Visit a vodka distillery... in paradise

If year-round sunshine, epic waves, and surfer chicks aren't enough to lure you to Maui, the island's solar-powered, organic vodka distillery might do it. Check out Ocean Vodka, an 8-year-old company that recently opened a visitor-friendly complex. Aloha, lushes!

The 80-acre craft distillery sits on the slopes of Mt Haleakala, where you can see both the island's north and south shores -- talk about tropical drinking!

Being healthy and getting drunk are no longer mutually exclusive. Ocean Vodka's the only one of its kind, distilled from organic sugar cane and farmed on the rich, volcanic soil surrounding the distillery. The water's also super pure, sourced from the Big Island.

Welcome to the Martini Garden, where you'll find local ingredients like Kula lavender, local citrus, passion fruit, pineapple, and strawberries. Forage yourself a tasty drink (but BYO tiny umbrella).

Even the gods are smiling over this liquor.

Outdoor sample station? Don't mind if we do.

Who knew vodka paired so well with cheese? In paradise, anything goes.

Sophie-Claire Hoeller is Thrillist’s über-efficient German travel writer. She’s had frequent flyer status ever since her mother gave birth to her at a Lufthansa terminal. Follow her adventures via Twitter at @Sohostyle.