3 Tempting Tiki Cocktails From The New Book ‘Smuggler’s Cove’

It’s got everything you need to know about tropical tippling,

Tiki bars are all the rage right now, but many of them are pale imitations of Smuggler’s Cove, the tiki-tastic San Franciso joint that’s consistently named one of the best bars in America. Owners Martin and Rebecca Cate have now come out with the ultimate tiki drink bible so you can try a little of their old-school island magic at home. 

In it they explore the lore and legend of tiki from its birth as “an escapist fantasy” for Depression-era Americans to Hollywood starlets and scandals centered on over-imbibing and tiki’s modern-day revival. 

There are also over 100 recipes ranging from the original to the historic plus a compendium of the world’s finest rums. Here’s three standouts:

THREE DOTS AND A DASH

Created during World War II by Donn Beach, the name is Morse code for “Victory.”

Ingredients: 1⁄2 ounce fresh lime juice; 1⁄2 ounce fresh orange juice; 1⁄2 ounce SC Honey Syrup; 1⁄4 ounce John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum; 1⁄4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram; 1 1⁄2 ounces rhum agricole vieux (Duquesne Élevé Sous Bois or J.M Gold); 1⁄2 ounce blended aged rum (Appleton Estate Reserve or Real McCoy 5 Year); 1 dash Angostura bitters.

Garnish: Three maraschino cherries and a pineapple chunk speared on a cocktail pick, or three maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick plus a pineapple frond

Method: Add all the ingredients to a drink mixer tin. Fill with 12 ounces of crushed ice, flash blend, and pour contents into a footed pilsner glass. Add garnish. 

THE TWENTY SEVENTY SWIZZLE

Ingredients: 1⁄2 ounce fresh lime juice; 1⁄2 ounce SC Demerara Syrup; 1⁄2 ounce SC Honey Syrup; 1⁄4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram; 1 ounce column still aged rum (e.g. Angostura 1919 or Don Q Añejo); 1 ounce black blended overproof rum (e.g. Hamilton Guyana 151); 1 dash Herbsaint; 1 dash Angostura bitters; Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; mint sprig.

Method: Add all the ingredients to a Collins or highball glass, then add crushed iced until the glass is three-quarters full. Use a bar spoon or lélé to swizzle. Top up with additional crushed ice as needed to fill the glass and garnish.

THE CHADBURN

Ingredients: 1⁄2 ounce tawny port; 1⁄2 ounce natural pear liqueur; 2 ounces blended aged rum (e.g. El Dorado 8 Year or Appleton Estate Reserve); 6 drops Bittermens Xocolatl (Chocolate) Mole bitters; 

Method: Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass. Fill with cracked or cubed ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.