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Austin Forshee was a booze slinger in Kalamazoo and then found himself in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of the opening crew of the celebrated tiki palace, Max's South Seas Hideaway. He went from muddled old fashioneds to training with the legendary Martin Cate, and now balances out all of that exotica with metal (which actually isn't all that uncommon). From banging on the drums to learning all the r(h)ums, Austin tells us how he learned to tiki and also get his Tommy Lee on. Check out his playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NuKV8Vo8Y7wFP1KVjmj45?si=cc288188edb94e8b
Rum nerds and mid-century Mavens, Martin and Rebecca Cate are back on the show! Check out Tiki Guru and The Cult of Tiki to hear previous interviews. This week, we're...
This episode we highlight some fun and refreshing cocktails to be enjoyed with family and friends over the 4th of July. Recipes are below. Bourbon Cowboy (Gone with the Gin, by Tim Federle... also author of Tequila Mockingbird. :)) 4 basil leaves (divided)2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 oz bourbon 1 1/4 oz iced teas, sweetened to taste 1/2 oz lemon juice Muddle 3 basil leaves and the bitters in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and ice, and shake well. Strain into a julep cup (or a rocks glass) filled with freshly shaved ice and garnish with a basil leaf. Halekulani Cocktail (Smuggler's Cove, by Martin Cate w/ Rebecca Cate) 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz fresh orange juice 1/2 oz pineapple juice 1/4 oz Demerara Syrup 1/2 teaspoon Grenadine 1 1/2 oz bourbon 1 dash Angostura bitters Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked or cubed ice. Shake and double-strain into a chilled couple and garnish with an edible orchid on the edge of the glass Honi Honi - variation of a Mai Tai 1 2/3 oz bourbon 1/3 oz Triple sec liquor 1/2 oz fresh lime juice 1 tsp Orgeat syrup 1 tsp rich simple syrup Shake all ingredients w/ ice and fine staring into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple wedge, luxardo maraschino cherry and mint sprigs Blackberry Bramble 1/2 cup fresh blackberries 1 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice 2 oz dry gin (we're submitting with Huckleberry vodka) 1 oz blackberry liquor 1 oz simple syrup Sparkling water Steps: Muddle blackberries with fresh lemon juice in a shaker and fill with iceAdd gin and simple syrup and shake well. Strain and pour over ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with fresh blackberries lemon twist and mint Strawberry Rye Whiskey Slushy SLB Drinks (YouTube) 1/2-1 cup fresh halved strawberries 1 oz simple syrup 1 oz fresh lemon juice 2 oz Rye whiskey 1-1 1/2 cups ice Combine all the ingredients into a blender and mix until ice is crushed. Garnish with fresh strawberry Summer Sipper Bourbon Cocktail 1 1/2 oz bourbon 1/2 oz Campari 1 oz pineapple juice 1/4 oz strawberry syrup 1 orange peel Muddle 1/2 of a strawberry with the orange peel in a cocktail shaker. Add remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake, shake, sake and string into a rocks glass. Garnish with strawberry slice and mint
California offers endless ways to play, and on this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson explores some of the reasons why California is The Ultimate Playground. First up, Johnson is joined by Andrew Nelson, award-winning writer and editor for National Geographic Traveler. The Here Not There author discusses one of this year's biggest travel trends, destination dupes, with a focus on where to experience them in California. Nelson explains why the Golden State is such a hot spot for destination dupes from all over the world. “[There are] so many different geographical features, so many different lively and vibrant cities of all sizes,” he says, “it seems only natural that so many of these destinations can be found here.” He shares several alternatives for the Riviera, Tuscany, the Galapagos Islands, and more that can be found in California. A seasoned traveler, Nelson also name-drops a few of his favorite unique travel destinations, from the Bay Area to the desert. Next up, Johnson talks with Jordan Kivelstadt, winemaker and founder of Bohemian Highway Travel Company, a tour operator crafting personalized wine country excursions in Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Kivelstadt sheds light on the historic origin of the company's name and shares some of the experiences guests can expect on his custom-crafted tours. “I'm going to get you out in a vineyard on an ATV with a winemaker hearing about the process, learning why grapes grow here, what the process of harvest is, all the way to the bottle,” he shares. One remote corner of wine country receives special attention on the show: “The Sonoma coastline is spectacular, and we have some of the best creameries in the world,” he enthuses. Beyond wine, Kivelstadt adds his picks on where to eat, stay, and play in Sonoma and Napa. Lastly, Johnson speaks with Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler's Cove, an acclaimed tiki bar in San Francisco. A driving force behind the resurgence of tiki culture, Cate cites the history of tiki in California dating back to the 1930s. “It was just kind of a wild experiential setting that people weren't used to, and it became a sensation overnight,” he explains. The tiki expert lists several must-visit tiki bars in California and gives a rundown of what to expect inside, from tropical decor to a crash course on what to order. Moreover, the tiki mocktail scene is thriving, and Cate explains how tiki drinks lend themselves to being served without alcohol.
