'Pour One Out' by Alumnus Chris Vola ’10 Released Last Month

Pour One Out: Cocktail Odes to TV's Most Dearly Departed, written by fiction alumnus Chris Vola ’10, was published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, last month.

Drawing on his experience as head bartender at New York City speakeasy Little Branch, Vola pairs his own cocktail recipes with beloved characters from television who met an untimely end, aiming to “give fans the closure they need to raise a glass.”

Complete with illustrations, the book covers a myriad of characters, from Game of Thrones’ Eddard Stark to Parks and Recreation’s Lil’ Sebastian, targeting cocktail aficionados and TV junkies alike. 

While at Little Branch, Vola trained under the late cocktail pioneer Sasha Petraske, who is widely credited with pioneering modern cocktail culture.

“Whether you’re drowning your sorrows with a swig dedicated to a beloved character unfairly cut down in their prime or you’re tossing back a toast to commemorate the glorious demise of a hated villain who tormented your favorite fictional figures, this book has got you covered,” writes the San Francisco Book Review, giving the book four and a half stars.

Vola’s prior work includes two novels, vampire story Only the Dead Know Brooklyn and dystopian thriller Monkeytown, as well as a poetry collection, E is for Ether, and a short story collection, How to Find a Flock.

Vola also regularly writes about drinks, literature, food, and pop culture in publications including Paste Magazine and The Brooklyn Rail.

Pour One Out: Cocktail Odes to TV's Most Dearly Departed is available for purchase online or at your local bookstore.