Holiday Gift Idea: Lush Life, Portraits from the Bar by Jill DeGroff at The Intoxicologist

Holiday Gift Idea: Lush Life, Portraits from the Bar by Jill DeGroff

Bartender’s Breakfast in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail ’09 – Tales was winding down and while some were still catching their second, third and fourth wind, truth be told I don’t party ‘til dawn night after night. Bartender’s Breakfast was more of a pit stop to take photos, taste a few sips of the offerings from renowned bars and mixologists and head back to the hotel to catch up on postings. As I stood a few feet from the exit door deciding whether to duck out for the evening a huge crowd made their way in with smiles, laughter, back patting and hand shaking. And there he stood all smiles, greeting all who offered a hello all the while with one hand on again off again on the back of a dark haired woman. They made their way to a small table close to the buffet and he seated her.

It took a few minutes to make my legs move for feeling like I was imposing. A thank you for writing the wonderful cocktail books and interesting stories to go with the recipes is all I wanted to say and let Dale DeGroff and his lovely companion visit privately at their table. It didn’t happen that way. He invited me to sit with them and introduced me to his wife, Jill DeGroff. Immediately Dale DeGroff told me his wife was an artist. Someone came to the table taking his attention, but Jill DeGroff fascinated me with her love of art. We chatted back and forth about her artistry and drawings and she asked about my interest in photography. She told me of a few places that were a must see before leaving New Orleans. We only chatted for a few minutes before I excused myself, leaving them to their evening. The five minutes spent at the table of Dale and Jill DeGroff was perhaps the most memorable of the five days spent in New Orleans.

Lush Life, Portraits from the Bar by Jill DeGroff contains a collection of portraits and stories from those people who Jill has met through her travels around the world. A captivating sample of Lush Life, Portraits from the Bar may be found on the King Cocktail website by following the link and clicking on ‘View Sample.’ You will find interesting stories that shape people’s personalities for various reasons and the attraction to work behind a wooden bar. Each summation comes complete with detailed sketch and personalized cocktail. Lush Life, Portraits from the Bar makes an extraordinary holiday gift for the art lover, cocktail enthusiast and anyone who loves snippets of real life experiences weaved in such a manner one feels like they are part of the actual conversation. This book retails for $25.