On this episode we do a double secret giveaway for tier 2 (Quinoa Salad) members (with AMAZING theme music composed by Fact Check Andy), and discuss the James Bond movies, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Roku, the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, Book 4 of Rebirth of the Fallen by JR Konkol, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Knights of the Dinner Table, Cerebus the Aardvark, Eastman & Laird's TMNT, buying stuff on Kindle, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Elvis movie, the Geekshock crew's real life Elvis stories, Smuggler's Cove by Martin Cate, Haggling at the Meepleville Board Game Flea Market, why you don't bring Vlarg to a car dealership, Merchants of the Dark Road board game, Cameron Diaz was apparently retired, our problematic IMDB, a star wars home theater that comes with a free mansion at Disney, The Electric State, the final season of See, Harley Quinn season 3, Top Gun: Maverick, James Rado, and whatever the hell you want us to doodle for you. It's time for a gloriously Torgo-less Geekshock!
Episode 098: Friday Four from the Circ Desk - 6/18 Episode 098: Friday Four from the Circ Desk - 6/18 Amie Newberry & Tami Ruf Jamie's Recommendation Protest Kitchen: Fight Injustice, Save the Planet, and Fuel Your Resistance One Meal at a Time by Carol J. Adams and Virginia Messina Taryn's Recommendations The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart Peppers of the Americas by Maricel E. Pressilla Tami's Recommendation Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat Books Mentioned How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price Tiki Cocktails: Modern Tropical Cocktails by Shannon Mustipher Smugglers Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki by Martin Cate Media Mentioned The Booksellers on Netflix Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix Sites Mentioned Moe's Books in Berkeley Chez Panisse in Berkeley Kitchen Arts and Letters in New York City (bookstore) Strand Books in New York City (bookstore)
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 CoveThanks to Holmes Cay for sponsoring this episode. Explore their current releases at HolmesCay.com and keep an eye for new ones coming this year.
We get into autumn mode in Episode 5, exploring the basics of stirred rum cocktails with Smuggler’s Cove co-owner Martin Cate; then check in with our 2018 “Beer People of the Year” Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter from Crowns & Hops, on their beer and upcoming brewery, and their 8 Trill Pils Initiative; and we chat about Barbados rum with Trudiann Branker, the master blender for Mount Gay Rum. Ship Shape2 oz. rum*¾ oz. High Seas Mix (to taste)1 dash Angostura bittersTools: barspoon, strainerGlass: coupeGarnish: lemon twistStir all of the ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a chilled glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink, then use as garnish.High Seas Mix: In a bottle, combine equal amounts Averna, Kronan Swedish Punsch, and oloroso sherry. Shake to combine. * Cate recommends using bolder aged rums in this cocktail, though he notes that this simple recipe invites experimentation with a range of different rums. Depending on the choice of rum, adjust the amount of High Seas Mix, to taste.Martin Cate, Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.
Today we chat with Mark Sellers and Martin Cate to learn all about Max's South Seas Hideaway. Max's is unlike any Tiki or Polynesian bar or restaurant that's opened in the last 5 decades. It harkens back to the days when a Polynesian bar or restaurant was a grand space, similar to the Polynesian palaces of yesteryear like the Kahiki, the Mai Kai or the Kona Kai. Hear about what it took to bring this venture to life and what the future holds for this spectacular space! For more information or reservations go to http://www.maxstiki.com This episode is sponsored by Tanduay Rum, Tiki Bar T-Shirt Club, Tonga Hut, Steadfast Pomade and Tiki-Ti. Stop by their FB and IG pages and give them a like!
Rum purveyor and exotic cocktail expert Martin Cate talks about the exotic soundtrack that plays every night at his world class tiki bar in San Francisco, Smuggler's Cove. So, if you haven't noticed, Tiki is having a major rennaissance all across the US, and it's due in no small part to Martin Cate's elevation and dedication to the form. As Martin likes to put it,“Tiki is a multidisciplinary genre. It's not just about the cocktails, it's about creating an atmosphere. All of the elements need to come together seamlessly, and when something is missing or discordant, it takes you out of the experience.” And central to this experience in any tiki bar worth it's salt is the music. As he writes in the Smuggler's Cove book, along with exotica and other lounge music, the tiki sound incorporates hapa haole, which is traditional Hawaiian music with lyrics sung in English, as well as the sounds of surf music, which, as Martin will explain in this episode, was actually countercultural to the greatest generation that made tiki explode in it's first wave of popularity back in the 1960s. Be sure to visit one of his bars next time you find yourself in San Francisco (Smuggler's Cove), Portland (Hale Pele, co-owner), San Diego (False Idol, co-owner), and Chicago (Lost Lake, partner).
