Aloha!
Ben & Jeff’s Pacific Adventure continues! This week alone we sampled two more Mai Tais that we will one day include in a revised edition of our most recent book. The current text reviews just 52 Mai Tais from Phoenix to Maui and San Diego to Juneau. We’re thinking of adding a chapter that exhausts the Mai Tais from the more remote beach huts of the Hawaiian islands. If you’ve not ordered your copy of Ben & Jeff’s Pacific Adventure: Pursuing the Perfect Mai Tai, please do (and leave a review)! For a taste of the kind of reviews we offer, I’ve included that of our most recent excursion below. The book is, however, much more than reviews; it’s the story of the people we met, the places we traveled, and the things we learned–with a hefty dose of pirate lore added in. Do, please, give it a try. After all, in his review, Captain Hook gave it a thumb–and a hook–way up.
CHEEKY TIKI / 75-5669 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii / full menu. The many watering holes on Kona’s Ali’i Drive boast their Mai Tai, but only Cheeky Tiki uses Vic’s authentic recipe. When to go: opens from 11, busy from 5 pm onwards.
Atmosphere (4): the newly-transformed space brings together traditional island woodwork, bright Pacific Pop patterns, and some fun fixtures like cheeky monkeys bearing light bulbs. It’s clean and comfortable here with an unrivaled view. Unfortunately, Cheeky Tiki plays the same island reggae soundtrack as everyone else when they really need Martin Denny.
Mai Tai (3+): It’s good and we prefer it to the island-style Mai Tais served elsewhere on Kona’s seafront walk. The complete menu of tiki cocktails is also impressive, including the elusive Saturn in a cup. Excellent barware but served with an unfortunately limp bit of mint. With just a bit more balance and careful presentation, this mix could warrant 5 marks.
Cheeky Tiki is a necessary stop for the tiki enthusiast in Kona. It’s also conveniently located next to the historic King Kamehameha Hotel where, long before its acquisition and refurbishment by Marriott, the traveling Mark Twain slept. At the other end of the Kona Strip on Ali’i Drive you’ll see the Royal Kona Resort jutting out into the bay like a ready-to-launch outrigger. Next to it, Huggo’s On the Rocks serves drinks in a sheltered cove. Our friends Gunnar, Brent, and Alicia tend bar there and will take good care of you. Kona tourists can book-end their walk on Ali’i Drive with a Mai Tai to start and finish. You’ll find all the details about On the Rocks as well as our method and enchanting story in Ben & Jeff’s Pacific Adventure: Pursuing the Perfect Mai Tai.
And as I mentioned yesterday, I’ve decided to donate an additional $1 for every book that I sell between November 25-30. I’ll give the money to the Peace Corps Tonga Fund, to help advance the work of PC Volunteers on the small Pacific island. I was the recipient of Partnership funds as a Volunteer in Morocco, so I know well the value of these resources. Also, aas you’ll read in our Pacific Adventure, we’ve paid attention to the cultural connections between “tiki” culture and Pacific island nations. This is a good way for us to give back.
Mahalo!
