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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Emily Timberlake has been my editor since my first book, Bitters, and she remains a force of nature as a first reader and editor, and, more important, as a trusted friend. After editing Distillery Cats, she and her husband adopted two cats, Otto and Siouxsie. Im eager to see what Last Call might inspire.
I cant say enough about my frequent collaborator, Ed Anderson, who photographed and helped design Bitters, Amaro, and Last Call. This was our most ambitious project yet, and we spent weeks together on the road in trains, planes, and rental cars, experiencing the highs and lows of chronicling the late-night stories of bars across America. And lived (barely) to tell the story.
Ive known Aaron Wehner, the executive vice president at Crown Publishing, for over a decade, and its an honor to be published by such a smart and savvy friend. Heres to many more drinks, dinners, and books together. And Im thankful for the hard work, passion, and dedication from the talented team at Ten Speed Press, especially Windy Dorrestyn, Mari Gill, Lorena Jones, Lauren Kretzschmar, Annie Marino, Dan Myers, Ashley Pierce, Allison Renzulli, and Betsy Stromberg, as well as Mikayla Butchart, Ken Della Penta, and Sharon Silva.
A million thank-yous to my agent David Black, who continues to inspire me to be my best in life, while always being generous with his advice, advocacy, acumen, and so much more. And thank you to Matt Belford at the David Black Literary Agency.
Much love to all the bartenders, bar managers, chefs, and restaurateurs who took the time to sit with me for interviews, and for sharing their insights and personal stories. And to all the bars and restaurants for their hospitality, going out of their way to accommodate us for on-location photo shoots, often during service, and for mixing up countless drinks and making us feel welcome.
An endless debt of gratitude to the following for their continued friendship, support, goodwill, and generosity: Nick Anderer, Alex Bachman, Talia Baiocchi, Susan Baldaserini, Brian Bartels, Anne Bartholmew, Scott Blackwell, Damon Boelte, Andrew Bohrer, Chris Brucia, Dave Callanan, Joe Campanale, Frank Castronovo, Toby Cecchini, Peter Cohen, Steve Cook, Daniel Cosme, Gary Crunkleton, Chris DeCrosta, Tom Douglas, Daphne Durham, Billy Durney, John T. Edge, Renee Erickson, Frank Falcinelli, Kristin Ford, Jon Foro, Ethan Forrest, Jeff Galli, Brooke Gilbert, Jessica Gilo, Lori Glazer, Marty Gosser, Benjamin Haas, Marci DeLozier Haas, Charlie Hall, Mike Harrigan, Mike Hudman, Mark Iacono, Shai Kessler, Ali Klooster, Kate Kraft, David Lebovitz, Matt Lee, Ted Lee, Mari Malcolm, Ann Marshall, Rux Martin, Taylor Mason, Jayce McConnell, Jim Meehan, Peter Meehan, Danny Meyer, Tom Nissley, Katie Parla, Chris Petescia, Robert Simonson, Mike Solomonov, Nick Talarico, Eric Tanaka, Joe Tarasco, Andy Ticer, Amy Weinstein, Crasta Yo, and Dan Zeiders.
And to Laurie Brown, whose wisdom and beautiful spirit continue to inspire.
To my family for their love and support: Vicki, Bob, and Jack Adams; Gary Murphy; Gary and Mary Ellen Murphy; and Ryan and Kassie Murphy. And in loving memory of my father, Herbert Bert Parsons, my mother, Joanne Murphy, and my brother, Scott Parsons.
And, of course, to Louis.
BRAD THOMAS PARSONS is the author of Bitters (which was the winner of the James Beard and IACP Cookbook Awards, and a finalist for the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards), Amaro, and Distillery Cats. He received an MFA in writing from Columbia University, and his work has appeared in Bon Apptit, Lucky Peach, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, PUNCH, and more. He lives in Brooklyn.
btparsons.com
@btparsons
DIRECTORY OF FEATURED BARS
CALIFORNIA
HARVARD & STONE
5221 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(747) 231-0699
harvardandstone.com
@harvardandstone
THE MUSSO & FRANK GRILL
6667 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 467-7788
mussoandfrank.com
@mussoandfrankgrill
THE PRINCE
3198 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 389-1586
@theprincela
PRIZEFIGHTER
6702 Hollis Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 428-1470
prizefighterbar.com
@prizefighterbar
REDBIRD
114 East 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 788-1191
redbird.la
@redbirdla
SMUGGLERS COVE
650 Gough Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 869-1900
smugglerscovesf.com
@smugglerscovesf
TRICK DOG
3010 20th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 471-2999
trickdogbar.com
@trickdogbar
GEORGIA
KIMBALL HOUSE
303 East Howard Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 378-3502
kimball-house.com
@kimballhouse
TICONDEROGA CLUB
Krog Street Market
99 Krog Street NE W
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 458-4534
ticonderogaclub.com
@ticonderogaclub
ILLINOIS
LOST LAKE
3154 West Diversity Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 293-6048
lostlaketiki.com
@lostlaketiki
SPORTSMANS CLUB
948 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
(872) 206-8054
drinkingandgathering.com
@drinkandgather
MAINE
PORTLAND HUNT + ALPINE CLUB
75 Market Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 747-4754
huntandalpineclub.com
@huntandalpine
MARYLAND
IDLE HOUR
201 East Fort Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 989-3405
@idlehourbaltimore
MASSACHUSETTS
DRINK
348 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 695-1806
drinkfortpoint.com
@drinkfortpoint
MISSISSIPPI
CITY GROCERY
152 Courthouse Square
Oxford, MS 38655
(662) 232-8080
citygroceryonline.com
@citygroceryoxford
SAINT LEO
1101 East Jackson Avenue
Oxford, MS 38655
(662) 380-5141
eatsaintleo.com
@eat_saint_leo
NEW YORK
BAR SARDINE
183 West 10th Street
New York, NY 10014
(646) 360-3705
barsardinenyc.com
@barsardinenyc
GRAND ARMY
336 State Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 643-1503
grandarmybar.com
@grandarmybar
THE LONG ISLAND BAR
110 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 625-8908
thelongislandbar.com
@longislandbar
MAISON PREMIERE
298 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11249
(347) 335-0446
maisonpremiere.com
@maisonpremiere
MONTERO BAR & GRILL
73 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(646) 729-4129
@themonterobar
NITECAP
151 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 466-3361
nitecapnyc.com
@nitecapnyc
ROBERTAS
261 Moore Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(718) 417-1118
robertaspizza.com
@robertaspizza
NORTH CAROLINA
THE CRUNKLETON
320 West Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(919) 969-1125
thecrunkleton.com
@thecrunkleton
FOX LIQUOR BAR
237 South Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 322-0128
ac-restaurants.com/fox
@foxliquorbar
OREGON
CLYDE COMMON
1014 SW Harvey Milk Street