Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time

by Brad Thomas Parsons

From the James Beard Award-winning author of Bitters and Amaro comes this poignant, funny, and often elegiac exploration of the question, What is the last thing you'd want to drink before you die?, with bartender profiles, portraits, and cocktail recipes.

Everyone knows the parlor game question asked of every chef and food personality in countless interviews: What is the last meal you'd want to eat before you die? But what does it look like when you pose the question to bartenders? In Last Call, James Beard Award-winning author Brad Thomas Parsons gathers the intriguing responses from a diverse range of bartenders around the country, including Guido Martelli at the Palizzi Social Club in Philadelphia (he chooses an extra-dry Martini), Joseph Stinchcomb at Saint Leo in Oxford, Mississippi (he picks the Last Word, a pre-Prohibition-era cocktail that's now a cult favorite), and Natasha David at Nitecap in New York City (she would be sipping an extra-salty Margarita). The resulting interviews and essays reveal a personal portrait of some of the country's top bartenders and their favorite drinks, while over 40 cocktail recipes and stunning photography make this a keepsake for barflies and cocktail enthusiasts of all stripes.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cocktails, Food

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2019

About the author

Brad Thomas Parsons is the author of "Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All (winner of the James Beard and IACP Cookbook Awards), "Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs", and "Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World’s Most Spirited Mousers." His forthcoming book, "Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time," will be published October 22, 2019 by Ten Speed Press. Parsons received an MFA in writing from Columbia University, and his work has appeared in "Bon Appétit,", "Food & Wine," "Travel + Leisure"," Lucky Peach", and PUNCH, among others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Kristina Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first purchased this, I imagined I’d treat it more as coffee table decor. Instead, I opened it, got hooked from the very first page, and read it over-to-cover. The photography, the writing, and the insights into mortality and the communities that form around alcohol (for better and for worse) were all just so beautiful. I’m mapping out plans to visit each of the bars Parsons highlights…perhaps with the exception of the haunted one.

[William Schrecengost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't borrow this book - you'll regret not having purchased it to go back through. The photographs are beautiful, the interviews engaging, and the author's clear fascination with cocktail culture is evident and endearing. I feared I would get bored with the formatting halfway through, but it grabbed my interest the whole way through. I have several drinks that are now added to a "Must-Try List" (which I've never had before, being a "give me your darkest stout or porter" kind of person), the top contenders being Amaro, a Sazerac, and a Negroni, which are oft' mentioned by several people. The Kona Swizzle is only mentioned once, but also makes the list for how good it sounds. Bitters, also by BTP is now something I'm interested in perusing, but think I'll go to the bookstore for that one.

[Christopher Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic compilation of looks at bartenders of various classic bars throughout America, with interviews about their look at Last Call and the last thing they’ll ever drink.

[EB Fitzsimons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parsons knows his spirits up and down (see his fabulous book on amaro), but in Last Call he hangs out on the other side of bar. This is a thoughtful, enjoyable look at the important social role that such establishments play from the perspective of the master storytellers and magicians who make it all happen, with recipes for 'last request' cocktails both humble and artful.

[Brian Parker]

Reading this slowly over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, which devastated bars across the country and lead most of us to ponder our mortality, has been especially bittersweet. It will be interesting to see how this book feels in a year or five years; how much is a time capsule, how much remains timeless.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I subscribe to Brad Thomas Parson's Substack of the same name and find his occasionally sad sack mien as a self-professed overweight and medicated ginger struggling with being alone as strangely poignant and on point when speaking of booze. It evokes those lonely hours when everyone else at the bar has left. You find yourself sitting alone nursing the last dregs of your drink as the unforgiving lights switch on and they announce last call.

Parson has spent his life writing about drinks and he fixes his gaze on the closing rituals of 80 bars in 23 cities across 13 states and follows up with the question of what your last drink would be.

