Martin Cate
judge
Owner, Smuggler's Cove San Francisco • Author, "Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, And The Guilt Of Tiki"
Martin Cate is a rum and exotic cocktail expert and the owner and creator of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. Smuggler’s Cove features the largest rum selection in the United States and features cocktails from over three centuries of rum history. The Sunday Times of London called Smuggler’s Cove one of the 50 Greatest Bars on Earth. In a global industry survey for Drinks International Magazine, Smuggler’s Cove has been featured as one of the Top 50 Bars in the World for six consecutive years. Smuggler’s Cove was named Best American Cocktail Bar 2016 at the 10th Annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, one of the Top Ten Food & Beverage concepts of the last 25 years by Cheers Magazine, and one of the 13 Most Influential Bars of the 21st Century by Liquor.com. Smuggler’s Cove was declared one of America’s Best Bars by Playboy Magazine and was named to Esquire’s Best Bars in America Hall of Fame. Martin is a passionate rum collector who conducts educational seminars and officiates rum & cocktail competitions across the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. He is also the co-owner of Whitechapel in San Francisco, Hale Pele in Portland, False Idol in San Diego, and Max’s in Grand Rapids, MI. Martin and Rebecca Cate’s book “Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki” was published by Ten Speed Press in June of 2016 and won the 2017 James Beard Award for Best Beverage Book and the 2017 Spirited Award for Best Cocktail Book.