Get Your 'Aloha' On The Rocks!

In Hawaii, it's basically summer all year round. After 5 years in rainy rainy Oregon, I was dying to come back home several years ago. All I could think about the entire time I was up there was, 'I need to get back to the sunshine- STAT!'. I missed the beach, the food and all the yummy fruits we have here- pineapple, starfruit, mangoes- you name it, I missed it! During those dark winter months, I often daydreamt about lying on the beach with a Plantation Iced Tea or a Pina Colada in hand. I think that's the same dream most people have when they think 'Hawaii' too.

So when it comes to brides planning an outdoor wedding in the Isles, incorporating all those lovely things people think of about Hawaii is crucial. Not only are you planning an elegant ceremony on the beach, you want to end the day with an awesome party! And parties mean drinks. And in Hawaii, we're talking Pina Coladas, Daquiries, lots of tropical flavors- coconut, pineapple, mango and on and on. We all know every wedding's got to have a great bar.


Enter Shaun Henderson of Aloha On The Rocks. He'll get your friends and family all set with cocktails, Island style. Have a favorite flavor in mind? Looking for a signature drink that will remind guests of your wedding and their time in Hawaii? Shaun will whip it up for you, no problem.

When it comes to a sunset ceremony, Pacific Aisles wedding planner Christina always recommends serving a non-alcoholic drink to keep your guests hydrated before the big night. Our favorite? A Plantation Iced Tea. Here's our recipe with a twist:



Ingredients
4 Balck tea bags
24 mint leaves, torn
4 cups boiling water
4 cups canned pineapple juice, chilled
6 lychees, peeled, deseeded, chopped
3 cups ice cubes

Mix!
Place tea bags and half the mint in a large, heatproof jug. Add boiling water. Jiggle tea bags for 1 minute. Discard. Refrigerate tea until cold.
Divide chilled tea, pineapple juice, lychee and remaining mint between 2 large carafes. Stir until passionfruit seeds separate and tea is well combined. Chill until ready to serve.

And to Make it Alcoholic...
Half-fill each glass with tea. Add ice cubes and top with ginger beer. Serve iced tea immediately.

Hawaii wedding planner Katy Castillo's got a couple more drink ideas for you here...

We're go glad to have Aloha On The Rocks join us at Pacific Bride Guide- we'll see you there!

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The guide to planning your wedding in the Pacific

Iced Tea image by Pacific Bride Guide photographer Christie Pham, wedding image by Joe Buissink and Pacific Aisles