In this episode, we start with a quick review of recent rum and cocktail experiences before getting to an interview with Martin Cate (18:30), owner of the bar Smuggler’s Cove (among other ventures) and author of the rum and tiki book by the same name. Martin catches us up on the planned June 15th reopening of Smuggler’s Cove and then we hop around a variety of rum- and bar-centric topics, including the evolution of rum selection in the U.S., the making of the Smuggler’s Cove rum categorization system, what an updated edition of Smuggler’s Cove might look like, secret recipes in the modern era, the state of rum’s perception, what makes his bars different, and more.

Relevant links:

Learn more about Martin’s bars and projects:

Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco, CA)

Hale Pele (Portland, OR)

False Idol (San Diego, CA)

Lost Lake (Chicago, IL)

Max’s South Seas Hideaway (Grand Rapids, MI)

Get a copy of the book Smuggler’s Cove

Thanks to Holmes Cay for sponsoring this episode. Explore their current releases at HolmesCay.com and keep an eye for new ones coming this year.