Unvarnished: A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar

by Eric Alperin, Deborah Stoll

A Kitchen Confidential for the cocktail profession, Unvarnished is a fly-on-the-wall narrative peek at the joys, pains, and peculiarities of life “behind the stick.”

When it opened a decade ago, the acclaimed Los Angeles speakeasy The Varnish—owned, designed, and managed by award-winning cocktail aficionado Eric Alperin—quickly 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 Varnish’s success: attention to hospitality and an abiding belief in the nobility of service. 

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 bartender’s flame; the good, the bad, and the sad parts of vice; one’s duty to their community as a local; the obsessive, compulsive deliberations of building a bar (size matters); lessons from Sasha Petraske—Eric’s late partner, mentor, and the forefather of the modern day classic cocktail renaissance—and the top ten reasons not to date a bartender. At the book’s 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 Bartender’s Choice. 

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Cocktails, Food, Biography, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2020

About the author

Eric Alperin’s first experience behind the stick was at The Screening Room in New York City, followed by the Michelin-starred Lupa and Sasha Petraske’s Little Branch. In Los Angeles, he created Osteria Mozza’s liquor and cocktail program before opening The Varnish in 2009. The Varnish was a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program from 2013 to 2017 and won Best American Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail in 2012. He is also a co-owner of Half Step in Austin, Texas; the acting Director of Cocktail Bars for Pouring with Heart; and a co-owner of Penny Pound Ice, The Slipper Clutch, Bar Clacson, and The Streamliner at Union Station, all in Los Angeles. He will launch the Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown, CA in early 2020.

Reviews

[Kazen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting to see how different people approach their craft. In Kitchen Confidential Anthony Bourdain centers cooking as a physical act - I can't separate my image of him from banging pans and frantic kitchens. Marcus Samuelsson comes across as a more cerebral chef, chasing flavors as he's led by his taste buds in Yes, Chef. Alperin tends towards the latter by paying great attention to detail while making the perfect drink - the right ice, ordering ingredients just so, arranging the workspace for maximum efficiency.

I especially appreciate this detail in the chapter about ice. It's fascinating how far bartenders will go to get perfectly clear ice in the shape best suited for the drink. Overall I like the chapters that are close the to the bar best as Alperin, with the help of Stoll, does a great job sharing his knowledge about the hows and whys of bartending and how he applies them at The Varnish. His insights on hospitality and what his mentor calls "offhand excellence" are especially memorable. I like that he doesn't name drop - there's a couple of mentions of "a celebrity" stopping by, but nothing else. The memoir-esque sections concentrating on his personal life and boozing it up in LA are hit and miss, though.

Speaking of things that are hit and miss, footnotes are used heavily throughout. Sometimes it's to define a term, other times to add a funny anecdote or source. I wouldn't mind if they were limited, but at one point there were three within a couple of lines of each other. I was sick of clicking through. At that point it's better to gloss P&L as "profit and loss report" and leave it at that.

There's 100 cocktail recipes smack dab in the middle when, at least in the ebook, it would feel more natural at the end. And when we do get to the end we're met by an afterward full of essays by people who are in some way connected to The Varnish - regulars, the piano player, bartenders, and so on. Not a couple, not even a dozen, but 26 essays. Some are great, and I love that the barback writes his in Spanish, but the sheer number feels like padding.

All in all, Unvarnished is a quick read with interesting bits as well as flaws.

Thanks to Harper Wave and Edelweiss for providing a review copy.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a 3.5, though I find worth rounding up. A great view at the world "behind the stick" in New York. I think this book is placed in a very specific time and place. As someone who loves cocktails but only makes them at home, it's cool to hear the stories and difficulties that make a cocktail bar tick. If you're into the history of the cocktail, and especially the current cocktail movement, I think this book is a highly recommendable, though not completely required, read.

[BethFishReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this because it was billed as the *Kitchen Confidential* of the bar world. While it does give us a peak behind the scenes, it wasn't quite as eye-opening. Still, it kept my interest and I loved the fact that the audiobook came with a PDF of recipes and information. If your hesitant to listen to an author-read book, don't be in this case. Alperin has a theater background, which served him well here. He has an expressive and engaging delivery.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm about the furthest from a barfly you'll ever meet, and couldn't tell you the ingredients of a martini or sidecar or gimlet to save my life, but I can tell you I enjoyed every minute of this book. In an engaging manner and with just a hint of self-admitted bad boy attitude, Eric Alperin tells his story about planning, developing, and running a trendy bar in mid-LA with behind-the-scenes information about everything that is needed to run a successful business. The attention-to-detail is mind-boggling, including an absolutely fascinating chapter on ice - yes, ICE! I had no idea there was so much to freezing water and the various ways to use it in making cocktails. It was a little jarring to have a huge section in the middle of the book dedicated to cocktail recipes but turns out I had no idea there were so many variations to one drink.

The publisher's comparison of Alperin's book being similar to Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly is spot on and I would also add Debra Ginsberg's Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress , Wenzel's Behind Bars: The Straight-Up Tales of a Big-City Bartender , or Marcus Samuellson's story of opening a restaurant, Yes, Chef .

Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital reading copy.

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author Eric Alperin is an aspiring stage actor who is looking for something to break up the monotony working for a temp agency when he see's a subway advertisement for bartending school and with the sympathy and help help from his mother he enrolls. He picks up various jobs bartending after wandering into New York bar Milk & Honey it is what is called a classic cocktail bar and he see's the type of bar he wants to work in. His life changing chance when he meets the owner of Milk and Honey Sasha Petraske who puts him to work in a new bar called the Little Branch. Besides being Eric's boss Sasha becomes his mentor and eventually when Eric moves to Los Angeles becomes his partner on place which will be called "The Varnish"

The Varnish is a bar within a bar that is famous for it's Beef Dips. It is something new to Los Angeles that is needed to re-spark the bar scene but this is not just any bar this is establishment with class and near perfection on the drinks they serve. They do not have a drink menu they focus on the classics. This is a place that prides itself in making its own ice which makes better drinks Both of these establishments are still running today.

This story is the progress of the author and workmates progress on making this establishment a success but this only covers about half of the book as this can be a guide for someone who is look at starting an establishment or becoming better at the craft by using the basic starters for the majority of classic drinks and the 115 drinks every bartender should be able to put together.

[Madalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated Unvarnished 3.5/5 stars. Content warning for drug/alcohol use and abuse, infidelity, graphic descriptions, death and related topics. I read this book for my nonfiction book club and really enjoyed pieces of it. I was leaning towards a 4 star for most of the book, but the last few sections brought it down for me. They were so much shorter than the first 3/4 of the book, and felt choppy. I really enjoyed the sections about the science of building a good drink, like the ice chapter or the Mr. Potato Head recipe chapter. I wish the recipes had been included at the end and that the essay section had been cut. Alperin has a distinctive voice (knowledgeable, confident, a little cocky) and it rubbed me the wrong way at times, but not overall. For example, when describing detail oriented processes and list making, Alperin refers to his OCD. Does he actually have this condition or does he just want the bar to be clean? Those aren't interchangeable and minimizes the debilitating effects this disorder can have.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cocktail culture has now spawned a very interesting book by Alperin, who offers up not only his history and the history of his bar, but also of course, recipes. Who knew how important ice can be? Well, you might know in the abstract about water quality and cube size but this takes it to a whole different level. I liked the information about managing the bar and the essays by those associated with it (from the piano players to some of the customers). The recipes are wonderful even if you, like me, aren't going to make them. One strong piece of advice- this will be easier to read, appreciate, and use in hard copy. There are footnotes (hard in an ebook) but more importantly, the recipes are in the middle of the book, which disrupts the flow, among other things. In hard copy, however, this would seem to be a great placement. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Informative and instructive.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and developed. Learned a lot about bar/cocktail culture. Each chapter transitions seamlessly into another interesting topic. Ice is very important. Even the shape. So are passing health inspections. Checklist habit can change your life. Shaking, stirring, jiggering makes noise, but it is art in the making. A lot of things can come out of mr. potato head. Start with cheapest ingredients first and then move up to more expensive. Support your local. And don't date a bartender (see chapter eleven)!

