ocean vodka

one of the things on my "to do" list while i was home was to check out first friday in chinatown. we didn't get far when my mom spotted the hasr wine co. and drifted into their courtyard to check out the wine tasting going on inside.

while my mom was off investigating the wines, i spotted bottles of maui-based ocean vodka (which was launched earlier this summer) being poured. since a strong cup of tea is as hard as i go, i nudged my other half who was game to sample the first vodka made in hawaii (his review: smooth!).

unfortunately, the faa ban on liquids prohibited us from picking up anything larger than a trial size bottle to stash in our suitcase so hopefully ocean vodka will be stocked on the mainland soon.

here are a few cool things about the company for those of you thinking of adding a bottle of ocean vodka to your home bar:

1. the vodka is organic
2. it's made from actual ocean water (courtesy of the folks behind mahalo deep water)
3. they have pledged to donate a portion of profits to environmental groups working to save the ocean

as for me, i managed to score a few bottles of pineapple & mango soda from waialua soda works before the night was over (review: refreshing!).

diy wine

. . . well, kind of. thanks to punahou grad shannon ball, tending to the vines & expensive fermentation equipment are no longer a requirement for aspiring vintners. test your winemaking skills at his shop, wine the experience, where you can blend your own wine from over 50 varietals and a few months later your wine will be ready to be bottled.

slap on some custom labels and you have a one-of-a kind gift for birthdays, weddings & the holidays. if you don't drink it all first.

stickity blik

flashback: 1984 and your sticker book filled with everything from scratch & sniff to the fuzzy/puffy/satin specimens that cost you oodles of valley girl stickers in trade (your b.f.f. drove a hard bargain back then).

if your childhood addiction to all things that stick has followed you into adulthood, then it's time to head over to blik to check out their line of glass stiks. have oodles of fun with their polynesia design and stick them anywhere you please. and blik's decals are removable so you won't have to mess around with goo gone when you're ready to move on.

the java farm that mother goose built

imagine a farm where geese dot the landscape and in their own little way help the coffee beans grow as mother nature intended. such a place can be found on the big island at mother goose farms which uses sustainable farming techniques to grow their crops. the geese are free to wander the grounds and graze which not only keeps weeds at bay but fertilizes the earth.

so your morning cup o' joe is not only 100% kona coffee but certified organic to boot. mother goose has got you covered even if you prefer to roast your own beans with their certified organic green kona coffee beans.

tea time

my mom and aunties always enjoy a nice cup of tea so i was happy to discover hawaiian natural tea which is an organic tea company from the islands. this means their tea is not only good for your body (full of all of those healthy antioxidants) but it's good for the earth too. what's not to love?

midweek has a nice story about the owners & their journey to bring organic tea to the islands. longs & daiai are just a few of the shops that stock hawaiian natural tea in tropical flavors like mango peach, passionfruit orange & pineapple strawberry. now if i could only find the perfect pitcher for iced tea.