The Weekly Nightcap - Wailua Wheat

okay, okay, this may not be a cocktail but in my book, it's just as delicious.

let me put this into context by saying i am not a beer lover. i enjoy the occasional beer (preferably while watching the orioles win at camden yards or with a table full of steamed crabs) but it's not my go-to beverage by any stretch of the imagination.

however, kona's hawaiian-brewed wailua wheat is not only delicious (it's brewed with a hint of passion fruit), it also brings back memories of our trip to maui and the scenic road to hana.

if you are ever luck enough to find yourself exploring the beautiful island of maui (and it's colorful beaches), i highly recommend driving the road to hana. the mostly one lane, curvy, coast-hugging road is slightly terrifying (hello one lane bridges on sharp turns) but oh so beautiful. the 68-mile long stretch of road is dotted with waterfalls and natures plunge pools, as it winds along the lava cliff coast of east maui from kahului to hana.

at the end of the impossibly beautiful drive, E and i ate lunch in hana. he ordered a wailua wheat and my life has never been the same. it was love at first sip - light and refreshing with just a hit of a passion fruit finish. upon return, i searched high and low for the passion-fruit brew to no avail. it was finally one of E's co-workers who tracked it down for me years ago at the perfect pour in columbia, md. although i have found it in a couple other places since then, the perfect pour remains the only place i can consistently find it - when it is in season that is. wailua wheat is only seasonally brewed in the spring and summer. it may be hard to find, but once you track it down, it's worth it.

now, every time i sip this fantastic wheat beer, it takes me back to breathtaking hawaii and the memories of our trips there.

the recipe to enjoy this drink? ice cold, outside on a warm summer evening with friends.

cheers!