Jeff Burkhart

Nuevo León

Columnist at Marin Independent Journal

Journalist at Freelance

Columnist, author, bartender, bon vivant

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Articles

Jeff Burkhart: Don’t be so quick to judge others

1 week ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

“What are you guys doing here?” asked someone who appeared to be the bellhop. And he didn’t say it in the way that one would expect from someone attempting to be hospitable. But we were seven days on the road in a foreign country and obviously American tourists. The hotel lobby we had just entered was super posh, right off of the main tourist circuit, and we were wheeling our own dusty luggage around. Maybe we looked like we didn’t belong there?
Elevate cocktails with these 3 gins from Northern California

2 weeks ago | mercurynews.com | Jeff Burkhart

West Coast lifestyle aficionado Snoop Dogg once wrote a song about gin and juice. A better version would have used tonic, because while gin and juice is an acceptable cocktail, gin and tonic is an exceptional one. From front to back: Sausalito Liquor Co.’s Marin Coastal Gin, Alamere Spirits’ Gin and Hanson of Sonoma’s Coastal Blue Gin. (Photo by Jeff Burkhart) Gin, by most accounts, is a Dutch invention, popularized in the mid-1600s by Dr. Franciscus Sylvius, a Dutch physician.
Elevate cocktails with these 3 gins from Northern California

2 weeks ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

West Coast lifestyle aficionado Snoop Dogg once wrote a song about gin and juice. A better version would have used tonic, because while gin and juice is an acceptable cocktail, gin and tonic is an exceptional one. Gin, by most accounts, is a Dutch invention, popularized in the mid-1600s by Dr. Franciscus Sylvius, a Dutch physician. It was already in widespread production by the time of his birth.
Jeff Burkhart: Some people have ulterior motives

2 weeks ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

Spring brings with it a sense of hope, new beginnings and spaghetti straps. Maybe not in that order. But certainly it was the case on this Wednesday night. When you observe humanity in the abstract, as all bartenders must do, you start to notice some things, like how two women hanging out often start to dress alike, act alike and even look alike.
Jeff Burkhart: Making things harder than they need to be

3 weeks ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

“May I get you something to drink?” I asked the standing woman, just like I had asked the previous three standing people who had been in front of her. One chardonnay was ordered, poured and served. Everything was as it should be. “That’ll be $16.75,” I said to the woman — as simple and normal a transaction as ever there was. “I’d like to run a tab,” she said. “I’m waiting for a seat.”Completely normal. It’s a request we get, literally, a dozen times a night.
After closing Novato brewery, Moylan moves forward with spirits

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

Earlier this month, Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant in Novato closed its doors for good after 30 years of award-winning operations. And then, less than two weeks later, Moylan’s Whisky, produced by Stillwater Spirits in Petaluma, swept all the “traditional” categories at the U.S. Open Whiskey and Spirits Championship, capturing the Grand National Champion’s Trophy. “We destroyed the field this year. It wasn’t even close,” said owner Brendan Moylan, a longtime Novato resident.
Jeff Burkhart: Going forward is the best option

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

The lights were bright and blinking everywhere I turned. In the labyrinth that is a casino floor, one can quickly become disoriented, which almost seems like the point. The only thing not readily visible are the exit doors. They exist like a timeless row of mirrors along the wall, just past the slot machines, card tables and poker machines — the point is, one must really look for them and look for them hard.
Jeff Burkhart: Taking the path of least resistance

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

On two ends of the bar, there were two completely opposite dynamics. One couple was just starting to date, and the other was just starting to do something else. And the only constant was the bartender. “Would you like another drink?” asked that bartender, pointing at the nearly empty glasses. “Of course,” said the young woman, beaming. “That one was delicious.”“And for you, sir?” asked the bartender. “Absolutely!” said the man. “Are you enjoying everything?” asked the bartender.
Bubbles, please: 4 great sparkling wines from Northern California

1 month ago | mercurynews.com | Jeff Burkhart

Marin County and its immediate appellate environs — Carneros, the Petaluma Gap, the Sonoma Coast, etc. — produce quite a few pinot noirs and plenty of chardonnay. So, it’s odd that there isn’t more sparkling wine available from the area, since both of these grapes find their way into champagne. And sparkling wine is the universal solvent when it comes to wine-food pairings.
One person can ruin it for everyone

1 month ago | marinij.com | Jeff Burkhart

It wasn’t her first Mother’s Day. In fact, the discussion between the couple revolving around child care had already been happening even before the first Ramos fizzes were ordered. A brief discussion about egg whites, the cost of eggs and aquafaba briefly ensued. Often with drinks, the specifics get lost in the muck. “Does anyone know what makes bourbon bourbon?” asked a presenter at a local whiskey-tasting event recently. Not one of the gathered aficionados raised their hands. Not one.