for the Boozy Blondes!
• guaranteed turtles
• premium open bar
• gourmet fresh tacos
• photographer on board
• whale sightings likely (December – April)

If you find yourself on Maui, the girls guarantee you’ll enjoy your time there. One of the most beautiful places in the world with so much to enjoy – boozy or not! Have you been to any of the places the girls recommended? Send them a message, and let them know what you think! Or send them a rec for a place they missed! Cheers!

Tag: Waikiki Brewing

Episode 083 | Hawaii – Oahu

Episode 081 | Hawaii – Maui