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Some of the best gifts are those that come with a story attached. If you want to impress the whiskey geek in your life this Christmas, head to Waikiki for a taste of the Halekulani’s new private-label Elijah Craig bourbon.
Produced in honor of the hotel’s 100th anniversary, this was an effort three years in the making. Heaven Hill Distillery’s Andy Shapira attended a dinner here in 2014 with a special bottle of liquor in his possession: a vintage bottle of Heaven Hill bourbon that was part of a private-label production run done for the hotel in the early 1950s.
Shapira presented the bottle to Halekulani wine manager and lead sommelier Kevin Toyama. Once Halekulani CEO Peter Shaindlin heard about the bottle, it wasn’t long before Toyama was tasked with coming up with an updated version of the whiskey.
“We wanted to renew that relationship with the Heaven Hill Distillery by doing another bottling,” Toyama said last week while sitting with Shapira inside Orchids at the hotel. “In celebration of the Halekulani’s 100th, we used a little of that bottle from the 1950s and blended it into a current barrel of whiskey, so there’s that historical tie.”
Toyama flew to Bardstown, Ky., in February to visit Heaven Hill’s production facility and taste three samples of Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon, aged in oak barrels for eight to 12 years. The bottles you usually see on store shelves are produced from batches of 200 barrels or less, but private-label picks come from just one barrel of whiskey — and in the Halekulani’s case, about 5 to 7 ounces of nearly 70-year-old Heaven Hill distillate.
“We thought this was too cool and special of an opportunity to not do it,” said Shapira, part of the third generation of his family since 1935 to help run what has grown into Heaven Hill Brands. “This is really the only twist that we’ve allowed (to the Elijah Craig private-bottling program), ever.”
Only 180 bottles of the updated Halekulani bourbon were produced this time around, Shapira said. And instead of tapping 4-year-old whiskey stocks, this new Elijah Craig juice is 9 years old.
A taste is $16 per 1.5-ounce pour; every restaurant at the hotel will also feature a cocktail using the bourbon as its main ingredient, or you can order an updated version of the hotel’s namesake Halekulani Cocktail, first served in the 1930s. The hotel’s gift shop is selling a limited quantity of the bourbon at $115 per bottle. Call 923-2311.
Find another blast from the past just a short walk from the Halekulani, on Jen Ackrill’s updated cocktail program at the revolving restaurant Top of Waikiki.
After discovering an original drink menu from the restaurant’s grand opening in 1965, Ackrill developed seven signature cocktails — and two new nonalcoholic options — that don’t deviate much from the originals. Think Blue Hawaii, Singapore Sling and Planter’s Punch.
Even updates like her Toki Collins and Nihon Guava Gimlet, each made with a different Japanese whiskey, seem as though they could have been served in the 20th century instead of 2017.
Top of Waikiki is atop the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. Call 923-3877 or visit topofwaikiki.com.
I’ve always been a strong advocate of responsible drinking while Christmas shopping. Sometimes the only way to deal with horrific crowds in the weeks before Dec. 25 is to get properly lubricated upon arrival at the mall.
The Christmas Bar Hawaii, open 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily through Dec. 31 (except Christmas) in the former Magnolia Bakery space at Ala Moana Center, is sure to put you in a festive mood.
Just about every available inch of the 2,400-square-foot space is covered in Christmas decorations, including a few “selfie stations” designed to help customers get the perfect Instagram shot or Facebook profile picture.
Industry veterans Bill Tobin, Michael Miller and Albert Ake are behind the new bar, which Miller said was based on similar pop-up concepts that have sprung up on the mainland in recent years. They enlisted bartender Keoni Miller to help curate a menu of Christmas-inspired cocktails, including “Very Merry Martinis” with names like Rudolph-Tini, Clause- Mopolitan and Melted Snowman. Boozy eggnog, Mexican hot chocolate and early customer favorite Hogwarts Butterbeer are also available — and these three drinks can also be made without alcohol for the designated driver or curious kid in your shopping party. Plain old beer and wine are available, too.
Check out the action online by searching for hashtag #thechristmasbarhawaii or following @thechristmasbarhawaii on Instagram or Facebook. Call 951-4707.
Surprise your favorite Scotch fan with an early Christmas gift: the Hawaii Laphroaig Cairdeas & Kilts Dinner on Thursday at Vintage Cave Cafe. This annual celebration of the Islay-based distillery’s core lineup also serves to launch the brand’s yearly Cairdeas (Gaelic for “friendship”) limited-edition release.
The five-course meal by chef Taiki Oda starts at 6 p.m. and also features pours of Laphroaig’s 10-year, Select, Quarter Cask, Triple Wood, Lore and 25-year bottlings. Tickets are $185 and include a bottle of Cairdeas to take home; reservations are required. Call 739-9463.
That’s going to do it for Barfly in 2017. Have a safe and happy holiday season. See you back here in Crave on Jan. 10!
Jason Genegabus has written about the local bar and drink scenes since 2001. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @honolulupulse or email jason@staradvertiser.com.