Pour Party: 4 Drinks That Have Been Elevating Our Zoom Pau Hana Sessions

Thankfully, an emergency proclamation in April 2020 allowed restaurants to sell prepackaged cocktails for takeout and delivery along with food orders. One year later there’s still no end date, even with bars and restaurants open again, so we’re crossing our fingers the exception becomes the rule. (If the emergency ends by the time this issue arrives, the next round of these in-person is on me.)

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

1. Baby Shark

$5

Don’t be dismayed by the size of this 4-ounce bottle: Redfish’s takeout-only drink combines the taste of lemon-peel gummies with the fun of a white gummy bear shot for a potent but tasty sip. Lemon-peel-infused rum and white li hing mix with lime juice, strawberry liqueur, and blue Curaçao for the bright hue.

685 Auahi St., (808) 532-6420, redfishpoke.com, @redfishpoke

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

2. Beautiful Agony

$24 for two servings

We wouldn’t judge if you stuck a straw right into the pouch that Bevy packs its takeout cocktails in, but the garnishes are vacuum-sealed separately so you can assemble the spicy, smoky cocktail at home up to a week later. Smooth honey syrup and elderflower liqueur make it sweet, lemon and grapefruit make it sour, and habanero tequila and mezcal make it sassy.

675 Auahi St., (808) 594-7445, bevyhawaii.com, @bevybar

3. Clear Ice

Pick up some clear ice from On the Rock, Hawai‘i’s Craft Ice Co. to re-create the bar experience. OTR also offers ice subscriptions as well as luxe cubes with flowers suspended inside.

720 Iwilei Road, Suite 270, (808) 356-8752, ontherockhawaii.com, @ontherockhawaii

SEE ALSO: Creating Crystal Clear Ice for Drinks is Not as Simple as Just Freezing Water

4. Mango Matchasu

$13

Not everyone in Waikīkī wants a dark green cocktail, but locals know how well matcha can complement fresh fruit. Imagine a healthy smoothie of matcha and puréed mango but replace the almond milk with Morimoto junmai sake and lemon-lime soda and you’ve got this refreshing cocktail from Momosan Waikīkī.

At the Alohilani Resort, 2490 Kalākaua Ave., momosanwaikiki.com, @momosanwaikiki

5. Tokyo Spritz

$30 for two servings

In summer, when day and night are equal, so is the balance of lightness and sweetness in Gaslamp’s botanical-forward cocktail featuring Empress 1908 gin, made with color-changing butterfly pea blossoms. Notes of rose, yuzu, lychee and shiso rise when sparkling Ozeki Hana Awaka sake tops off the well-rounded drink. It’s $8 extra to get a bottle of the sake on the side to add it in yourself.

Inside Kailua Town Pub and Grill, 26 Ho‘olai St., Kailua, (808) 483-0564, gaslamphi.com, @gaslamphi