Discover Smuggler’s Cove tiki secrets
When San Francisco cocktail wizards Martin and Rebecca Cate opened lavishly decorated Smuggler’s Cove tiki bar back in 2009, it was like they’d unleashed the most potent Scorpion bowl imaginable on the cocktail-imbibing public. Food & Wine magazine named it one of the world’s best bars three years running. Drinks International gave it the same honor five years in a row. Even the Times of London has gotten in on the action, dubbing it one of the “50 best bars on earth.” Now the Cates are opening up their tiki recipe vault with a book that shares all the how-tos for exotic cocktails and rum drinks.
“Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki” (Ten Speed Press, $30, 352 pages) lands in bookstores on June 7. It’s a must-have for any Mai Tai lover, Trader Vic’s devotee or Hawaiian traveler — and timed rather perfectly for those of you looking for a great Father’s Day gift for Daddy-o.
The Cates explore the rise of tiki bars and Polynesian-inspired drinks during the post-Prohibition, mid-Depression years. Then they take readers onward through the 20th century and into the modern resurgence, offering up plenty of libations along the way.
The book works equally well as a cocktail how-to, a rum guide, tiki party inspiration or must-do itinerary — it’s packed with photos and descriptions of Trader Vic’s, Alameda’s Forbidden Island and, of course, Smuggler’s Cove. Go ahead. Don your best tropical garb, grab a coconut or tiki mug, and whip up something fun.
Details: Find the “Smuggler’s Cove” book at local booksellers and online at Amazon starting June 7. Find the Smuggler’s Cove bar at 650 Gough St., San Francisco; www. smugglerscovesf.com.