Kapaa Liquor and Wine Company, 1976

Kapaa Liquor and Wine Company, 1976

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Kashiko and Yukiko Kuboyama (Better know as Kash and Mrs. Kash) started the Kapaa Liquor and Wine shop in 1940. Kash worked his family's rice mill in Hule'ia, Lihue, until 1930 when the family bought Hotel Hayashi in Nawiliwili and converted it to Hotel Kuboyama. In Nawiliwili, Kash met Yukiko, a Kilauea girl, and they moved to Kapaa and started their own business.

”At first, we had mostly Chinese. We stocked Ng Ka Pi, a red rice whisky, and Mui Kwei Lu, a grain drink flavored with flowers, both imported from Shanghai. Hawaii used to manufacture sake—had five breweries. We also imported from Japan. Then the Filipinos came, and from Manila, we imported Ginebra gin, Archibar red liquor, Tinto Seco and Tinto Dulce Seco wines". —Kash Kuboyama

Mrs. Kash was a sweetheart. She would give credit to anyone and carried some customers for years. The Kuboyamas also sold marriage licenses. Many a couple stopped in for a license and a few bottles of champagne on the way to their wedding. Kash and Mrs. Kash also cooked and sold peanuts boiled in salty water—encouraging customers to drink more beer. When the hippies came they stocked Zig Zag rolling papers. Smaht Buggahs!

"Kapaa Liquor and Wine Company" is one of the most beautiful prints I've made in over 50 years of printing. — John Wehrheim