It was almost 5 p.m. as I crossed Gough Street and lined up against an unassuming wall with a handful of others. A man came out of a unmarked door to check IDs and give us a QR code for a menu.
My destination was the famed tiki bar Smuggler’s Cove. Behind the wall were more than 1,300 varieties of rum in a tropical paradise that felt more South Pacific than Bay Area.
Owner Martin Cate opened this highly themed destination bar in 2009. Unlike many spots where the theming outshines the fare, the dozens of tiki drinks at Smuggler’s Cove are more than up to snuff. Its libations span more than three centuries of rum history.
Cate wrote a James Beard Award-winning book on tiki culture that shares the bar’s name. In it he offers more than 100 original and historical recipes. An exception is his famed Rum Barrel; thanks to a large “top secret” badge obscuring much of the recipe, the only visible ingredients are lime and pineapple juice, overproof rum and angostura bitters.
There are a handful of destination bars around the world: Havana’s El Floridita; Harry’s Bar in Venice; The Old Absinthe House in New Orleans. I have my own list of bars that I’ll always go out of my way to visit. Smuggler’s Cove is firmly on top of that list, as is Capt. Tony’s in Key West, where bar stools are painted with the names of famous visitors, including Jimmy Buffett, Bob Dylan and John F. Kennedy.
I’m not the only one. Cate estimates that 25% of Smuggler’s Cove visitors are out-of-towners. He also makes it a habit when he travels to visit historic bars to soak up the art, architecture and design.
“Bars that attract tourists usually attract interesting locals, too,” Cate said. “Experiences that center on community become memorable destinations.”
I wasn’t the only non-San Franciscan in the Cove during my visit. On the line to get in, two Floridians were ahead of me. We all knew the first drink we’d order: the mysterious Rum Barrel.
The recipe has never been released, and Cate isn’t divulging it now.
“There are some Reddit threads where people have tried to hack it,” he said. “So far, it’s never been cracked. Even the staff doesn’t know what it is since I partially batch it at home. It has ingredients that we use in no other drink, so it’s extra tricky.”
And extra tasty. It’s a perfect tiki cocktail. A hint of pineapple, a hint of rum — a concoction you can only get at Smuggler’s Cove.
I couldn’t stop at just one drink, but I also couldn’t have more than two: I had one of Cate’s favorites, a strong Jet Pilot, before grabbing some dinner at Fog City along the Embarcadero.
It’s not surprising that interesting places like Smuggler’s Cove attract travelers.
“People love themed, escapist experiences,” Cate said. “Having an immersive, art-filled space where the windows are blacked out so that you really feel like you’ve left the world behind is a great experience. We don’t have TVs or games either, so we like to encourage conversation and connection away from phones and everyday stresses.”
The rum helps, too.