And despite the somewhat funereal tone, this is really a lovely paean to dive bars, cocktail lounges, and neighbourhood establishments. Ed Anderson's photography is gorgeous and I'm a sucker for a bit of history, whether it's cocktail legend Murray Stenson resurrecting the Last Word and kicking off the modern cocktail craze, or Toby Cecchini inventing the Cosmopolitan, the perfect New York drink for a specific moment in time.

These drink slinging, people pleasing, artisans of alcohol are worthy of their moment. They can bring the same attention to detail as a Michelin starred restaurant or simply provide a familiar space to unwind. I get that this generation doesn't imbibe as much as prior cohorts and that's likely not a bad thing, but I still appreciate how these places have offered respite when I've travelled alone and need to wile away a few hours in comfort. Cheers!

[Gaabriel M · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever worked in the industry, ever snuck bourbon in a coffee cup throughout a shift, ever lost rest to the revelry of spending time with your coworkers after a long and gruesome late night shift - this book is for you.
BTP captures the distinct and well-worn rituals from some of the most renown and popular bars with such detail and emotion, you cannot help but let your memory draw you back into those cherished times spent with coworkers closing down for the night and enjoying those brief moments between work and life, an ephemeral moment in time where you laugh, have a drink, and decompress before rejoining the world.

If you’ve ever worked in the industry and bled in the service of others - this book is for you.
If not, it has lovely photos and offers a charming insight into a world you can’t and most likely won’t ever understand.

[Dave Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Parsons' other books (Bitters and Amaro) but not cover-to-cover the way I did with this one. The others have great recipes and a few fun vignettes, but the narrative is way more forward in Last Call, with bartenders and other bar/restaurant folks reflecting on tradition, hospitality and mortality. Lots of hidden gems, and thoughtful questions and responses. The photography is outstanding, the recipes are interesting, and the whole thing is really thoughtful and well done, even if you, like me, are no longer in the habit of sticking around anywhere until (or past) last call.

[Rachel Sulik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this. I made the mistake of checking it out from the library and now I need to buy a copy. Having worked in a couple bars I found this particularly fun. So many of the bar owners and stuff were likable and I am hoping to visit some of these places. The photographs are incredible and the writing is excellent.

[John Helmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and cocktail descriptions. Strange book for me since you could count on one hand the number of times I've been present for a last call and my drinks are bourbon neat, tequila neat and G&T's in the summer. One of these years when I start rv'ing cross the country, I'd like to visit some of these places. I hope they're still around after 2020.

[DaShannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this beautifully crafted book introducing me to the world of bartenders. It follows the parlor game question- what would your last drink be and from there it just was so cool to get a peek inside some famous bars. Such a pretty book too - I did a quick flip then had to dig in and read each section.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories about the individual bars and the choices that make about what to stock, serve, and especially how they get customers out at closing time. The photos really enhanced the experience and I took some great recipes from it as well.

[Clayton Hauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of bar stories, beautiful photography and inspiring cocktail recipes. This book is a must for anyone into bar culture, hospitality or making drinks.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Parsons' previous books Amaro and Bitters. This is totally my style--memento mori pretentious musings with booze.

[RJ Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a delightful and inspiring book. Can’t wait to go to some of these places.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely images and articles on some of the leading bars in America, but slightly concerned about the taste of some bar people - A Lambrusco and Prosecco mix, anyone? No, me neither. And finishing a hard evenings bar keeping with a bottle of (American) Budweiser and a slug of Jamesons? It's the drink equivalent of Michelin-starred chef going home with a Big Mac.

[Beth Danner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and immersive photography. You really get a feel for the people and locations. There’s a lot of warmth here.

Excellent coffee table book.

[Susan White-Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, the writing, the photos, really well done. Met the author at a book event at the Strand, started reading the book on the way home on the train and finished it today.

Second time around, excellent!

[Griff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. has great background stories; and is extremely entertaining.
Includes individual quality bar tender recipes from 40 bars and taverns across the U.S.A. with
the adventure of their "last call ritual." Enjoyable read.