A Hidden Speakeasy on Hawaii’s Big Island Is Serving Drinkable Sushi

When many people envision cocktail bars in Hawaii, images of beachside Mai Tais and rum-soaked tiki drinks likely come to mind. The Aloha State is, after all, the quintessence of Polynesian paradise, enshrined via countless movies, TV series, and songs touting its bucolic beauty — and the tropical drinks to match. On my first two trips to Hawaii, to Oahu and Maui, I had my fair share of Mai Tais and Piña Coladas. Still, for my most recent outing, to Hawaii’s Big Island with my husband, we made the concerted effort to trade the touristy spots for more of a local experience, which is what led us into an unassuming basement in downtown Hilo for some of the most inventive cocktails I’ve had in Hawaii, or anywhere. 

So named for the state bird, the Hawaiian goose known as the nēnē, The Hidden Nēnē is a subterranean speakeasy cleverly nestled underneath an eye-catching “Silly Goose” sign. Nestled in the heart of Hawaii’s oldest town, famed for its waterfalls and museums, the sign is what caught our eye as we slowly drove our rental car through downtown Hilo, taking in all the sights of this new-to-us city, sandwiched between volcanoes and ocean. Amongst the chocolate shops, the pancake parlors, and the kaleidoscopic storefronts, it’s ironic that a clandestine speakeasy is what inspired us to hit the brakes. 

Underneath the “Silly Goose” sign, The Hidden Nēnē conjures a sense of adventure and intrigue, with the alluring tagline, “the upstairs world can wait.” At the bottom of a short flight of stairs, one of the doors was cracked open, revealing a portrait of the namesake nēnē, against an Oz-like emerald-green facade. Around the corner, the cocktail bar we discovered felt worlds away from the touristy tropics. Rather, The Hidden Nēnē is a gorgeous Victorian-style parlor bedecked with gilded goose lamps, Hawaiian landscape art, and a color scheme so lush and green you’d swear you were deep in the rainforest.

Being mid-afternoon on a weekday, we had the bar mostly to ourselves, which made it easy to chat with the friendly bartenders and learn more about the cocktails. Spotlighting an authentic side of tropical Hawaiian flavors is the driving force behind the bar, with co-owner and bartender Charlene Moe sourcing locally — for both Hawaiian spirits and ingredients — to explore cocktails that go well beyond tiki stereotypes. You’ll find a requisite Mai Tai on the menu, but it’s made with local Kuleana Rum and housemade orgeat, and drinks only get more inventive from there. 

The vast menu is divided into six cocktail categories: Bright & Effervescent, Tropic & Exotic, Boozy & Bold, Complex & Adventurous, Prohibition Era, and Homage. Along with beer from local Wailuku Brew Works and wine, it’s a veritable choose-your-own potable adventure, with options ranging from classic-inspired Apple Martinis made with Pau Maui Vodka, to Kō Cane, a carbonated cane juice quencher made with Hawaiian agricole rum, Chareau aloe liqueur, and clarified coconut. 

The showstopper is the Shoyu a Good Time, a flaming cocktail described as “a sushi roll in a glass,” made with Tenjaku Japanese whisky, Gerard Bertrand Brut, cucumber, pickled ginger, shoyu (Japanese soy sauce), sugar, and wasabi oil. The kicker? A flaming skewer of raw ahi tuna perched on top. At once savory, effervescent, crisp, and rich, it’s a remarkably balanced martini-style cocktail that offers a bit of pyrotechnic spectacle, without sacrificing quality or craft. For martini drinkers accustomed to olives or cocktail onions, Shoyu a Good Time is right in step with that flavor profile, enlivened with layers of familiar flavors typically reserved for maki rolls. And as a lover of both martinis and maki, it was the best cocktail I’ve had all year, anywhere. 

My husband loved the Life Boat, a creamy gin drink with Dry Curacao, Amaro Nonino, housemade orgeat, lime, and cinnamon, offering an herbaceous and citrusy twist on classic tropical flavors. We also loved The Seedy Underbelly, another sweet-meets-savory medley of tahini-washed rum, 12-year-old Scotch, Licor 43, sesame tincture, local honey, and sesame oil. The latter is one of several specialty cocktails discounted for daily Pau Hana Happy Hour from 6-8 p.m.

The Hidden Nēnē delivers on its transportive promise that “the upstairs world can wait.” Named both for the state bird, as well as the signature hidden nēnēs on chocolate wrappers at next door’s Puna Chocolate Co., from the bar’s co-owners, Adam Potter and Benjamin Vanegtern, it’s an immersive speakeasy that feels worlds away from the kinds of Polynesian presumptions seen on screens. It’s a place that feels both elegant and inviting, inventive and unpretentious in its approach to authentic island flavors. For me, this was a new side of Hawaiian cocktails I had never seen nor sipped before, and it’s a side I can’t wait to return to.

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