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this despite its flaws. Eric Aperin's self-opinion is just shy of insufferable. Despite the involvement of a co-writer, the writing quality was just workmanlike. But I'm a lifelong restaurant person so this type of memoir is very appealing to me. I liked much of the story, related to some of it, and enjoyed learning more about cocktails. I prefer a modest server or bartender tale to that of a type-A, constantly drug and alcohol fueled, workaholic entrepreneur/bartender. But it was half interesting and entertaining and the other half was kind of fun to role my eyes at.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty quickly in, you'll know whether you like Alperin's voice and writing style, or not. If you do, this book will likely feel like a long, incredible conversation you don't want to end with a brilliant, detailed mind. If you don't -- stop, skip to the section on recipes, and then call it good, because there's nothing that's more of a slog than hearing about the details of *everything* with a conversation partner that wants to be sure you know they are at the top of their craft.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this audiobook. I will buy it on audible next time I’m a member. Very easily listening and quite interesting.

Author talks about his history learning the craft of bartending. Also building his new bar and the people that work there and the customers that he gets. He also talks about his rules regarding people and how the drinks are made. I just thought it was a very interesting lesson. Especially when falling asleep at night.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chapters on how the author set up his “in” cocktail bar. Some biographical details, LOTS of details about his bar: construction, organization, ice (!!!). Pretty OCD., too much tedious detail about his bar, how to make cocktails (recipes included). Also too many details about that whole sordid lifestyle, tattoos, drugs, drunkenness, his mentor(s), famous people, celebrities, and their super promiscuous behavior….stuff you wish you never knew. Give this one a pass. Waste of time.

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

More personally anecdotal to the author's specific background and thorough descriptions of some of the L.A. hipster bar society than a tell-all about bartending culture. Still, an extra star for the compendium of rare cocktail recipes bridging the first half story of bar inception to the second half's essays with bar employees.

[Sarah Shanfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meticulous look at considered and considerate Bartending by two seasoned bartenders with great eyes for detail. Favorite takeaway is saying “this is for a cop” when giving an order to someone that they should NOT F UP, even if it’s not for a cop!

[Matúš Mikuš · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the book was longer (a solid 1/4th of its 300 pages is cocktail recipes), and used footnotes more sparingly, but it was still an entertaining read on what it takes to be a bartender and a bar owner, as well as a meditation on taking pride in your chosen craft.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally TMI but a very enjoyable read.

[Stuart Lutzenhiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of a cocktail cookbook. But a very human and engaging view into what it takes to open and run a world-class bar. Really enjoyable read

[Nick Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds Eye view of operating a bar in a big city and the setbacks that come with that. Fascinating to see the attention to detail that goes into crafting drinks.

[Jeff Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book -- but it truly gets into the nitty-gritty of running a bar. Great, great fun.

[Sj · Rating 5 out of 5]

You think it's about a bar, it's not..... it's about life, living, and family, both blood and chosen, mostly chosen.

[BeeCee Oh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for more
A bit clunky

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

delightful & sincere

[Jennifer Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you: Want a "behind the scenes" look at owning and operating a bar, complete with many recipes.

This is a fun read; if you like foodie-type memoirs, you'll like this one. The book is awesome when the nuts and bolts of bartending are discussed (loved the section on ice), how the staff bonds, etc. Actually wished the book was longer and went more into that. There are 100+ cocktail recipes in the middle of the book that probably should have been placed at the end--it interrupted the reading experience.

Librarians/booksellers: Purchase if books about cocktails/restaurant/bar life are popular.

Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won’t ever shut up about this book. I enjoyed listening to this so much.

[Candace Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a review and was not disappointed when I purchased the book. The book is basically the history of Alperin's experience as a publican and goes into detail about his opening of Varnish, his speakeasy in Los Angeles. Alperin takes barkeeping almost to an art.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting story about a man opening and maintaining a cocktail bar and the consequences it has on his personal life. A little bit of a downer read but it is very interesting and I kept wanting to read more.