Unlock the Secrets of Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki with Martin Cate's Smugglers Cove

David Mandroid: The smugglers cove book contains a wealth of recipes for the tiki-curious and tiki-enthused. It’s no wonder it’s a number one seller. When trying to escape the digital age -practical establishments and tradition is what you tend to gravitate towards. That, and some tasty rum beverages to go along with tropical dreaming. Hula girls, palm trees, and fancy glassware is your fix. Pro-tip: stock-up on limes you’re gonna need them…

Canada on Nov 23, 2023

Sheryl Perrin: This is a must have for all tiki lovers. The stories, recipes and pictures make this an extremely interesting addition to any Tiki bar.

Australia on Nov 07, 2023

curtis wehner: This is a excellent tiki life style manual. Finding some of the ingredients will be challenging.

United States on Nov 01, 2023

Sean Sinha: An informative book full of excellent recipes. 👌

United States on Oct 30, 2023

Peter: Das Non-Plus Ultra für jeden der Tiki-Cocktails liebt (und selber mixed).

Germany on Jul 29, 2023

Alessandro: Scritto davvero bene. Ottima la sezione sulla storia e i tipi di rum.

Italy on Jul 23, 2023

Christian Scott: Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki Hardcover – 15 September 2016. $37 Aus. A great cocktail book. Very thorough with its rum definitions. A must for anyone into cocktails especially people want to learn about rums and Tiki.

Australia on Jul 20, 2023

Cooking The BooksCooking The Books: There’s a lot packed into the pages of this book. In fact, it’s one of the most comprehensive texts on the subject of tiki / exotica history & culture. This book takes you through the origins, evolution and revival of this movement, while offering up over 100 cocktail recipes (both classic and modern). In particular, we were excited to explore those featuring rum. Although a spirit we were largely unfamiliar with, it is the center of attention here - with a considerable amount of ink devoted to its history, production, tasting notes and use in mixed drinks. Scattered throughout are retro-inspired illustrations and gorgeous photographs, making this a really enjoyable page-turner. Here are the cocktails we made:
• Suffering Bastard - Developed in Cairo during World War II, it’s one of the few cocktails we chose from the book that does not feature rum as the base spirit. Instead, London dry gin and brandy are shaken with lime juice, simple syrup and a couple of dashes of bitters before being strained not a glass with ginger beer. Garnish with some fresh mint and you have yourself a sophisticated summer sipper!
• Jungle Bird - This is the perfect hot weather drink....

United States on Aug 30, 2022

sdduuuude: So, I've always been a fan of the "zombie" drink, but it is pretty hard to find a good one. There is so much rum in it that if you get the ingredients or ratios wrong, it turns into an unpleasant shot of rum and bad flavors. So, I rarely order them.

Last October, I tried to make one, thinking a "zombie" would be a perfect drink for a Halloween party, and thinking it would be nice to learn how to make one so I didn't have to rely on the lame ones I have received in the past. A couple of attempts using internet recipes turned out very badly. Sigh.

Just wait - I'm getting to the book ...

In November, we got an invitation to a tiki bar in San Diego called "False Idol" and I decided to ordered their zombie. The angels sang. The pearly gates opened and I walked into heaven. Awesome.

So, in December, I was travelling in San Francisco and went to the Tonga Room there. It was very disappointing. Drinks were quite poor, which was a big surprise for such a long-established icon. As I was reading Yelp reviews on the Tonga Room, I saw mention of a place called Smuggles Cove in San Francisco that had won awards, voted best bar in America, one of the best in the...

United States on Jan 10, 2017