Brea and Mallory talk about cookbooks and interview writer Sam Slaughter! Use the hashtag #ReadingGlassesPodcast to participate in online discussion! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com! Reading Glasses Merch Sponsor - Lola mylola.com Use code GLASSES when you subscribe! Links - Reading Glasses Facebook Group Reading Glasses Goodreads Group Amazon Wish List Newsletter Recipe Tracker App - Paprika Sam Slaughter Sam's Twitter Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum? by Sam Slaughter Books Mentioned - Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James Movers and Shakers by Hope Ewing The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook edited by Louise Hagler and Dorothy R. Bates Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli Isa Does It by Isa Chandra Moskowitz Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald, and Alex Day Smuggler's Cove by Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander The Need by Helen Phillips Gather at the River edited by David Joy and Eric Rickstad By the Smoke and the Smell by Thad Vogler Deep Down Dark by Héctor Tobar The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold Drinking Like Ladies by Misty Kalkofen and Kirsten Amann The Dead Rabbit Mixology & Mayhem by Sean Muldoon, Jack McGarry, and Jillian Vose
Tiki: Modern Tropical CocktailsBy Shannon Mustipher Intro: Welcome to the Cookery By The Book Podcast with Suzy Chase. She's just a home cook in New York City, sitting at her dining room table talking to cookbook authors.Shannon: My name is Shannon Mustipher, and I am the author of Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails. When I'm not working on writing and developing cocktails, I'm the spiritual advisor, a.k.a. beverage director of Glady's Caribbean, which is a rum-focused bar in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I also work as a consultant and educator on the spirit of topics and cocktails.Suzy Chase: This is the first cocktail recipe book written by a working, African American bartender and released by a major publisher in more than 100 years. When you decided to write this book, were you aware of that statistic?Shannon: Yeah, I was. Just a little background. I'm a big history buff, always have been, and I want to say maybe a decade ago, I became aware of a book called The Ideal Bartender by Tom Bullock, who published in 1919 and worked at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the first and the last to publish this book, African American bartender to publish. There are a lot of bar books floating around, but that one, I just didn't ... I wasn't hearing of it, and my peers weren't reading it, and I just thought it was fascinating that it was like this little nugget of history. When I decided to write my book, it was five years ago, and I didn't know when it was going to be published based on the negotiations I was going through with my publisher, Rizzoli. For it to come out in 2019, a 100 years after Mr. Bullock's publication, just feels like there's something about it that was meant to be.Suzy Chase: I'm probably the only person in the world, but I never knew that Tiki was a huge category of cocktails. For some reason, I thought Tiki was like a vibe or a mindset. Talk a little bit about that. Shannon: It's all those. In regards to Tiki being a cocktail category, it's helpful to keep in mind that when Tiki came about in the late '30s, I mean the first Tiki bar was a spin-off of hinky dinks and that became Don the Beachcomber. Don the Beachcomber, his name was Ernest Gantt, was kind of a world traveler, rum aficionado. Came up with this idea of creating an escapist experience in his restaurant because this is at the end of the Great Depression, and people were looking for some relief from the day to day. The type of cocktails he came up with differed from every other in that you could blend a couple different spirits in one cocktail. That had never been done before. You could also blend a few different juices as opposed to most recipes that would have one or two at the most and various sweeteners and things of that nature. Those features of cocktail you're not seeing other styles of cocktail, and that's ... The recipes are like the core of what makes it different. Then there's other elements like the attention to vessels and presentation and things like fire and orchids and all this craziness that just not ... you're not seeing it in other styles of cocktail. From I would say a structural standpoint where the recipe concerned, there are some clear differentiations. Then of course in the presentation, you don't see that outside of Tiki. Suzy Chase: Last week Grub Street mentioned you saying you're a central figure in the Tiki renaissance in New York City. It's all about the appearances the element of surprise. Do you think this is a misunderstood tradition or a forgotten tradition or both? Shannon: I don't it's as misunderstood as it was when I got my start five years ago. I had to qualify in that on the west coast where Tiki originated, it never fully disappeared. Right? There was a moment where there was only a few bars that still had the authentic recipes. The reason for that was there was secrecy around those recipes, and they were coded because the restaurants and bars that served Tiki in the '40s were very popular, and the information regarding those products was considered propietary. It be like, think of the recipe or formula for Coca-Cola. That's