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Restaraunt employees wash their hands, do you?

Recently I received an email about the “espresso martini” column I wrote a few weeks back: “I was really bothered by your mention that you were…

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The not so perilous journey of a California coastline gin

It was during a family camping trip along the California coast that the couple Marsh and Jan Mokhtari had an epiphany of sorts. “I used to…

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A sad story of a “best friend”

“My brother used to work here,” said the man I had never seen before. I was busy making five very different martinis at the time, so…

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Barfly Podcast Season 2: Episode 8 with Tristan Mermin of Batiste Rhum

https://www.buzzsprout.com/169913/2872111-season-2-episode-8-rhum-mixology-and-cocktails-with-tristan-mermin.mp3?blob_id=9919363&download=true

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An espresso martini, a wince and an apology

I’m sorry. I really am. I apologize for physically wincing when you ordered an espresso martini in the middle of the holiday rush on that weekend…

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Marin moms make margaritas so you don’t have to

It sounds like a great idea. You’ll make scratch margaritas with all-natural ingredients for your friends when they come over. About 20 minutes into the prep…

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Sure, laugh it up, but sometimes the joke is on you

“Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief,” sang Hoagy Carmichael back in the 1940s, and that phrase (despite it not being politically correct) has come to signify a type…

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An apology is not a sign of weakness.

The bar was starting to fill up. And it wasn’t even 4 pm. I was aware of that because my shift ended at 4 pm. Special…

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Time for a wet February with new Marin products

January is over, and you know what that means? Time for the wet weather. Ian Fleming put the following words in James Bond’s mouth in the…

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The quest for tolerance can sometimes lead to intolerance

“Hi there, how are you?” I asked the couple as they sat down. “Two glasses of Riesling,” they said in response. In the service business you…

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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