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Rockin’ it in a hard place

Frustrated is how I felt. When you work in an industry where every tiny detail is an excuse not to get paid, you tend to pay…

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Might as well celebrate Independence Day everyday

Happy Independence Day. A day late you say? Not so fast. The Fourth of July might be the legally observed day of independence, but it is…

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You can’t always get what you want

We arrived 15 minutes early for our 7 p.m. reservation, partly because I know that reservations are not guarantees, they are best guesses, and partly because…

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It all comes down to the people in your life

In the service business you get all sorts of customers but the hardest ones are those who don’t just expect you to do your job, and…

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The quest to be cool is never quite cool

I hadn’t seen him in years, maybe two or three bars ago. If it is true that change is the only constant, then someone should let…

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Whiskey makers thinking inside the barrel

With the advent of craft cocktails and modern mixology it is possible, even in the most remote recesses of our great nation, to get the most…

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Don’t reward bad behavior

It was a busy night, not so busy that the man didn’t have time to tell me that he was looking for a seat at the…

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When hick meets hipster, press on

They clearly were cool. It wasn’t something the two needed to say outright, it just permeated every aspect of their being, from their tribal tattoos to…

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Everybody celebrates a birthday differently

I think I might have yawned. I know that I looked at the clock on the wall. Time can crawl or race by depending on circumstance.…

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Give the lady what she wants

I don’t recall how the conversation started, but I remember well how it ended. “I never went back there,” said the young woman.

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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 2025 Jeff Burkhart, All Rights Reserved