proprietary. Right? When the people that created those recipes and worked in those restaurants retired, they didn't necessarily share the knowledge. This sort of knowledge begins to die off, and then add to that in the late '60s and '70s, American mixology in general was on the wane. It was associated with a generation that was a little bit older. Younger kids, the hippies so to speak, weren't interested in drinking cocktails like their parents did. They preferred recreational experiences. You know what I mean? Yeah, from the '70s through the '90s, there was no information really. You had Tiki tea in California and Los Angeles and Tonga Hut remained open, and there are other places. Outside of a handful of bars, people didn't really know the recipes anymore. The few that did, they weren't talking about it or giving out those recipes because that was just a culture, to keep them under lock and key. When Jeff Beachbum Berry began writing his book about 15, 20-odd years ago, he did the most extensive research into Tiki, went to all those bars, and looked for the rum bottles and scoured any document he could find and was able to reverse engineer and figure out what these drinks actually were. As his books became more popular, and people were more aware of what he was doing, then Tiki started to make a comeback. It wasn't reduced to oh, it's a sweet, tropical drink with an umbrella in it. People began to see the workings and the mechanics of this style of cocktail and understand and appreciate the level of craft that goes into taking eight or 10 ingredients and balancing it in a cocktail. Now, the cat's out of the bag. Right? We have the Jeff Beachbum Berry books. We have Smuggler's Cove, which does an excellent job of talking about not only the history of Tiki and showing us those recipes as well as Martin Cate's newer recipes. The information is out there now. Maybe there are people that still misunderstand it, but it just doesn't have to be that way anymore. Whereas 20 years ago, there just was scant means to educate yourself about it. Suzy Chase: Give us the short history of rum. Shannon: Yeah, sure. Rum is a byproduct of the sugar industry. When European powers began to colonize the Americas, the top priority was to find a cash crop or some other resource that would provide a large stream of revenue, big stream of revenue. Initially the thought was gold, and that didn't really work out. There was experimentation with various things, rice and cotton. Sugar was the one, especially in the Caribbean, that had the highest yield. Just some context, the kind of revenue that was coming out of just Barbados or Jamaica alone by the late 19th century, was on par with oil boom or the gold rush and what took place in Silicon Valley more recently. There had never been a moment in the history of the world where there was such a big shift in the economy. It's important to remember that rum is not just a style or a category of spirit that came about because that's what someone wanted to make. They had this idea in mind of a flavor profile and certainly wanted to craft. It's a byproduct and another way to add revenue to a sugar plantation, their operation. For who are less familiar, in order to produce rum you need molasses or you could use fresh cane juice, but rum as we know it in the Caribbean came about when planters were looking for a way to utilize molasses which was regarded as a waste product. They discovered that you could ferment it and then distill it. This began in earnest around 1705. Prior to that, in the earlier part of the 17th century, there was a little bit of rum production on the islands, but it was basically moonshine. It wasn't packaged. It wasn't bottled. People didn't regard it as a spirit category in the way that we look at spirits today. It was just, this is what we have to drink in terms of alcohol because we can't make beer here. It's too expensive to bring over wine. In fact, the wine doesn't really travel well in the heat. This all began to change, and rum started moving towards how we think of it in a modern sense in 1650 when Jamaica was taken by the British. The British adopted rum as the liquid that they will give out in their daily ration, which became a form of payment in addition to a supplement to the really poor diet that the sailors had on board. By 1750, the Navy had grown to such an extent that they could no longer source the rums themselves from the islands, but they hired an outside firm called [ED & Man 00:11:08]. This firm would source the liquid from various islands and then take them over to London. They created a proprietary blend, and they would age it there. Meanwhile, for those of you who don't know, brands the way we think of them today, they didn't exist back then. A distiller didn't have a face or a label. They didn't make liquid and put it in a bottle and sell it. They'd make liquid and sell it to brokers, and the brokers would create the brands and sell the products. At this time, there was a robust business around that in the scotch and port and sherry categories in London. These merchants caught on to the rum, and they realized that it was par on with single malt scotch, especially the rums from Jamaica which are highly prized, because they had a really special aroma and heavy body due to their production processes. By 1820s, this is when you start to see rum appear as a commercial product in Europe. To this day in the Netherlands and in Germany, the preference for