Smuggler's Cove: The Book

Aloha Centralites,

I’m very excited to let you all know that I am writing a new book about Smuggler’s Cove, rum, and the tiki revival! I was offered a deal by Ten Speed Press (an imprint of Random House) who have published great cocktail books by Scott Beattie, Employees Only, Death & Co., and more. This will be a big coffee table book with lots of great photography and illustrations and I can’t wait. When I was developing the proposal for the book, one of the driving inspirations was to really make this book a celebration of the tiki community and all of the fantastic artists who make it such a uniquely creative group. We’ll look at the art, the events, the music- as much as will be possible within this format, I’d like it to be partly a scrapbook of the revival. I hope that I’ll be able to speak with and work with as many of you as I can.

So I just wanted to give you all a heads up, and thank you again for all of the tremendous support over the years. The next adventure begins!

MAHALO!

That's great! Congratulations. I'm really curious to see what shape this book will take (I'm guessing rectangular :wink: ).

Congratulations! I look forward to buying it.

Pretty awesome!

Congrats!

Awesome news! Good luck on such a huge undertaking, and eagerly looking forward to the finished book!

Martin that's awesome. CONGRATS. You know what I would like to see in the book? You open up to a certain page and your how to make a Mai-Tai youtube video pops out at the reader like the hologram of Princess Leia shot out of R2D2. I know... weird but coooool.

Congrats! Looking forward to reading this and putting it on my shelf of hallowed Tiki tomes.

excellent news Martin - congrats!

Can't wait to see Smuggler the movie - perhaps Bruce Willis as the lead (of course only if Clooney is not available)...

Congrats! Can't wait to see it!

Yaaahvohl!

Very Nice! Looking forward to the release.

This should be interesting. :D

This is gonna be great. Can't wait! Congrats Martin!

How fun!!! Looking forward to all the expertise you will be sharing, in word and in pictures. Congratulations.

Very cool. Hope there will be some fantastic drink recipes, too.

Smuggler’s Cove book sets a new standard for Tiki in the 21st century

Comprehensive, colorful, and full of so much information it may make your head spin (especially when sampling the many potent cocktail recipes), Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki is essential reading for anyone with a passionate interest in the Tiki revival and its spectacular cocktails. The book’s official release date is June 7. You can order via Amazon and other retailers through the official Smuggler’s Cove website and Facebook page.

Written by Martin Cate, with assistance from wife Rebecca Cate, Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki is the story of how this Tiki power couple rose to prominence and ended up opening one of the world most acclaimed rum bars in San Francisco. But it’s so much more than just the story of a bar. At 352 pages and hard-bound like a college textbook, it could be considered the new bible for home enthusiasts and bartenders alike. But I’ll bet you’ve never read a textbook this fun.

More in the latest edition of The Week in Tiki on The Atomic Grog, plus a Martin Cate original recipe from the book ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/06/week-in-tiki-april-16-30-2016-new-beachbum-berry-glassware-sippin-safari-10-year-anniversary-edition-plus-event-and-tiki-bar-news-more/#cocktail

Pre-ordered mine through Amazon, scheduled for delivery today!

Amazon already delivered my pre-ordered copy. The Cates have done an amazing job! One part poly pop history to equal parts bar guide double-strained and poured over awesome!

Got the book last night as well, and I'm loving it so far. Great idea to categorize and number rum styles - I will definitely be adopting this for my home bar.

Just ordered mine off of Amazon. Of course, I haven't received it yet, but seems to be a steal at $17.95 for a hard bound book....would expect a paperback at that price. Looking forward to getting it in the mail.

howlinowl

Edit: Just noticed on my checkout page that I can start reading it in the Kindle app online now!!!!! Whoopee!!!!

[ Edited by: howlinowl 2016-06-08 06:37 ]

Edit-Reedit: Nevermind, it"s just the free sample of the book, not the whole thing on Kindle. Bummer....

[ Edited by: howlinowl 2016-06-08 06:42 ]

I thumbed through my copy yesterday and it looks very, very promising. It stacks nicely on top of my reading to-do list of Potions, Tiki Pop + Book of Tiki, and now this. That's a lot of tiki to read!

$30 at my local Barnes & Noble but $17.61 online!

You can also go to a book signing for $30 that includes a drink!

Over 125 pages in already. Fun and informative. A great read. Can't wait to try some of these recipes.

My wife planned to surprise me with a trip to SF last year but it wasn't in the cards for us financially. Was just thinking how badly I wanted to get to Smuggler's Cove when I just so happened to see that Southwest Airlines was offering pretty cheap flights right now. Austin to Oakland, just $129 each way, all taxes included. Booked. See ya'll in November!

