As the summer nights come to a slow, the air gets a little cooler, and time starts to slow down, it's time to celebrate the summer with one last drink in hand. What better way than with one of many Maui-made drinks? Created right here on the island, Maui has birthed several delicious and rich spirits, wines, and beers that make any cocktail hour one to savor. The abundance of tropical fruits on the island makes for some of the most unique and flavorful concoctions ever tasted. 

Here are some of our favorite recipes using Maui-made drinks!

Maui Brewing Company 

What better way to celebrate summer than with a Summer Shandy! One of the finest European creations is this British drink prepared with beer and lemon soda. It's pretty much the beer equivalent of a spritzer, wine that's been watered down and served as a way to cool yourself on a hot day. For our beer of choice, we're going with Maui Brewing Co's Pineapple Mana Wheat. This brew has a smooth, mellow taste with a hint of tartness—one of our favorites. 

INGREDIENTS

• Lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

• Simple syrup

• Soda water

• Pineapple Mana Wheat

We recommend the typical beer-to-sparkling lemonade ratio in this summer shandy recipe: 50% beer, 50% sparkling lemonade.

MauiWine

A white wine spritzer is an Austrian drink prepared with wine and carbonated water. Diluting wine with water was first seen in the 19th century when trying to create sparkling wine. The term "spritzen" originates from the German word "spritzen," which means "to spray." A wine spritzer can be made with white wine, red wine, or rosé wine, and it's usually diluted to around 75% or 50%. For this recipe, we're using MauiWines, Maui Splash Pineapple white wine for a sweet pineapple flavor made from 100% Maui Gold pineapples with a touch of passionfruit.

INGREDIENTS

• Grab a bottle of chilled Maui Splash Pineapple - Passionfruit 

• Pour one serving of white wine into a glass

• Pour about ¼ soda water

• Add sliced oranges and mint for garnish

• Stir gently and enjoy!

Pau Maui Vodka

On the slopes of Haleakala sits Hali'imaile Distilling, home to Pau Maui Vodka. Known for its use of delicious Maui Gold pineapples, Pau Maui Vodka is one of our favorite spirits. When you visit their website, you'll see an abundance of recipes such as The Spicy Hibiscus. We decided to try this for the Hibiscus tea floral notes and jalapeño slices, packing a punch in this tart and a spicy sipper. 

(taken from PauMauiVodka.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz. Hibiscus-tea infused PAU Maui Vodka

• ¾ oz. Blood orange juice

• ½ oz. Fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz. simple syrup

• Two jalapeño slices (or more for spicier)

• Garnish: blood orange slice or round

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a rock's glass of ice. Garnish with a blood orange slice. To infuse vodka, add one hibiscus tea bag to one cup of PAU Maui Vodka a day before serving.

In a hurry? Instead of infusing the vodka, use ¼ oz hibiscus puree/syrup per cocktail instead. 

Paniolo Whiskey

Put on your cowboy boots and get ready for a rodeo of a ride with Upcountry Maui's Paniolo Whiskey. DIstilled in the Maui countryside, Paniolo Blended Whiskey combines bourbon with Maui Gold Pineapple. 

The pineapple is distilled to neutral to allow for an extremely clean and smooth whiskey with notes of brown sugar, caramel, and sweet corn. 

We learned about their recipe, the Upcountry Sour, by visiting their website. Let the flavors of this breathtaking beverage transport you to old Hawai'i! 

(taken from paniolowhiskey.com; recipe by Toshi Makawao Steak House)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz. Paniolo Blended Whiskey

• .5 oz. honey-orange simple syrup

• .5 oz. fresh pineapple juice

• .5 oz. fresh lemon juice

• Two dashes of lemon bitters

• fresh muddled lime

Add ingredients to the cocktail shaker and dry shake. Pour over ice and garnish with orange slice + cinnamon stick. 

Ocean Vodka

Born and raised in Maui, Ocean Vodka serves as a reminder of all the beautiful resources we have around us! Using desalinated deep ocean mineral water, Ocean Vodka has a crisp and clean flavor that anyone on Maui can speak to. We borrowed this recipe for their very own "Local Girl" cocktail and gave it five stars.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz Orange Juice

• 1 oz Guava Nectar

• 2 oz OCEAN Organic Vodka

* Add a Splash of Passion Fruit juice (or sweetened puree)

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice and shake vigorously—Strain into a martini glass or tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon or a fresh orchid!

Mahina Rum

Premium rum crafted from raw turbinado sugar, Kona coffee distillate, Madagascar vanilla, cocoa essence, clove, cinnamon, and citrus oils. Distilled, blended, and bottled in Maui, Hawaii, using Hali'imaile Distilling's one-of-a-kind proprietary pot stills. We had to sample this recipe for their signature "Honeymoon Suite" cocktail and were transported to a cozy retreat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.75 oz Mahina Rum

• .75 oz sweet vermouth

• .25 oz apricot liqueur

• 2 Dash Angostura bitters

• 1 Dash orange bitters

• Garnish: Orange Peel/ Oils

• Combine all ingredients, add ice, and stir.

Fid Street Gin

Crafted from 12 Botanicals locally sourced in Hawaii, FID St Gin pays homage to Hawaii's history by marrying the typical components of a London Dry Gin with unique Hawaiian ingredients - bridging the gap between traditional English and American Craft Gin styles. Distilled in small batches, Fid St. Gin is juniper-forward and exhibits a very clean and aromatic fresh-cut floral and citrus bouquet with a hint of forest air. Made at our Distillery in Maui, Fid St features Maui Gold Pineapple essence from fresh pineapples grown on our very own Maui Gold Pineapple farm.

Between the years 1900 and 1930, the Greyhound cocktail was born. The original cocktail was created with gin, but as time went on, a vodka version emerged. So what is the origin of the name Greyhound cocktail? It's named after the same-named bus corporation! Its origin was being served as a popular restaurant, "Post House," in Greyhound bus terminals. 

INGREDIENTS

• Gin or vodka

• Grapefruit juice

• Simple syrup 

Add your ice to a glass. Shake your mix with a cocktail shaker with four ice cubes. We add one dash of simple syrup or maple syrup in this recipe, which rounds out the flavor (otherwise, it's very tart). Strain into a glass and add ice. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge! If desired, add fresh rosemary as another garnish.