rum [inaudible 00:12:23] Jamaica styles that haven't differed too much from that time. By 1860s, then you start to see rum become a big global business, do brands like Bacardi. Where we are today is we are getting back to looking at the earliest styles of productions of rum. We want what we consider to be more authentic expressions that haven't had sugar added and are made on stills or in facilities that have been operation for 200 or 300 years. It's a really great moment for the category, especially where Tiki is concerned, we can make the recipes the way they were intended. There was a moment in the '70s through the early '90s where the rums that were in the original recipes were not available in the U.S. You could attempt to make the drinks, but you were not really going to really hit it. Now, we can make those drinks again. Suzy Chase: In opinion, what's a good rum to start off with if you're not familiar with rum? Shannon: Well, here's the thing. Rum is a huge category. You can make it in over 90 countries. I compare it to wine in that ... Let's say you look at gin and whiskey. Sure, there are some variations and different brands and styles, but it's not such a huge spectrum of rum. You can get something that's like really light and dry and clean, or you can get really fruity or earthy and funky or on the sweeter side depending on how it's produced. To answer that question, I'd say you have start at least five, because if you are trying to pick out a starter, there's so many places to start. If you take one bottle or one style, you're not ... It doesn't really capture what rum is about. With that in mind, I would suggest picking up a spectrum of rums. Right? On one hand, you want to start with say a lighter rum. For that, I would suggest Rhum Barbancourt [bonk 00:14:33] from Haiti. It's made from fresh pressed juice. Has a little bit of a delicate gassiness and fuller element to it. You can sip it neat. You can put it in cocktails. It's really easy to work with and to enjoy. From there, I would suggest picking up a bottle of an un-aged overproof English style rum, and that would most likely be Jamaican rum. That could be Rum Fire or Wray & Nephew. If you're lucky enough to go to Grenada, I really love the River Antoine. What that bottle is going to do for you is you're not necessarily going to drink it by itself. If you want to have more intensity, then you'll need a rum like that. In terms of something that's just more like everyday drinking rum, cocktail or otherwise, I would suggest picking up a Barbadian rum or a Bajan style rum, because those strike a nice balance between being fuller bodied and rich, but also really clean and smooth and elegant and super easy. The drinking culture in the islands differ from the island to island. That's reflected in the styles. In Barbados, they have this pastime called liming, which means that you gather with your friends at a little shack called a rum shop, and you sip rum all day. Maybe you use mixers, but for them it's not ... rum isn't cocktailing. Rum is just spending time with friends. Right? Then from there I would suggest you would want pick up a rhum agricole from Martinique or one of the former French territories. Those are really cool. They're made from fresh cane juice like the Barbancourt I mentioned, but their standards of production, they have a DLC around it. They're very particular about what you're going taste in the glass because they want to highlight and emphasize the [tarare 00:16:27] of their respective geographic areas. There's also a lot of influence from Armagnac and Cognac production there. With the agricoles, you get to see a really high level of production and crafted. You don't typically associate with rums, but I think trying those will shift your perception around what you think rum is in a positive way. Lastly, some people prefer what they would call a smoother, rounder, richer type of spirit. I find that people that prefer whiskey have a tendency to enjoy Spanish-style rums which undergo more time in the barrel because the Spanish approach is more influence by wine and sherry where the base liquid is not what's emphasized, but what's emphasized is a barrel regimen and the house style and the skill of the blender. That's what they want you to taste in the end. Suzy Chase: Yeah. I read in the book that for example, Jamaican rums have kind of grassy notes, and that's something you wouldn't even think about with rum. Shannon: That's why I love it. Prior to opening Gladys and working in that program five years ago, I was into a pre-prohibition era cocktails and gin and whiskey and all that stuff. I still enjoy it on occasion, but if God came to me and told me that from here on out I was confined to only drinking one spirit category, I'd happily choose rum because there's one for everybody and for every mood or hour or what have you. If I want something that is really dry and light and crisp, I can find it in the rum category. If I want something that's big and bold and chewy or even smokey, I can find that in rum as well. If I just had gin for instance, the spectrum of options is limited. Suzy Chase: In Tiki, chapter one kicks off with foundational cocktails. What are those? Shannon: Where rum is concerned, there's what we call the holy trinity, which is rum, sugar, and lime. They just work really well together in the earliest rum drinks. The Navy grog, that's rum, sugar, and lime. The Caipirinha, it's made with Cachaça so it's not