As a teacher, I’d often spend Fridays after school getting a drink or two with my friends and coworkers. Pau Hana, meaning end of work, was a common phrase out of my mouth and the teachers around me. In Hawaiian culture pau hana often refers to having drinks and food with co-workers or friends after a day of work. Pau hana can be any day really, but I found myself saying it most often on Fridays. I think most everyone has a Friday night drink or drinks of choice. Enjoying that end of the work week with a drink and the thought that you won’t have to work the next day.
Friday Night Drinking at the Bar or Pub
I feel like everyone has that bar they love going to. It’s the one they frequent the most. The bartender might know your name, your favorite drink, when is best to cut you off. My bar in Downtown Portland was the Deschutes Brewery Pub. When I was teaching on the north shore of Oahu it was Haleiwa Joe’s or Haleiwa Beach House. No matter which bar it was, I always knew what I was going to order for that first drink on a Friday after work.
My drink of choice after work has always been a gin and tonic. I think because it’s refreshing, I love gin, and it’s not a drink that can be made badly. Of course beer is always a great option and because it’s a bar you’re going to have so many options. Light, dark, lager, stout, whatever you’re a fan of, they’ll probably have it.
Heading to a bar or pub is also a great place with friends because everyone can get what they want and there’s often food involved! I’d also say that most bars offer happy hour most weekdays. It’s definitely a happy hour when you’re drinking on a Friday evening with your friends ready to kick off the weekend.
Drinks on a Friday Night at Home with Friends
Maybe you’re the type of person who likes to have their friends over to get the weekend started off! I was never that person when working as a teacher. While I was totally down for some pau hana drinks at Haleiwa Joe’s or Restaurant 604, as soon as I got home I was glued to my couch. If you’re the type to have people over then more power to you! This section is for you!
Cocktail Night
I love a good cocktail. Since starting at Ko’olau Distillery I’ve had access to a variety of ingredients and experts that I’d never had before. With this access I’ve been using it to try to make some cocktail recipes I never would have tried before. If you’ve been able to fill your liquor cabinet with the various types of spirits I mentioned in an earlier post, you’d have a lot to play with.
A fun night in with friends could include making a signature cocktail for the evening. Maybe you want to try out some of the infused tequila recipe (found at the end of this tequila post) that we made a few weeks ago in a cocktail. (Stay tuned for my upcoming featured cocktail for how you can use this infused tequila!) Or you could offer up your liquor cabinet for anyone who wants to make something. A cocktail shared with friends is always a delight.
Belgian Club
While I definitely wasn’t into the idea of having people over on Fridays my friends Kevin and Rene introduced me to Belgian Club. They had lived in Germany for a while and had mentioned that there was this thing called “Belgian Club”. It was always on Thursdays and as Kevin said it was in preparation for Friday and thus the weekend. Belgian Club to us was also always on Thursdays and we would enjoy a potluck style dinner usually with some sort of theme. Belgian beers were always welcome and definitely enjoyed. Hawaii doesn’t have the largest selection of Belgian beers, but I loved going to the store to pick out something I hadn’t tried yet.
After having spent so much time in Germany, Kevin and Rene had a large selection of beer glasses. I’ve been told the beer you drink is best served in the glass from the brewery and better yet the glass that’s specifically for that beer. I currently only have two glasses and only one of them is a Belgian beer, Delirium. The other is from Deschutes Brewing. Unfortunately the two glasses I have, don’t match the beers that I would be serving in them. Alas, I can only have so much barware for the space I have.
Friday Night Drinks at Home Relaxing
Teaching is a stressful, tiring, and mentally taxing job. By Friday I was ready to watch some mindless reality shows and stare aimlessly at the TV while having a drink. That drink was often something that was easy. Beer, a glass of wine, a shot of Fireball. Don’t hate me about the Fireball, I love that shit and it loves me. Maybe you live somewhere cold. There no better way way to snuggle into a relaxing Friday night with a Hot Toddy or an Irish Coffee.
My friend Alex lives in Brooklyn, New York. She’s been so helpful as I’ve been working on this blog, giving me ideas and helping with my poor use of Instagram. Alex is the one who gave me the idea for this post when I texter her one Friday evening asking a question and she mentioned she was already two Negronis into her Friday night. While a Negroni is a cold drink, I often associate it with a cold place. Maybe because I think it’s a super bitter drink and I’m always a bit bitter when I’m cold. A Negroni is a perfect drink for at home. Using only three ingredients in equal parts, sweet vermouth, Campari, and gin. It’s a simple cocktail that seems fancy so you kind of feel like you’re out at the bar, even when you’re at home.
Whatever it is you do to cap off the end of your work week, the goal is to have fun and relax so you can enjoy the weekend. If you have a Friday night drink you’d like to share, leave a comment on my Instagram or in the comments below!
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