What do a can of Spam, a Japanese good-luck cat, a glass pineapple and a metal turtle have in common? Belly up to the bar, and I’ll tell you.
These disparate, somewhat random items are actually all cocktail glasses found at restaurants at luxury resorts across Hawaii. As the cocktail craze continues to expand in terms of creativity, flavor and taste, presentation is key. And that’s where unusual drink vessels come in.
Thoughtful or funny presentations aren’t necessarily new: I recall ordering a Back Scratcher at the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian 15 years ago when the drink was served in a hurricane glass with an actual backscratcher as a swizzle stick. I don’t remember what was in the drink; we ordered it just for the novelty of scratching our backs while sitting on the sands of Waikiki.
Tiki elegance
The pineapple cocktail glass is an easy one to mention, as it was the most cocktail-glass like of the four: An elegant take on tiki culture. During a mai tai mixology class at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, bartender Johnny Apicella mixed up a classic mai tai — I never realized hurricane glasses and pineapples are roughly the same shape — and garnished it with a sunset of an orange. If you stop by the Kai Maka’I Terrace bar at the resort’s adults-only pool, tell Apicella I sent you. (As per the resort’s positioning in the wellness area, zero-proof cocktails are listed prominently).
But after that, the choices got more unusual — and dare I say, more Instagrammable.
The Spam can
I’d heard about the cocktail-in-a-Spam-can concept even before I sat down at Mina’s Fish House, the seafood restaurant helmed by chef Michael Mina at the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko’Olina. The fish here is so fresh, the restaurant employs a “fish sommelier” to walk diners through their choices. But it’s also known for the If Can, Can! If No Can, No Can! cocktail.
The drink is actually an homage to Hawaii in three ways: First of all, it’s a mai tai, the classic tiki drink associated with the Islands. The use of the (no Spam inside!) can references Spam’s popularity here, and the drink’s name is a Hawaiian pidgin phrase that means, “if I can do it, I will, but if I can’t then I won’t.” Of course, it also comes with a paper umbrella.
The cat container
This was also a Four Seasons special, at the resort’s new Manalo Lounge. This beachside restaurant is a Japanese fusion restaurant, with low chairs and tables to give it a more casual but elegant feel. And aside from the sashimi trio and the gyoza with black truffle ponzu, I recommend the Neko Neko, which in Japanese literally means “cat cat:” Roku gin, yuzu sake, strawberry Calpico and lemon served in a white, ceramic mold of a “lucky” or “beckoning” cat.
The Neko Neko cocktail at the Manalo Lounge at the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina, one of several unique cocktail “glasses” found in Hawaii. (Photo by Rebecca Tobin)
The turtle bowl
Heading up to Oahu’s North Shore, the Turtle Bay Resort is one of the few large resorts on that part of the island. The views are not to be missed, particularly at the Sunset Bar, where guests gather pau hana (Hawaiian for “done work”) to watch the sunsets and the surfers roll in on evening waves.
Up a level is the hotel’s signature restaurant Alaia, which offers meals made with produce from the nearby Kulima Farm (farm-to-table is a serious concept on the Islands).
But let’s talk about the Don’t Touch the Turtles drink. The menu describes it this way: “Opposite of the unsaid law of Hawaii, relax and enjoy this delightful cocktail served in our gleaming copper turtle. If you’re only having one, this is a must.”
Made with Elyx Vodka, Lilikoi, cane sugar and mint, the Don’t Touch The Turtles is practically a bowl of a cocktail, and the bowl itself is no joke: It’s copper, and it’s heavy. I counted at least three tables with a large sea turtle sitting in their midst.
The Don’t Touch the Turtles was big enough for two. The menu was correct: I only had one. And it was definitely a must.