technically rum, but the Cachaça is sugar and lime. The same is true for the [Dakaiti 00:19:00], which rum, sugar, and lime. In those foundational drinks, we walk through those cocktails so that you can taste the different styles of rum and get a sense for how those rums behave. The underlying elements are more or less the same. Also, those drink a base template for others cocktails that follow, and so the bulk of Tiki drinks have those three elements and them build from there. Suzy Chase: There's a technique in the book called fat washing spirits. What does that mean? Shannon: It's an infusion. It was pioneered by Don Lee who is a partner in Existing Conditions currently and got his start at PDT. With fat washing, you take an oil. It could be derived from an animal. Don Lee's was smoked bacon fat. I do a lot of vegan fat washes, so I love coconut oil. Essentially you I guess steep or infuse the liquid with the oil for a 12-hour period at room temperature, and then you freeze it so that the solids separate. They come to the top. You skim it off. You strain it. What happens is that the liquid is now, it has those fat molecules in it. It takes on a different texture and a creamier mouth feel. Milk punches utilizes the same principle. They're very labor intensive. It requires multiple steps and a number of ingredients and a couple days to achieve that result. Yeah, milks punches which were popular in the 18th century, have made a little bit of a comeback in the modern bar, is where that idea is derived. Fat washing with oils is much faster and more consistent. Suzy Chase: You created a cocktail inspired by a reggae song. Tell us about that. Shannon: It's one of my favorite cocktails actually. It's called the Kingston Soundsystem. I was approached by Punch Magazine to pick a reggae song and make a cocktail. I really love Skylarking by Horace Man. It's a really chill, laid back, kind of lazy day kind of song. I was like, okay. There's a bird reference here. I love the Jungle Bird. I'm going come up with an unusual twist on it. The idea was kind of like a white angelonia. I wanted to make a white Jungle Bird. For those who are not familiar with the cocktail, they Jungle Bird has aged Jamaican rum. It has Campari, lime, and pineapple. I looked at each of those elements and went on the other end of the spectrum. Rather than aged Jamaica rum, I used an un-age higher proof Jamaica rum. It's call Rum Fire. Instead of Campari, I used a gentian liqueur called Suze. I love that stuff. A consumer right now, the American public is not too hip to it, but I think it's wonderful. I use it kind of in a way, a lot of people have used St. Germain in the past, which is elderflower liqueur, but way too sweet for my tastes. I want something dryer. That's stands in for the Campari. Rather than pineapple, I wanted to again reference Jamaica so I use Soursop. Soursop is a large fruit about the size of a big cantaloupe, and it has little prickles on it. Kind of think of it as a prickly pear. It has a really wonderful, delicate, floral aroma in the nose. It's delightful for those who have not tried it. Then again, not very sweet. Kind of tastes cross between a pear and an apple, but it has a really clean, dry finish on it. There's really nothing else like it. Then of course, there's a lime. The result is a drink that follows the Jungle Bird template, but takes it in a dryer, more herbaceous direction. Suzy Chase: Do you think we can find these ingredients in our local grocery store or liquor store/Whole Foods? Shannon: It depends on where you live. Soursop, you'll find it in Caribbean stores or Asian stores. If you can't find the juice, you can usually find it as a frozen concentrate. That would be Goya or [lafame 00:23:43]. Then where Suze is concerned, yeah, if you live in an area where you can get to a decent liquor store that has Craft products, you'll find it. Suzy Chase: As a bartender, what's the most annoying request you get the most?Shannon: I don't. I like bar-Suzy Chase: Nothing? Shannon: You know how some people are like, "Oh my God, you're ordering a Mojito now. It's busy." For me, I'm there to serve the guests and I'm delighted to do it. You're there to get what you want, and that's why I'm there, to give you what you want. Case in point. I was doing a pop-up, and it was Tiki drinks. Someone wanted a Martini. I was so excited because she was getting what she wanted. I made a her what I hoped was a really good Martini. I really enjoyed it and so did she. Suzy Chase: They're more than 60 beautiful color photographs in this book. You call Tiki a theater for the senses, and you get such a good feel for that with Noah Fecks' photos. Tell us about your friendship with him. Shannon: It's a beautiful one. We met through a mutual friend, Nicole Taylor. She's the author of the Up South cookbook. Suzy Chase: She's amazing. Shannon: Oh, God. I want to be her when I grow up. Suzy Chase: Me too. Shannon: I met her a decade ago. She's just so dynamic and has forged her own path. She's totally Nicole and just ... I don't know. I can't go on enough about her. I had a birthday party and she invited him to tag along. She predicted that we would quote unquote ride off into sunset together. We hit it off that night, and we're chatting. He approached me shortly thereafter about doing some test shoots at Gladys because he shoots a lot of food. He wanted to added some liquor and cocktail content to his book. The shoots went really well. I worked in