Overview
A Kitchen ConfidentialĀ for the cocktail profession, Unvarnished is a fly-on-the-wall narrative peek at the joys, pains, and peculiarities of life ābehind the stick.ā
When it opened a decade ago, the acclaimed Los Angeles speakeasy The Varnishāowned, designed, and managed by award-winning cocktail aficionado Eric Alperināquickly became the stylish standard bearer for modern bars. Unvarnished is a candid, voice-driven, no-holds-barred look at the workings of a bar, and the foundation of The Varnishās success: attention to hospitality and an abiding belief in the nobility of service.Ā
Alperin and veteran bartender and writer Deborah Stoll push back against the prevailing conceit that working in the service industry is something people do because they failed at another career. They offer fascinating meditations on ice as the bartenderās flame; the good, the bad, and the sad parts of vice; oneās duty to their community as a local; the obsessive, compulsive deliberations of building a bar (size matters); lessons from Sasha PetraskeāEricās late partner, mentor, and the forefather of the modern day classic cocktail renaissanceāand the top ten reasons not to date a bartender. At the bookās center are the 100 recipes a young Jedi bartender must know before their first shift at The Varnish, along with examples of building drinks by the round, how to Mr. Potato Head cocktails, and what questions to ask when crafting a Bartenderās Choice.Ā
A sexy, gritty, honest look at the glamour-less work of a glamorous job, written with the intimate honesty of The Tender Bar, the debauched inside view of Kitchen Confidential, and the social commentary of Waiter Rant, Unvarnished will take its place among these classics of the service set.
This book title, Unvarnished (A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar), ISBN: 9780062899286, by Eric Alperin, Deborah Stoll, published by HarperCollins (June 23, 2020) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer Unvarnished (A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar) books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.
Prefer to work with a human being when you order Unvarnished (A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar) books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!