Breakers Cafe & Bar
131 heretaunga st east opposite the anz bank. ph 06 878 6701. serves reasonably cheap alcohol. quite nice. good for basically anyone to go to. and it has pool tables.
The Cru Bar
King street. ph +64 06 878 5290. a great pub with friendly atmosphere and bar staff. a good place for the backpacking crowd to mix in the summer.
Wholesale Liquor
On karamu road, 410 karamu st opposite bp. open until late usually 11pm on fridays, 10pm on other nights wholesale liquor has the cheapest alcohol in town, possibly in all of hawkes bay. in fact on all significant nights the mill liquor save beside it has no business while whiolesale's car park is full.
The city is surrounded by wineries and vineyards so local wine is cheap and popular, among the higher classes of wines in the world the quality is so great, wines served at major parties and dinners associated with New Zealand are usually served with Hastings wine, including a dinner at the Queen's 80th Birthday. The towns water supply is pumped directly from the aquifer underneath the Heretaunga plains which the town is situated on. The only reason it doesn't receive an AA rating is because the council refuses to chlorinate the water as it is already crystal clear enough. This water is obviously used to produce the many different alcohols in the area.
Liquid Central
342 heretaunga st west. ph +64 06 870 3680. a sports bar. watch the game and the like