the photo industry for the first five years of living in New York as a style and prop assistant. I knew procedures of how a shoot would go. It was really smooth and the images were beautiful. Shortly after that, he suggested that we do this book with Rizzoli. Suzy Chase: I don't know how long this book took you, but there is a full color photo with every cocktail in this book. I can't even imagine the work that went into that. Shannon: Well, I mean, had I know how much work was going to go into it, I don't know if I would have agreed to do it. Suzy Chase: I mean, just looking at it I just think, wow, that's a lot of work, but it's gorgeous. Shannon: I mean, to be fair, I believe that that work is not just what I did in the two years that I was writing it and producing a book, but in the years prior that I spent studying visual art and practicing as an artist, I went to [Ritzies 00:26:52], studied painting and art history. I started drawing when I was five. I was always making things. The book was really exciting in that not was I able to share my recipes and more importantly, my approach to flavors and ingredients, but also could indulge that part of me that wanted to create images. That was the intention behind the photography in the book. Now, you look at a lot of cocktail photography and it follows a formula. It's like, okay, here's a drink on a bar or against some kind of backdrop or what have you, and that's pretty much it. Because we're working in Tiki, we wanted to go beyond and create vignettes that would evoke a story. Suzy Chase: Well, you did it. It feels like it's a culmination of your fashion background and your mixology background. This is all of that in one book. Shannon: Oh, yeah. When I closed my studio shortly before I moved in New York 12 years ago, I had a lot of friends around me who were dismayed because, "You're so good. Why are you doing this?" I had various reasons. I didn't think that what I refer to as the art industry was for me. One of my biggest reservations around it was the accessibility of that work and the class issues around it. Right? Where do most people go to see art? They go to galleries. They go to museums. Museums are wonderful institutions, but there are a lot of people that can't afford to go to a museum, or culturally it's just not an inviting place for certain individuals. When you go deeper than that, when it's time to buy artwork, that's again confined to a class of people. Taken further, when a collector acquires a work, doesn't necessarily get seen. I think the statistic is that 70 to 80% of all the artwork is in storage. This idea of making this thing for a select few is probably just going to sit in a dark room. That's not where I wanted to put my energy, and that's not how I want to share what I had to say in the world. With that being said, being able to make a cocktail book where my creativity could be there and it was very accessible to people. I mean, a cocktail is like 10 or 15 bucks. Most people can do that every once in a while, was really gratifying. Suzy Chase: Now to my segment called my last meal. What would you have for you last supper, and what cocktail would you have with it? Shannon: I'm a pretty simple person. I would have ostrich steak. Suzy Chase: That's simple? I thought you were going to be, "I'll just have a taco." You say ostrich steak. That's so interesting. Shannon: It's so delicious. You ever had it? Suzy Chase: No. Shannon: It's going to change your life. Okay. Suzy Chase: Where do you get that? Shannon: Okay, so I had it in South Africa. I think that if you live in Africa or certain parts of the world, I mean, I think you can get ostrich here. The whole point is in South Africa, it's not a big deal. That's the meat that they have. Right? Like we have cows, they have ostrich. It's like a steak, but the texture ... I don't know. I can't even tell you why it was so good. I'd do that and pair it with a nice glass of wine. Suzy Chase: Not rum? Shannon: No. Suzy Chase: Wow. What kind of wine? You're just throwing me off today. Shannon: What kind of wine? Probably a Zen or ... No, that's too sweet. I don't know. Something kind of dusty, maybe [Linwood 00:31:00]. I used to work in wine. I still enjoy it. Yeah, I mean, rum's great, but I just don't if it would go that good with the steak. Suzy Chase: Where can we find you on the web, social media and in Brooklyn? Shannon: My website, Shannon dot ... shannonmustipher.com. It's not a dot. That's my email. On Instagram, same thing. Just Shannon Mustipher. I don't have an alias. I'm like, no ... I want you to find me. It's not like, what's her handle? Just my first, I say. Put it into Google. You'll find me. Suzy Chase: It's M-U-S-T-I-P-H-E-R for everyone out there. I also want to remind everyone that we're going to be doing a free live Tiki talk and book signing at Lizzyoung Bookseller in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn on Thursday, May 30th. Look for more information on my Instagram and Shannon's, and we we hope to see you there. Thank you so much, Shannon, for coming on Cookery By the Book Podcast. Shannon: Suzy, it was a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time, and I look forward to seeing you next Thursday. Outro: Follow Suzy Chase on Instagram at Cookery By the Book, and subscribe at cookerybythebook.com or in Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening to Cookery By the Book Podcast, the only podcast devoted to cookbooks since 2015.
