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Barfly wins “best column” in California!

Barfly wins 1st place in California Journalism contest (mailchi.mp)

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Retired Marin surgeon wins prestigious homebrewing award

Ed DeMayo, a retired orthopedic surgeon in San Rafael, pulled in the top honor at this year’s World Cup of Beer, a home brewers competition put…

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Happy Birthday Barfly! Celebrating 20 years of writing this column

“Hey, Charlie,” I said. “Hey, Jeff,” answered Charlie. It’s what started many of our nights together. Charlie was a regular. And he was more regular than…

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Some people thrive on chaos

It had been a hectic day, running from one errand to the next. The last thing I needed was the stress of making myself some lunch.…

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Hot drinks for Spring? Yes please!

“April is the cruelest month,” once wrote T.S. Eliot. “Breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.”…

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Bartenders have seen it all

The foursome didn’t really come in hot. And they weren’t really coming in happy either. It was odd from the get-go — for me and eventually…

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The danger of speaking in absolutes

“One hundred percent,” said the kid behind the counter, which made me doubt him almost immediately. There are no absolutes in a complex world. And I…

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3 new products to sip and savor

If April showers bring May flowers, then what does an April torrential downpour bring? I guess we’ll soon see. Spring is always a time of new…

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Brunch ain’t for sissies

The threesome plunked themselves down at the bar immediately upon opening. The early bird gets the worm they say, and I always laugh when I hear…

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Don’t judge a bar by its exterior

Surely this couldn’t be the place. To say it was off the beaten path implies that there was a path somewhere nearby. And once we crossed…

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Barfly Podcast S06 E10

Max Perry of the Silver Peso

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Older posts

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