Last minute holiday ‘cheers!’ still available

With just one shopping day left before Christmas, few options remain for the procrastinators amongst us.

Good thing liquor is a great gift idea for those of legal drinking age — and there are plenty of last-minute goodies available to pick up today and even on Christmas Eve.

Here are a few ideas for the beer drinkers and liquor sippers in your life:

GET A GIFT CERTIFICATE

I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t appreciate someone else buying them a drink. Most of the bars I visited for this column in 2016 offer gift certificates, and more than a few will be open on Christmas Eve.

Uncle Bo’s new North Shore location at the Haleiwa Store Lots will be open until 9 p.m., while the new 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar at the Hawaii Prince Hotel and Buzz’s Original Steakhouse in Kailua will both stay open until 9:30 p.m. Leeward Oahu residents can head to Plantation Tavern for gift certificates before 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, while Morton’s the Steakhouse at Ala Moana and Encore Saloon in Chinatown will be open until 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., respectively.

That said, the coolest cocktail markers in town belong to Bar Leather Apron, the intimate space at Topa Financial Center named one of Playboy’s 10 Best New Bars in America earlier this year. Owners Justin Park and Tom Park (no relation) offer two styles of heavy metallic coins good for $20 or $100 in drinks.

While Bar Leather Apron is closed on Christmas Eve this year, Tom Park’s other business, Waikiki shoe retailer Leather Soul, will have the coins available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the third floor of Royal Hawaiian Center; call 922-0777. Reach Bar Leather Apron at 524-0808 or email info@barleatherapron.com.

SEIZE THE DAY AT THE SURFJACK

If you’re out and about on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, why not head to Waikiki and celebrate the season with a cocktail?

Bartenders at Mahina & Sun’s will be serving up three special drinks they describe as tasting like “Christmas in a glass” for $14 each:

>> The Minted Wonderland, made with fresh mint, sherry, vodka, egg whites and lavender bitters

>> The Naughty or Nice, made with fresh ginger, star anise, cloves, rye whiskey and egg whites

>> The Ho, Ho, Ho & a Bottle of Rum, made with cinnamon, chocolate, anejo rum and egg whites

Mahina & Sun’s, inside the Surfjack Hotel at 412 Lewers St., will be open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight both days. Call 924-5810.

CELEBRATE WITH SCOTCH

I’m a big fan of whisky from the Islay (pronounced “AI-LUH”) region of Scotland, where the flavors tend to be more big and bold with heavy peat smoke influence. Scotch made here tends to be an acquired taste, and if you mention distilleries like Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Kilchoman or Laphroaig to casual whisky drinkers, they’ll steer clear in favor of less aggressive brands.

I’ve grown to like the peat smoke influence that dominates Islay whisky — especially the juice coming out of Lagavulin, which owner Diageo says celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2016. I tend to stick with the more affordable 16-year-old bottling, which retails for about $70, instead of more pricey 18- and 25-year-old bottles.

Want to introduce someone special to the smoky goodness of Islay? Consider Lagavulin’s special 8-year-old bottling that commemorates the 200th anniversary. You can pick up a bottle for $55 at Tamura’s Kaimuki, 1216 10th Ave. It’ll be open until 9 p.m. Christmas Eve; call 735-7100.

SAY ‘MAHALO’ WITH NEW KONA BREW

Whether you’re stopping by a family holiday party or picking up a last-minute gift for the beer drinker in your life, consider grabbing a Kona Brewing Co. Mahalo Pack, which includes a new beer available for the first time in Hawaii.

Priced at about $16 to $18 per 12-pack, Kona Brewing is saying thank you to local customers with a new bottling of its Magic Sands Mango Saison, which started out earlier this year as a small-batch draft-only offering sold at bars in California and Florida. Kona Brewing used a traditional farmhouse-style ale recipe and added Keith mangoes and French Saison yeast to create a light and refreshing brew with just a touch of tartness from the fruit.

Pick up the Mahalo Pack anywhere Kona Brewing Co. beers are sold. Most major supermarkets currently have them in stock; be sure to call your favorite retailer first to confirm availability and find out how late they’ll be open on Christmas Eve.

Jason Genegabus covers all things alcohol-related for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and has written about the local bar scene since 2001. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram or email jason@staradvertiser.com.