Today we release our 100th episode! In October of 2016, we launched this podcast from Inside the Desert Oasis Room, hence the name. For those that don't know, this podcast was started as a fluke. I actually had a different type of project in mind and when the first episode hit a couple of snafus, I temporarily launched it as a podcast and never looked back. Since that initial launch, we've released a new episode every week without fail and fast forward to today, we now bring to you episode number 100. I honestly, never expected to still be podcasting 2 years later! I never envisioned sponsorship, merch, mugs, event appearances and room parties or even doing this full-time as a profession but here we are today! None of this would be possible without our sponsors, guests and patrons of the show. So for that I offer my humblest gratitude to all of you. THANK YOU! And because of the unexpected origin of this show, I thought it would be fitting to have the esteemed Martin Cate, tiki and cocktail authority, be our guest on this milestone of an episode. Why? Because when I met Martin almost 20 years ago, he was a sales rep for a logistics company. Never did he ever think he would not only open a bar but end up owning, co-owning and running 5 of the world's premiere tiki bars including Smuggler's Cove, False Idol, Hale Pele, Lost Lake and Whitechapel. We recorded this episode from my suite balcony at this year's Tiki Oasis where we won Best Decor and Best Suite Party in conjunction with our sponsors Tanduay Rum, Tonga Hut, Bahooka Underground and John-O. This episode is sponsored by Tanduay Rum, Tonga Hut, The Rum Lab, Tiki Bar T-Shirt Club, Jason's Tiki Adventures, Steadfast Pomade and Tiki-Ti. Stop by their FB and IG pages and give them a like!
If you are like us, the world of rum seems very one-dimensional and only good for mixing with your favorite brand of cola. We knew we had to jump into this unknown-to-us category at some point, so we reached out to rum expert Martin Cate for a crash course on this complex spirit. Martin is the owner of Smugglers Cove in San Francisco, where he has over 700 different Rums to taste in addition to being a rum judge. Bottom line: Martin is the man when it comes to rum, and he was nice enough to bring in 6 very different examples of this style for us to wet our beaks on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The affable Martin Cate joins us this week from New York City. The tiki guru has built an empire of some of the world’s most respected bars in just 10...
Politics, Polynesia, proof, and more. Martin Cate is one of the premiere minds in the Tiki movement. From a flowery shirt to his love of the halcyon beach escape days, his penchant for hosting and rum reaches its apex at San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove. Tiki is not only a cocktail movement but also a cultural one and Martin has captured its essence in his new book "Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki" We chat Depeche Mode, Gin, OFTD origin stories, and more.
Bartender Journey - Cocktails. Spirits. Bartending Culture. Libations for your Ears.
Martin Cate owner of Smugglers Cove, which was awarded Best American Cocktail Bar at the Spirited Awards during Tales of the Cocktail 2016 is our guest this week on the Bartender Journey Podcast. Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Book of the Week: Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin and Rebecca Cate This book contains lots of great Tiki cocktail recipes, tons of great knowledge. There are sections about Understanding Rum, the History of Tiki and Tiki Cocktail Techniques Cocktail of the Week: Mai Tai · 2 oz Aged Rum · ½ oz Orange Liqueur (I used Mandarine Napoleon) · ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice · ¼ oz Orgeat Syrup (I used Small Hand Food brand) · ¼ oz Rich Demerara Syrup Shake all ingredients with crushed ice. Pour all ingredients (including ice) into a Double Old Fashioned Glass. Garnish with a half lime shell (ie: lime used to produce lime juice) and a sprig of mint. There are many types of Rum. The old classifications of Light, Amber, Dark and Overproof just don’t cut it anymore. We now talk more specifically about the production methods and materials: · Raw materials that will be fermented - most commonly Molasses, but sometimes Pressed Sugar Cane Juice. · The Still it was produced in – Column or Pot Still · The Aging Process
Today on The Speakeasy, we're joined in the studio by serial tiki bar entrepreneurs Martin and Rebecca Cate. They tell us all about their collection of West Coast watering holes (plus one in Chicago) as well as their new book, Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki.
Martin Cate, owner of the tiki bar Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, believes that the mai tai has been disgraced in bars and tropical destinations for far too long, and that the cocktail needs to return to its roots: the original formula invented by the Godfather of the Tiki Bar, Trader Vic. A true mai tai contains premium aged rum, orange curaçao, rock candy syrup, fresh lime juice, an almond syrup called orgeat, and a sprig of mint. You won't find any grenadine or pineapple juice in this drink, lest you want Vic to turn over in his grave.