Got mine a few days ago, just now cracking it open. WHEEEEEEEEE

Got mine yesterday, about 175 pages in. What a fantastic tome!

Picking up mine this afternoon AND getting it signed by Martin and Rebecca. Can't wait to crack it open and start reading!

On 2016-06-08 06:35, howlinowl wrote:
Just ordered mine off of Amazon. Of course, I haven't received it yet, but seems to be a steal at $17.95 for a hard bound book....would expect a paperback at that price. Looking forward to getting it in the mail.

howlinowl

Edit: Just noticed on my checkout page that I can start reading it in the Kindle app online now!!!!! Whoopee!!!!

[ Edited by: howlinowl 2016-06-08 06:37 ]

Edit-Reedit: Nevermind, it"s just the free sample of the book, not the whole thing on Kindle. Bummer....

[ Edited by: howlinowl 2016-06-08 06:42 ]

Received mine yesterday, just wanted to confirm that it IS A STEAL!!!! If you haven't ordered it yet, GO NOW. You will not regret it!

howlinowl

This book goes far beyond being a cocktail book, or the history of a single bar. It effortlessly bridges the gap, or even better, proves that there has to be no gap at all between mid-century American Tiki culture and its re-appreciation in the 21st Century. Like no other publication before, it demonstrates that Tiki Pop is alive and well today.

The eye candy of elaborate Tiki environments, the joy of their inhabitants, and the ambrosial nature of their libations are as seductively presented as humanly possible, creating a spontaneous need to partake in such merriment.

All this is backed up by thoughtful writing and insightful information that is bound to convert a new generation to the cult of Tiki. Behold, imbibe, and live Tiki like it should be lived.

On 2016-06-11 11:58, bigbrotiki wrote:

............that is bound to convert a new generation to the cult of Tiki.

Ones that are so excited to add Star Wars mugs to their collections.

Two Tiki thumbs up
:)

I received my copy of this book on Friday in Wellington NZ and am probably the first person in the Southern Hemisphere to get a copy (I pre-ordered months ago...).

Smuggler's Cove is one of the most insightful cocktail books I have ever owned, as well as providing a wonderful overview to the whole phenomenon of Polynesian-style bars and restaurants from the 1930s onwards. Over the weekend, I was waving this book in the face of various bartenders in Wellington saying things like "this is THE BIBLE!" and "You NEED this book!". Martin Cate's recommendation that we all relabel our rum bottles from 1 to 8 based on the distilling processes used is both radical and makes sense. He has also provided the first succinct, logical, and understandable analysis of the various types of rums used in exotic cocktails that I have ever seen, and his outline of how the range of ingredients used in tropical cocktails developed from Don The Beachcomber onwards is priceless. His cocktail choices include various usual suspects, but the depth of his analysis of the history of drinks like the Mai Tai is very insightful, and his showcasing of things like North American 18th-century rum cocktails will switch on a few lightbulbs among craft cocktail people who previously thought that the US was traditionally the land of whisky and beer. I will be going back to this book again and again, not only as a list of recipes, but for ideas and insights regarding how to make old and new concoctions.

All this and a very attractive layout, colourful photos and a sturdy, hard-bound embossed cover. 10 out of 10!

It's really a fantastic book, I finished it last night, lots of good insight into a lot of different things.

I'm looking forward to trying some of the Smuggler's Cove syrups along with some of the knowledge I've gleaned here.

Anybody else get hard about the Smuggler's Barrel recipe until you saw TOP SECRET? I guess I should've known better than Martiki sharing a prized possession!

Most definitely. It was the first thing I flipped to when I got the book.

On 2016-06-13 19:19, kkocka wrote:
Anybody else get hard about the Smuggler's Barrel recipe until you saw TOP SECRET? I guess I should've known better than Martiki sharing a prized possession!

Ha I thought that was funny!

I just got my copy. Very well written and insightful and I have barely had time to scratch the surface. Amazing.

On 2016-06-11 19:28, swizzle wrote:
Ones that are so excited to add Star Wars mugs to their collections.

Dunno how I missed this, but thanks for the laugh :D

Finished the book today. Incredible amount of passion, knowledge and insight within those pages. Everything you can possibly imagine was covered. Boggles my mind this tome was a measly 17 bucks shipped from Amazon. I just bought another one to give my buddy for his bday next month.

