Smuggler's Cove Exotic cocktails, rum, and the cult of tiki

Martin Cate and his wife, Rebecca, are the proprietors of San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove, one of the nation's top tiki bars. Here, the duo share not only the recipes for many of the bar's potent potables, but also the history and lore of one of cocktailing's most iconic trends. Beginning with profiles of Ernest Gantt, aka Don the Beachcomber, and Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, the two bar owners who created and defined tiki culture, the Cates walk readers though the evolution of the genre as well as the iconic style and music that has personified tiki from its peak in the 1950s, through its decline at the end of the 1960s, to its resurgence in the '90s, as well as the genesis and evolution of Smuggler's Cove. Even readers who don't care one whit about who came up with tiki mugs are sure to appreciate recipes for drinks such as Don the Beachcomber's Port Au Prince, a lime-pineapple-rum progenitor of the types of fruity rum drinks that would become tiki cornerstones, such as the zombie, as well as Cate's own creations such as the Formidable Dragon, which calls for three different rums and two types of simple syrup, among other ingredients. Tiki culture is enmeshed with rum, and the authors offer a master class on it, covering its history and many varieties, as well as digressions on coring pineapples for cocktails and where to score cocktail umbrellas. It's a terrifically fun and informative read, and the definitive resource on the topic. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The unlikely resurgence of the tiki craze-all punch, pineapple, and questionable Polynesian lore-is the subject of this comprehensive coffee-table book by Martin and Rebecca Cate, founders of San Francisco's acclaimed nouveau rum joint, Smuggler's Cove. Both book and bar respect tiki history while adapting the fruity classics for modern tastes and high-quality modern rums. Included are more than 100 recipes for single-serving classics such as the Mai Tai, Zombie, and Hurricane (lemon juice, passion fruit syrup, black blended rum, and a partially destroyed cocktail umbrella), as well as tiki bowls and punches for all seasons. Readers are introduced to tiki titans Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber, whose friendly rivalry and love of specialty drinks and forget-your-worries hospitality drove the fad throughout the 1950s and 1960s. By the late 1980s, the kitsch trappings (cocktail umbrellas, grass skirts, etc.) had fallen so far out of fashion that the trend seemed dead. Yet the craft cocktail movement's eye for novelty, plus the efforts of lifelong devotees such as recipe-chaser Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, have managed to turn tacky tiki tasteful once again. VERDICT Even the most serious single-malt sipper will be charmed by this richly illustrated ode to escapism.-Joanna Scutts, Astoria, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Part One: An Invitation to Escape The Birth of Tiki 23 The Golden Era 47 The Tiki Revival 71 Part Two: Smuggler's Cove: The Modern Tiki Bar Creating the Space 101 Curating the Experience 123 Part Three: The Spirit of Rum Rum Through the Ages 149 Understanding Rum 183 Part Four: Exotic Cocktails: Mystique and Technique The Theater of the Exotic Cocktail 215 Eight Essential Exotic Elixirs 255 Part Five: Creating Paradise The Tiki Look and Feel 281 The Tiki Party 295 Epilogue The Heritage of Tiki 315 House-Made Ingredients 324 Resources 335 Bibliography and Additional Reading 340 A Few of My Favorite Tiki Spots 342 The Tiki The word tiki originated in New Zealand and the Marquesas Islands, where it can refer to a carving of a first man, a god, or a symbol of procreation depending on which culture it originated from. But eventually, mainland Americans appropriated the word to describe any Polynesian carving with a largely human form, exaggerated features, and a menacing visage. What's more, mainlanders started carving the tikis themselves, occasionally with an eye to their South Pacific origins, but more often with a "whimsical and naïve attitude toward another people's extinct religion," as historian Sven Kirsten puts it. These artists were inspired to add their own flair and style to the carvings. Thus was born a new kind of tiki whose provenance lay in many lands and imaginations, and would later become a tenet of Polynesian Pop. Halekulani Cocktail Open the door to paradise with this 1930s treat from the famous House Without a Key on Waikiki Beach. ORIGIN House Without a Key lounge, Halekulani Hotel, Waikiki Beach, circa 1930s SOURCE Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari , adapted by Smuggler's Cove GLASSWARE Chilled coupe 1⁄2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1⁄2 ounce fresh orange juice 1⁄2 ounce pineapple juice 1⁄4 ounce SC Demerara Syrup  1⁄2 teaspoon SC Grenadine  11⁄2 ounces bourbon 1 dash Angostura bitters GARNISH Edible orchid  Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked or cubed ice. Shake and double-strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with an edible orchid on the edge of the glass. Excerpted from Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin Cate, Rebecca Cate All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.