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Jennifer Garner and Laura Dave, Poggio loves you back!

A bar or restaurant being mentioned in a bestselling book or even being affiliated with a popular TV show can secure a reputation for decades. Just…

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Who watches the watchers?

She was watching me. I couldn’t see it at first, but I certainly felt it. Then I saw it. I had turned around quickly and just…

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Present or not, mothers keep it all together

I was telling a customer the other day that a bartender’s view of the bar is like looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting “The Last…

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You can’t do whatever you want, because the bar is not your living room

Something wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I could tell something was wrong. That made me uneasy. In a business where…

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Perfect brunch cocktails to celebrate moms on Mother’s Day

So far this year we have cleared four of the five hurdles of the annual Spring Cocktail Steeplechase — Mardi Gras, Easter, Cinco de Mayo and…

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It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years

It was late Wednesday afternoon. It always seemed to be a late Wednesday afternoon. Not every Wednesday afternoon, mind you, but enough Wednesday afternoons to make…

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San Rafael residents Parum Leo Winery tasting room ready for tastings

When San Rafael’s Laurence Donald purchased the Kastania Winery along Highway 101 just south of Petaluma in late 2019, he figured there would be some growing pains. “We…

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Spring fever affects people in all sorts of ways

Singer Peggy Lee originally sang sultrily about “Fever” and then Madonna added another layer of nuance some years later. And for those who doubt spring fever,…

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What happens in a bar, doesn’t stay in a bar

Position two at the bar was bumping continuously into position three. His back was to her and while it didn’t seem malicious, it wasn’t polite either.…

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West Marin residents create craft distillery to pay homage to their roots

The Elk Fence Distillery was conceived in West Marin. It’s run by two people who live there and its name is a reference to the Tomales…

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The Press Loves “Twenty Years Behind Bars”

Top 25 iBooks Bestseller

Top 100 Amazon Bestseller

“more about mixing people than drinks”
Christopher Kimball America’s Test Kitchen

“racy and innocent”
Marin Independent Journal

“insightful writing about bar culture and human nature”
SF Examiner

“the best stories are of the clueless at their worst behavior — often before they’ve ordered their first drink” “juicier reads than you would find in the pages of a family newspaper”
Patch

“a book of riotous stories”
The Bold Italic

“great book, quite funny, and includes recipes!”
Joel Riddell, Dining Around, NewsTalk 910

“I love this book. It's insightful, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and includes expert cocktail recipes, too!”
Erika Lenkert, author of Last-Minute Party Girl and Raw: the Uncook Book

“Served straight up, with humor, irreverence and a one-of-a-kind perspective, Twenty Years Behind Bars takes us up close into the life of bars, bartenders, and those who frequent both. To get any closer, you'd need be an olive in one of Burkhart's martini glasses.”
Kimberley Lovato, author of the award winning cookbook, Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves

All Content Copyright 2026 Jeff Burkhart, All Rights Reserved