Ma Kettle’s Tavern is the place where every self-respecting pirate heads for “the three Rs” – Rum *, Rest and Relaxation - between skirmishes on the high seas. It is located on a rocky outcrop at the water’s edge…
“There it is!” Connor said. A neon light came into view, flashing erratically through the darkness. “Ma Kettle’s Tavern,” Grace read. “I hope you’re ready for this, Grace,” said Cate, who stood on her other side. “Is anyone ever quite ready for Ma’s?” asked Bart, with a smile.
The bar is never the same from one visit to the next. There is often a band and just recently Ma has installed a glass dance floor right above the ocean. There are roped off VIP areas in the bar for a select group of captains and their crews, and of course that includes Molucco Wrathe and the crew of The Diablo. Indeed, Molucco is especially close to Ma Kettle, and there are signs that they have a bit of personal history.
Ma Kettle’s is part historic dockside tavern and part theatrical venue where the girls, like Sugar Pie, entertain the pirates with nautical songs performed against elaborate backdrops. In my mind, it’s an amalgam of the Moulin Rouge and the Boar’s Head Tavern (from Shakespare’s Henry IV Part One) – but it’s also like the kind of pub you find in TV shows like Coronation Street or Cheers – a place “where everybody knows your name!” So you have to be careful if you have private business to attend to – best head for one of the curtained booths on the upper levels. But be careful if you do – danger has been known to lurk there.
Mind you, Ma’s has always been a rough and ready kind of place. The wooden boards in the entry way are ridden with gaps and it’s easy for a merry buccaneer to fall into the cold waters beneath. Matter of fact, it’s not unheard of for Sugar Pie or one of the other servers to push them in intentionally. Recently, in the wake of fresh violence, Ma has stepped up security at the tavern by employing a bouncer, who goes by the name of Pieces 08.
Ma Kettle’s Tavern definitely represents the more glamorous side of pirate life. In 2007, for the launch of Blood Captain in the UK, my publisher Simon & Schuster hosted a Ma Kettle themed party with an appropriately cheeky actress bringing Ma to life!
* And not just rum! The drinks at Ma Kettle’s have a decidedly nautical flavour, from Coral Brandy “iffy taste but it packs a punch!” to Oyster Champagne.