Post #770161 by mikehooker on Thu, Nov 10, 2016 3:56 PM

Wow what a trip! Will sum it up in multiple posts and lengthy descriptions as time permits, to the best of my recollection of course...

DAY 1

We arrived on a Tuesday, went directly to our hotel (The Phoenix), changed clothes, walked to Smuggler's Cove. Got there about 15 min before opening and there were a few others waiting already. Got a seat at the bar. The others who were there were in the rum club with one of them nearing the 500 mark. Impressive feat.

I started with the Pampanito and it was excellent. Wife had the rum barrel which she enjoyed. It was very unlike the Mai Kai's version which we're very accustomed to. This one had much less potency and a strong pineapple flavor.

Round two I had the Three Dots and honestly didn't care too much for it. Wasn't terrible or anything but the allspice dominated and masked the other flavors. Still drank it fairly quickly. Wife had the Jamaican Milk Punch and loved it. She considered ordering a second one but wanted to explore the menu further.

We'd been there only an hour or so at this point and frankly weren't really feeling "welcome." I was excited to have a seat at the bar as I always enjoy watching bartenders in action and talking with them but he barely paid us any mind. Granted the other patrons were obviously regulars who have spent exorbitant amounts of money there but it's not like we looked like typical tourists or had just come for a drink after work. We were dressed in our aloha best. After traveling so far to be there and making it a point for this to be our first destination, it felt disappointingly clique-ish, which was silly considering how few people were actually there that night. Just to get some water was a task and felt like we were inconveniencing him. We decided to have just one more round and cut out when finally the bartender (I believe his name was Steve) started opening up to us and asked where we were from.

So we settled in for more. I ordered an Undead Gentleman. I think this one was in the Zombie Horde book and likely in Exotic Cocktails as well but I've yet to try it at home. It was tasty and went quick. Wife had the Naked Ape. Don't recall her take on it.

Since the vibe had become a little more inviting and neither of us felt particularly tipsy considering how much we'd consumed in a relatively short amount of time we figured we might as well continue on to round four. My wife went with the Center of the Galaxy and I had the Formidable Dragon with the new Plantation OFTD. The bartender told me that's the only drink they're using it in so far but once Martin's back from the book tour they'll work it into more.

It's very unusual for my wife to have four drinks in one night and I know when she's near her limit and she didn't seem to be even close to there yet which is curious. We kept saying to each other how we don't feel as drunk as we should. Not that that's the goal, but growing up in Ft Lauderdale and going to the Mai Kai where a rum barrel has four ounces of rum in it, four drinks typically puts us in quite a state. I don't know how much booze was going into the drinks we had at the Cove but they just didn't seem that strong. Martin has definitely mastered the art of making yummy cocktails that aren't so powerful you need to stop yourself after two or three. For him, he sells more drinks. For us, we get to try more things in one sitting without getting plastered. I'm OK with it.

Didn't think there'd be time again on this trip to return so figured what the heck, try one more. The Kona Cocktail...

Overall reflections of the Cove: Music and decor were spot on but our visit was somewhat disappointing. I had set the bar extremely high here. I absolutely adore Martin's book and expected the drinks and service to blow me away. Besides the unbalanced Three Dots, everything we drank was good to great and the space was really cool. If we had been treated more hospitably it would have been a 5 star experience, but unfortunately that kinda service lingers with me and is my lasting impression of Smuggler's Cove.

But our night was not over...

White Chapel was on the same block as our hotel so we decided if the bar wasn't too busy we'd pop in for a night cap. Luckily we were able to get the last two stools at the bar and Carly took SUCH good care of us. She complimented our attire and was super sweet, playful and fun. And extremely helpful in regards to their overwhelmingly large menu. We told her the flavors we like, and she helped us decide what drinks might suit us. We ended up staying for 3 drinks each and I didn't want to leave even then. The vibe there is incredible. I love the airy, vintage subway feel of the space and the attentive staff, attention to detail, and quality of the cocktails really impressed me. I don't recall the names of all the drinks we had as I wasn't taking pictures of the menu like I did at Cove but I remember enjoying a Ginfushion and my wife a Ramos Fizz with a very impressive head. EDIT: Found my receipt and the other drinks we consumed were Classy Lassy, Blushing Monarch, a "Tiki" gin & tonic and a Last Word.

Oh, and the Bitterballen were to freakin' die for. We had two orders and contemplated a third.

Day 2

Left early for a side trip to Yosemite. Saw some big ass trees.

Day 3

Went hiking.

More to come...

[ Edited by: mikehooker 2016-11-13 08:32 ]