I’m a recent gin convert. Before Juniperlooza last year, just the thought of gin made me want to, well…I didn’t like it. More than likely it was the result of the horrible gin (not even sure if I can call it that) I drank in college. Either way, I stayed away from the stuff. Then I attended Juniperlooza. An all-out gin fest. Gin cocktails, gin & tonics, straight gin, punches, sloe gin, London Dry gin, etc etc etc. I didn’t have a drink I didn’t like. So I came to the conclusion, I like gin! Hence my recent visit to The Gin Joint.

The Gin Joint is a bar on the 1st level of New Heights restaurant in Woodley Park. They have over 60 different gins and 9 housemade tonics on their menu. I was in for quite a night! I started off simple enough, The Gin of the Day and Tonic. It was Botanist Gin with a Citrus Cucumber Tonic. Super refreshing, could taste the hints of juniper in the gin (of course) but a floral aroma stood out. I would’ve had another, but there were more gins to taste.

Next Gin - G’Vine Floraison & Honey Thyme tonic. Being a girl of grapes, loved the grape flavor on this gin, also got hints of lavender and other florals as well. The tonic added a sweet and savory element to the drink. I was a fan of this as well.

Lastly, I had an aged gin. I didn’t even know they did this with gin. Smooth Ambler Barrel Aged Gin. I just had this neat. First of all, it had a ligh golden color from the aging. Then the smoothness on the palate?? OMG! Caramel, oak, toffee…from a gin!! My mind was officially blown.

Bartender Tim was EXTREMELY helpful and knowledgeable about everything gin. I had an amazing time there, and met a few new friends. I look forward to tasting the rest of the gins on the menu, thinking maybe a Tweetup at the Gin Joint… you wanna join me?

As a lady myself, and yes I am a lady (Lady Meets Glass just didn’t have the same ring to it) it’s refreshing to see other ladies in the world of wine. Throughout our trip in Friuli, we came across quite a few ladies that were making things happen in the world of wine, tourism, and food.

Ladies of La Subida — As soon as we got off the bus from Croatia, they were waiting on us at the door with snacks. Cheese on a stick, chicken on a stick, and freshly sliced lamb. And by fresh, I mean we watched her slice it and then she handed it to us. Anyone that supplies food to the weary is a friend of mine!

Chiara Tuppy — Our trusty translator and Friuli Tourism guide. With her, we would have no idea where we were going or what we were drinking. The drinking part wouldn’t have been so bad though, we knew it was wine!

Claudia — Another translator and tourism guide. Claudia enjoyed laughing at my misfortune of having no gloves, hat, boots or socks when the high temps only reached around 50. We also loved saying her name with our newly acquired Italian accents.

Anna San Simone — Part owner of the family owned San Simone vineyards. She joined us (with her movie star husband) for dinner on our final night in Friuli. The sparkling wine was delicious and paired perfectly with our meals. She is another one that was truly passionate about her wines and Friuli as a premier winemaking region.

Elda Felluga - Owner at Terra & Vini (and daughter of founder). We could not have asked for a better hostess. Anything we could have possibly needed during our stay: towels, water, coffee, grappa (this was often a request of ours) she saw to it that we received it. She even introduced us to the Mayor of Friuli! How’s that for extra special service!! (Since he was a VIP, he was able to sneak into this post with the ladies :-)

This month I am celebrating Black History. In this space I’ll highlight a wine on Wednesday and a spirit or beer on Thursday produced by an African American. Please enjoy these posts in the spirit they have been written.

3 NBA Championship rings, an Ed. D, honorary US Deputy Marshall, Miami Beach reserve officer, and 3 rap albums, Shaquille O’neal clearly likes to try new things. His newest venture, Luv Shaq vodka. Shaq is partnering with Devotion Vodka of Philadelphia for this project. His new vodka will be gluten and sugar-free vodka and come in coconut flavor. Luv Shaq is expected to be released by the spring.

Is this something you’ll be buying once released?