Adults-Only Dessert

Perhaps the only way to make Hawai‘i’s beloved shave ice taste even better is to eat it during happy hour. Sure, Breakwall Shave Ice Co. also serves up delicious non-alcoholic versions (among other menu items like acai bowls, smoothies and specialty coffee), but it’s hard to resist the boozy option, especially after a long day at the beach.

The grown-up version of this sweet icy treat is the brainchild of co-owners Javier Barberi and Dave Fincher, who started Breakwall Shave Ice about a decade ago. The two would play around with cocktail recipes after hours, but it wasn’t until they collaborated with the owner of the buzzy bar and restaurant Down the Hatch, Julian Bonfardin, that their dream came to fruition (thanks to a new location with a liquor license). Breakwell has been in their current location—in Down the Hatch’s courtyard—for nearly seven years now and has become a must-stop for visitors and locals alike.

The spiked shave ice flavors include mudslide, mango margarita and even an ode to the state’s beloved Mai Tai. Healthy pours of Bailey’s Irish Cream, vodka, tequila, rum and the like are added to perfectly shaved mounds of ice, along with syrups, ice creams, powders and purees. What’s more, you can try these concoctions during happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m. for only $6. The result, most would agree, is paradise in a cup. -

JASMINE LOMBARD

658 Front St.; (808) 661-4900; Open daily 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.; breakwallmaui.com; @breakwallshaveice