| |
 From
a Master Brewer, a Master Beer, August
25, 2010This
review is from: The
Last Bartender (Paperback)
With "The Last Bartender," from Anthony
F. Lewis comes this master tale. Set in
the not too distant dystopia, "The Last
Bartender" chronicles the exploits of
Justin Gardiner, a sharp shooting
bartender turned brew meister.
Justin, bar owner Sam, and local guitar
hero Larry, have all been put out of a
job as new federal regulations have shut
down their Flushing, Queens
establishment. When Justin has a house
party fueled with homebrewed beer, local
goombah Johnny V. becomes very
interested in wort Justin has been
cooking up since he put his claim in for
an unemployment check. And so Justin,
Sam, and Larry begin their entry into
the market for beer despite its being
outside the legal paradigm.
From the get-go, their brewing operation
is a success, and expansion efforts have
quickly tapped out all the available
space in Justin's home. During a keg
party at the American Legion hall,
Justin hears of an abandoned upstate
resort that is going to be auctioned off
at a tax sale. With Johnny V.'s
underworld connections, further rapid
expansion of the brewing business is
quickly realized.
Johnny, Sam, and Larry quickly set up
the available brewing equipment in the
kitchen of the resort. Since the
Sherriff of the local county was
involved in the sale, Sam invites the
local blue light gang to enjoy some
libations. All decide that it should be
a regular weekend thing, and the resort
becomes a cops only speak-easy.
Things quickly spiral out of control,
with a maelstrom of cops, mafioso, and
snipers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book,
with its spirit of adventure, rebellion,
and mafia figures. "The Last Bartender"
has a few enjoyable tangents which tie
together very nicely at the climax of
the book. Unlike the beer of the same
name, "The Last Bartender" truly is a
Meister Brau, and its author is a master
craftsman.
5.0
out of 5 stars Quirky May
2, 2013
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon
Verified Purchase
This was a great
read! Quirky, with interesting
well-developed characters, and good
supporting details.One of the better
books I have read lately. BTW, I
believe this is a book that would
appeal to a wide range of male and
female readers. Would definitely
read other books by this author. It
seems as tho' he is NOT a one track
pony.
|
