Bar Leather Apron’s Waikīkī Pop-Up Sold Out in a Day—So Kaimana Beach Hotel Is Planning More
The hotel says future pop-ups will feature other noted local mixologists, each serving up signature and exclusive new cocktails.
Photo: Courtesy of Bar Leather Apron/Kaimana Beach Hotel
If you’ve tried to get a reservation at James Beard Award-winning Bar Leather Apron, you know how difficult it can be. There are no openings for parties of two in April or May; June reservations at the Downtown bar open at 7 a.m. May 1 and will likely fill up in minutes.
So it’s no surprise that BLA’s next collab, a three-day pop-up at the Kaimana Beach Hotel April 24–26, sold out the day after it was announced.
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Bar Leather Apron founders Justin Park and Tom Park are bringing signature cocktails along with exclusive drinks created for the hotel. If you were lucky enough to snag a spot, expect classics such as the BLA Old Fashioned, the Matcha Old Fashioned and the E Ho‘o Pau Mai Tai, named the World’s Best Mai Tai at the Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival in 2015. (BLA’s 2018 Matcha Old Fashioned, by the way, was named Best Matcha Cocktail by yours truly in HONOLULU Magazine’s Best of HONOLULU awards—this one is similar but with Russell’s Reserve single-barrel bourbon.)
Photo: Courtesy of Bar Leather Apron/Kaimana Beach Hotel
The pop-up sold out as we were writing this story. So we followed up and were quickly told that Kaimana Beach Hotel is now planning more cocktail pop-ups, featuring different local mixologists.
The lounge, on the hotel’s second floor with a lānai overlooking the beach, is a cozy space that has also hosted cooking classes and other intimate events. It recently underwent a refresh and can fit up to 40 guests.
Since becoming a Highgate property (along with Romer Waikīkī at The Ambassador, Romer House Waikīkī, Twin Fin and others), Kaimana has undergone a number of recent changes, including a new food and beverage team for its restaurant, Hau Tree. There’s also a new pau hana Tuesday through Thursday afternoons from 2:30 to 5 p.m. with complimentary valet parking. For the Bar Leather Apron pop-up, valet parking is $10 (cash only) for up to three hours.
Follow @frolichawaii on Instagram for a recap of the event.
2863 Kalākaua Ave., kaimana.com, @kaimanabeach
