ALOHA [??l??hä] – Aloha embodies a deep spiritual and social ideology at the heart of Hawaiian culture.

It is used to say hello, good-bye and best of all… Love.

In 2004 I was given a surprise vacation to Maui for my birthday (Thanks Mom!). I immediately fell in love with the spectacular beauty and the Aloha Spirit that embraces the island. I loved it so much that I decided not to catch my return flight and stay indefinitely. Fortunately, my extensive background as a bartender and corporate hospitality trainer for a large restaurant chain in Florida helped me to attain bartending positions at several premier restaurants on Maui including Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at the Four Seasons Resort, Chef Yamaguchi’s Roy’s (formerly in Kihei) and Capische?, located at Hotel Wailea. I have also had the yummy pleasure to work at the only gourmet cheese & wine boutique on the island…Guava, Gouda & Caviar(formerly Who Cut the Cheese?) for several years. These experiences have broadened my knowledge of pairing fine wines with gourmet cheese and Pacific-rim cuisine as well as allowing me to think outside the box in creating cutting edge, island-inspired cocktails.

My passion for entertaining and making delicious drinks actually made me a bit of a local celebrity on Maui, and after repeated requests to cater numerous weddings and private events I started realizing that this is the business avenue I was meant to follow… and Aloha Bars Maui was born! Since then I have been focused on filling a very important niche within the Maui wedding & event industry… clients who want a high quality, professional mobile bar service that gives their guests a real “taste of Maui”, while staying within your budget. I’ve accomplished this by developing amazing business relationships with local organic farmers and unique product vendors from various islands so that I can buy directly from them, thereby supporting local businesses and avoiding costly store mark ups. The result is a surprisingly affordable, yet extraordinary drink & cocktail menu that uses the freshest ingredients available in stylish & innovative ways!

Photo Courtesy of Anna Kim Photography