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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 problem with telling a customer, “no problem”

It was as good a lunch as one could remember. If Virginia Woolf is known for saying, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if…

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Spirited conversation, with cherry on top

“I’ll have an old fashioned with George Dickel, orange and angostura bitters and maraschino liqueur,” she said authoritively. “With an orange twist and a cherry on…

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It all looks good until it doesn’t

He had been coming in a lot as of late. If they say time heals all wounds, then it would be safe to say his were…

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Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt

The light flickered just slightly in the little bar. Not enough for everyone to notice, but enough for the bartender to. He flicked the little light…

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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