Coverage of the Florida tour from The Atomic Grog:

Book premiere and signing at The Mai-Kai on June 8 ...

(I picked up one of the 500 copies of the Kuhiko mug made exclusively for the book tour with the new "Ports O' Call" glaze)

On June 9, Martin and Rebecca participated in the Tiki Tower Takeover at Pier 66 (along with Jeff "Beachbum” Berry, Paul McGee, Brian Miller, and St. John Frizell) ...

On June 10, we ran into Martin, Rebecca and their assistant Peggy at Swanky's symposium on The Mai-Kai ...

On June 11, Martin participated in the historic Raiders of the Lost Tiki Culture symposium (with Beachbum Berry, Otto von Stroheim, Sven Kirsten, Humuhumu, Shag, Crazy Al Evans, and Christie "Tiki Kiliki" White) ...

It was then on to the Tiki Treasures Bazaar for more signings ...

We picked up several packs of the new trading cards (mahalo Peggy!), which can be traded on a special Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Covecards/

Not content to rest, just hours after The Hukilau wrapped up on June 12, Martin and Rebecca were spotted at Miami Beach's Sweet Liberty for another signing ...

From there, they were headed for New Jersey (Tiki by the Sea), then back home to San Francisco (June 21), followed by Denver (June 23), Portland (for Tiki Kon), New Orleans (Tales of the Cocktail), Hawaii, San Diego, New York City, Chicago and more. Get updates on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/smugglerscovesf/

On Tuesday, more good news arrived with the announcement of the nominees for the 10th annual Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail:
https://talesofthecocktail.com/news/tales-cocktail-announces-top-ten-10th-annual-spirited-awards

Smuggler's Cove received three nominations (Best American Cocktail Bar, American Bartender of the Year: Marcovaldo Dionysos, World’s Best Spirits Selection), and Martin also earned two nominations for Whitechapel (Best New American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Spirits Selection).

Congrats Martin and his entire staff!

Hands down the best general purpose Tiki book I've purchased.

From the Amazon listing as of today:

Well done!!

mine arrived a few days ago(amazon UK weren't getting stock till august, Useless as usual)A great read not only on cocktails but Tiki history too, Well Done Martin and Rebecca

Is this starting to happen to anybody else's book?

What a great book. Mine arrived a couple of weeks ago and i should have well and truly finished it by now but i am taking my time reading several pages a day. It covers so many topics so well and is very easy to read.
And the way Martin has categorised the rums is very interesting and makes a lot of sense. It just really sucks how few of the entire amount of rums he has listed are actually available here and those that are, are really expensive. Thankfully Coruba is one that seems to be used quite a lot and that is one of the cheaper rums on the market here and is also found pretty much everywhere. Time to re-stock my bar and make some of the drinks.

Now just a question. I've just landed on the Mai Tai pages and was curious to know if the bottle pictured on page 260 is the actual rum that Vic used for the original recipe. And by actual rum, i mean with that particular label, i know it's not going to be THAT exact bottle. :D

On 2016-07-05 21:56, swizzle wrote:
What a great book. Mine arrived a couple of weeks ago and i should have well and truly finished it by now but i am taking my time reading several pages a day. It covers so many topics so well and is very easy to read.
And the way Martin has categorised the rums is very interesting and makes a lot of sense. It just really sucks how few of the entire amount of rums he has listed are actually available here and those that are, are really expensive. Thankfully Coruba is one that seems to be used quite a lot and that is one of the cheaper rums on the market here and is also found pretty much everywhere. Time to re-stock my bar and make some of the drinks.

Now just a question. I've just landed on the Mai Tai pages and was curious to know if the bottle pictured on page 260 is the actual rum that Vic used for the original recipe. And by actual rum, i mean with that particular label, i know it's not going to be THAT exact bottle. :D

There is a note on page 264 that the only known bottle in the world is, in fact, owned by the author of the book and is in the photo on page 260.

Finally got my copy of SC book and the Cate's really did a terrific job on the content & overall presentation. Very much like the school textbook size of the edition A+ (-:

Ditto Thor. Got my book on a good deal a couple of weeks ago on Amazon. Great read. Last night I was thinking about what a great cover Smugglers has: classic mysterious and dangerous looking tiki image, dark background, which all takes one to tiki land but at the same time there is the reality that, although a great image it's really a small replica and on further observation. It's a tiki mug filled with a tantalizing drink of some kind. All Great and simple symbols of "Tiki Style". In other words that cover really entices or dares me to enter. Enter the book, a bar or restaurant or to enter the tiki world itself. Good job.