Post #514545 by Formikahini on Tue, Mar 2, 2010 12:06 PM

Bongo Bungalow said, "Our trip to the Big Island is coming up at the end of April. (Gonna have SOME fun!) So, for those of you who've been there lately, can you give me some more Mai Tai advice?"

The Happy Hour ones at Don the Beachcomber are acceptable, both in content and price. If you can get Thomas (Ali'i Tiki) from Bamboo Too to join you (which takes very little arm twisting!), he can also point out all on the menu worth getting or avoiding.

"Is alcohol sold in grocery stores or liquor stores?"

Yes!
My big "report" post on p.8 mentions Long Drugs and I think the Save-On(?) grocery store, both in the same big shopping center at the beginning of Kailua Kona as places where we bought booze and mixers. We went ahead and ended up getting Trader Vic's Mai Tai mix and a couple of bottles of rum (dark and light), plus limes, and we were perfectly happy. You can get tiki mugs from the Hilo Hattie's at the same center, or get some Tiki Farm ones from Zan's stall in the [international?] marketplace closer to the airport (also in my post). A liquor store across the street from the big marketplace also has everything. That is, you can go the whole orgeat/Curacao/rock candy syrup route too, available at the drugstore, grocery store, and liquor store.

It's a boozer's paradise!! :lol:

"Should I just bring rum and mixes from home, carefully wrapped?"

Nope! Get it all, and leave the undrunk behind for someone worthy :wink: