Three Standout Drinks From Hale ‘Aina Award-Winning Cocktail Bars
Raise a glass at these cocktail bars recognized by our readers as providing the Best Cocktail Programs.
Hale ‘Aina Awards 2025
Expect the Unexpected | Unapologetically Themselves | All in the Family | Raising a Glass | “I Want them to Dream” | All You Can Scoop | And the Winners
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Honolulu’s cocktail scene is as dynamic as it is delicious, with outstanding bars that have earned spots in our hearts (and livers). These bars won the top three Hale ‘Aina awards for Best Cocktail Program.
Tucked in the mezzanine of Topa Financial Center, Bar Leather Apron—which celebrated 10 years in June—won a Hale ‘Aina Gold for its cocktails (and another gold for Best Bar). An intimate escape for cocktail purists, the place is a master class in flavors and technique.
Across the city, inside the Lotus Honolulu Hotel on the east end of Waikīkī, Arden’s cocktails have a polish and precision that match the restaurant’s exceptional field-to-fork menu. (Arden also brought home Hale ‘Aina awards for Best Service and Best Dessert.)
Meanwhile, Monkeypod Kitchen’s bar program features sustainable spirits and vibrant local flavors in a buzzy, casual atmosphere. With locations in Waikīkī, Ko Olina and Kā‘anapali, Monkeypod won no fewer than six Hale ‘Aina Awards in 2025.
We’re spotlighting one cocktail from each bar—our way of raising a glass to the winners. Cheers!
Bar Leather Apron
Cocktail wizard Justin Park might be best known for his award-winning mai tais and Old Fashioneds. But don’t overlook El Umami ($22), an agave-forward cocktail that’s still light and refreshing. Made with El Tesoro reposado tequila aged in bourbon barrels for at least nine months (the drink uses a batch specially made for Bar Leather Apron), plus slightly spicy and floral Bergamot liqueur, tomato water for subtle acidity, and clarified strawberry, El Umami strikes a harmonious blend of bright citrus, gentle spice and savory warmth.
745 Fort St., #127A, Downtown, barleatherapron.com, @barleatherapron
Arden Waikīkī
When executive chef Makoto Ono made a beet salad as part of a special Valentine’s Day menu, he was ready to throw out the pickling liquid—a briny mix of beet juice, vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bartender Jeremy David said no way. He and barback Riley Timmerman created a cocktail that tempers the tangy saltiness of the pickling juice with the earthiness of smoky mezcal and Mattei Cap Corse aperitif. Add Contratto bitters for herbal notes, fresh lemon and silky egg white foam and you’ve got Beets by MAK ($19). It almost can’t be (ahem) beet.
2885 Kalākaua Ave., Waikīkī, (808) 791-5151, ardenwaikiki.com, @arden_waikiki
Monkeypod Kitchen
Harry Nilsson phrased it best in his 1971 hit “Coconut”: “Put the lime in the coconut and drink ’em both together.” Monkeypod Kitchen took the suggestion to heart with the White Walker ($18), made with Hali‘imaile Distilling’s Fid Street gin, crème de coconut, fresh lime, lemongrass and Thai lime. “It’s like drinking a key lime pie,” our bartender says. Rich but not heady, sweet but not cloying, the White Walker strikes a refreshing balance. It’s Monkeypod’s second-most popular cocktail after its signature foamy mai tai. The wide-eyed tiki glass can’t believe how good it is (and neither can we).
Multiple locations, monkeypodkitchen.com, @monkeypodkitchen
