The teenage cashier at the roadside attraction in Kilauea shrugged his shoulders as his mouth curved into a half-smile when we ordered our favorite flavor combination of Hawaiian Shave Ice. One side was Banana, and the other Coconut, packed solid over two heaping scoops of Macadamia Nut Gelato in a red scalloped bowl. Tropical choices, right? Except when you think about the “presentation” when it’s all said and done. “We’re from the Midwest, you know”, I offered in casual conversation as he upended the yellow bottle of banana-infused syrup lacing it back and forth like a pendulum in motion. “And they’re hoping for a White Christmas”, I continued as if leading him down the garden path. Gerald gave me a quick jab with his left elbow and winked in my direction. Uncertain if he was clueless or just plain over-worked and exhausted from the tourist flow that day, the cashier finally looked me in the eye and asked, “Will that be all? If so, that’ll be $11.40 please.” I snickered when he handed me the finished creation surrounded by a cloud of white napkins. As Gerald completed the transaction, I scooped a spoonful of the coconut cream shave ice into my mouth and replied, “Thank goodness I’m not the one eating the YELLOW SNOW!”

“Is that another empty bottle of tequila I see on the wet bar?”, I wondered to myself this morning. Granted, when you’re on vacation it’s pretty easy to slip into cocktail hour any time of the day. After all, no matter where you go, waiters and waitresses are racing back and forth carrying trays of impressive cocktail creations featuring wedges of tropical fruit with bright paper umbrellas resting on the rims. Some drinks have names you will never hear again (i.e. “Agony or Ecstasy”. Seriously?) while others become popular stand-bys when you have no idea what you want to drink.

If there’s one thing we discovered on the island, it’s that tequila is always popular. We stumbled onto one of our favorite brands, Sauza, at the local Safeway Supermarket in Kapaa. To our delight, it was the same price we pay when we find it featured on sale back home. “How is that possible,” you ask, “when gasoline on the mainland can be under two dollars a gallon and on the island a real deal is when it’s down to $3.85 a gallon?” We wondered the same thing, but decided to go with the laid-back island perspective of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. Especially if it means the store can change their mind and suddenly make a price adjustment.

Since you’re probably still curious about the “Agony or Ecstasy” cocktail, let me tell you IT IS INCREDIBLE! Gabrielle, bartender at the oceanside Oasis On the Beach, has truly made it an art form. She gently crushes a wedge of lemon and lime together before adding habanero tequila, elderflower liqueur, a splash of grapefruit juice, topped off with ginger beer. All this is shaken, not stirred. The rim of an old-fashioned cocktail glass is dipped in a mixture of smokey-chile Alaea salt crystals. The garnish is an artist’s creation of chilled grapefruit peel splashed with sriracha sauce. Served over ice. Stir. Now sip it. The slow burn is followed by the smooth silkiness of tequila culminated by a crowning finish: a kick of ginger.

Tequila is a very sophisticated product; sip it, don’t swill it. When we weren’t indulging in the “Agony & Ecstasy”, we found it refreshing with a glass of sparkling water and freshly squeezed lime. We liken the aroma of Sauza tequila to “Mexico after the rain.” It goes extremely well with Kauaiian rainbows!