Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“The portrayal of cocktail culture in Unvarnished strips away the veneer of cheer that bartenders work so hard to project, revealing the chaos behind the curtain in a vocation where rapturous heights are offset by depraved depths. Cocktail geeks should be grateful that Alperin and Stoll bare as much of The Varnish’s ethos as its founder’s soul in this cinematic memoir that affirms the virtues of hospitality.” — Jim Meehan, author of Meehan’s Bartender Manual an The PDT Cocktail Book “In this page-turning gem, Alperin and Stoll bring to fascinating life the ins and outs and ups and downs of building a glamorous, successful speakeasy. Part memoir, part perfectionist’s tutorial, this book will make you thirsty as hell for the perfect cocktail and even hungrier to pursue your own glittering dreams.” — Vu Tran, author of Dragonfish “Unvarnished is an uplifting story of a man in the relentless pursuit of his dreams, even when he is not sure what that dream is. And that’s the beauty of Unvarnished. When he discovers his passion, he, along with the reader, go on a beautiful—and delicious—odyssey to the best bar in Los Angeles.” — Nancy Silverton, James Beard award-winning chef, owner of Mozza Restaurant Group and founder of La Brea Bakery “A beautiful, heartbreaking, and triumphant look inside the beating heart of one of the most wonderful bars in the world. Alperin and Stoll have given us a raw, passionate, and hilarious record of exactly what it takes to achieve greatness in this business.” — Jeffrey Morgenthaler, author of Drinking Distilled “With the turn of every page, Alperin and Stoll have slipped off the underpinnings of our industry and provided us with the best seat in the house—a voyeur’s keyhole into the passionate yet gritty world of bar life. Brutally honest and deeply personal, Unvarnished is a cathartic bloodletting for anyone who has ever worked behind the stick. I loved it, I hated it, I couldn’t put it down.” — Audrey Saunders, founder of Pegu Club “Unvarnished reads like an unwavering, no-shortcuts hug from across the room, filling your soul with the most delicious pour, from the heart.” — Roy Choi, chef and author of L.A. Son “One of the best cocktail books I have ever read—a true and honest insight into what it’s really like to own and run a critically acclaimed bar. Alperin and Stoll chronicle the trials and tribulations of being a bar-owner, bouncing seamlessly between narratives about the grind and temptations of the lifestyle that come with the territory.” — Simon Ford, founder of the 86 Co. and Fords Gin “Unvarnished is a celebration of Eric’s friendship with Sasha Petraske, a man of extraordinary vision and talent who changed the bar world forever. It is also a manual for bartenders around the world of what a modern classic cocktail bar should be.” — Dale DeGroff, bartender, author, and bon vivant "his isn't the usual breezy or dutiful as-told-to memoir but rather a deep and meticulous dive into Alperin's personality and experiences. Consequently, sometimes the narrative is spectacularly and absorbingly dorky....Even teetotalers will relish the insights into this arcane world." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
