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?
14th May 2013
Notes: 1
Finally able to go through my photos and videos from my Italian wine vacation. So brace yourselves, I’m taking you back to Italy!
Fun, sun and an Aperol Spritz!!
#drinkofchoice #addicted #drinkVenezia
No need to re-invent the wheel! Here are a few things I’ve read this week that may be of use to you. Enjoy!!
- Italian Amarone
- Caol Ila Scotch
- Lemoncello
- The Balevenie Portwoord 21yr Scotch
- St. Germain Liqueur
- Delamain Cognac
- Ruinart Champagne
- Batard-Montrachet (Grand Cru Burgundy)
- Pappy van Winkle 20yr Bourbon
- Liquor decanters or these
- Chicago rocks glasses
- VDN from Southern France
This list could clearly go on. Just thought I’d list a few things that I’m interested in, open to receiving. You know, if anyone is feeling generous…
What is it?
On January 16th, 1919, Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, outlawing alcohol and ostensibly putting an end to drunkenness, crime, mental illness, and poverty. Over the course of the next thirteen years, support for Prohibition waned as the nation awoke to the widespread problems Prohibition had caused. The number of repeal organizations — many of which were comprised of former Prohibitionists — increased, and in 1932 Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for President on a platform that included the repeal of Prohibition.
On December 5th, 1933, Utah, the final state needed for a three quarters majority, ratified the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition and restoring the American right to a celebratory drink. While the amendment still allowed for state and local levels of Prohibition, by 1966 there were no state laws banning alcohol.
Check out RepealDay.org for more info
Why do we celebrate it?
WHY NOT?!!! IT’S OUR RIGHT LOL!!
Where can you celebrate?
Time: 7:00 - 11:00
Raise a glass to our constitutional right to drink! Last Exit will be celebrating national Repeal Day with craft cocktails such as the Tom and Jerry, Gluwein, The Horses Neck with a Kick, a special punch and more. Last Exit will be hosting a toast contest in honor of this great day and the winner will win a $50 Last Exit gift card, as well as lead the bar in a complimentary midnight Champagne toast.
#lerepealdayparty . Look out for the Tom and Jerry, a brandy drink similar to eggnog, and housemade gluhwein, or mulled wine.
5-8 PM
Learn about one of the biggest TN distillers prior to Prohibition & taste their new Bourbon @TNWhiskeyCo.
The evening starts with a four course menu of Prohibition-era dishes, such as Lobster Thermidor, New England cod a la Crab Louis, and Waldorf salad, served from 5 to 10 p.m. (Reservations are required.)
Afterwards, the party spreads to the bar’s rooftop and its cozy basement lounge, which has yet to officially open to the public. The rooftop features unlimited champagne, cigars and classic cocktails, while the basement will welcome burlesque dancers while selling cocktails at Prohibition prices. Celebrations run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets for the dinner and the party are $20 each — that’s $40 for both — and reservations can be made by calling 202-588-7388.
Don’t wanna go out?
Buy a bottle of wine, a 6-pack of beer, a craft brewed liquor and enjoy at home. Just do it because you can!!
I’ve been trying to get friends together to do a pumpkin beer tasting for a couple of years now. I have the beer, they could just bring some snacks…why is it so difficult?? Who knows! But what I do know is I’ve been looking at these beers for quite some time now and I am not waiting any longer to drink them! Besides, the winter/Christmas beers are out now. And that’s a whole ‘nother post
Now, I will say this about my tasting. I cannot describe beers with the malty, hoppy, yeasty, ‘beer terms’ same as I do with wine, liquor, and cocktails. With beer, I like it…I don’t like it. Makes perfect sense to me! These will just be my notes for next year so I’ll remember what I liked and what not to waste my money (and time chasing it down) on again.
The lineup:
- Saranac Pumpkin Ale
- Southern Tier Pumking
- Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin
- Heavy Seas Great’er Pumpkin
- Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
- Uinta Brewing Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin
- RJ Rockers Gruntled Pumpkin Ale
- Flying Dog The Fear
- Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat
Now I like my wine aged in oak, so I get a few beers that were aged or fermented in oak barrels. The Great’er Pumpkin, Oak Jacked and The Fear were just that. Great’er Pumpkin used old bourbon barrels which added a nice caramel-y molasses kind of feel to it. Great Pumpkin, Pumking and Punkin Ale tasted like pumpkin pie, I really got the flavors of the nutmeg, cinnamon, and other baking spices. Gruntled Pumkin tasted like beer, but spices were added at the end. I won’t need to get that one again. Saranac, I could taste the pumpkin flavor and the beer flavor. This was better when I drank it with something. And I didn’t even match it up…figured it’s beer and beer goes with everything. I would try it again though.
My two faves, Pumking and Great’er Pumpkin held up and I tasted why I enjoyed them in the first place. New beers (to me that is) that I’ll pick up next year are The Fear, Punkin Ale and Oak Jacked Pumpkin Ale. This is a good thing though, because there is no way I’m hunting down and buying that whole list again next year!
The original recipe for a cocktail was alcohol, sugar, water and bitters. Bitters actually began as medicinal tonics but were added to cocktails due to their concentrated flavors. Unfortunately they fell out of favor but, are now making a comeback. Bitters add a nice bit of oomph to the mix. And the great thing is, you only need a dash.
For my final class, my students mentioned they wanted to do something with cocktails, mixology…they didn’t know. So I came up with the idea of making a basic drink from the original recipe. To work with, they had Jack Daniels, Captain Morgans spiced rum, Jose Cuervo gold, Makers Mark, Bacardi white, New Amsterdam gin, Absolut vodka for alcohol. Don’t worry, these were the mini bottles and I had 4 students. No drunkeness here, LOL! This was the good part about having a small class. Sugar and honey were available as sweetners, and tonic and seltzer for water. I told them about bitters and provided Angostura and Peychauds, the 2 most popular and widely available bitters on the market.
They tasted the bitters first, thinking they were kind of gross. But thought that since I put them on the table, they should use them. Funny that the guys made drinks from the dark liquor and the ladies from the white. The drinks started off a bit strong, Jack Daniels, honey, tonic, lemon juice. I told him to add to dashes of Angostura. the drink softened up a bit. Same with the Markers Mark and honey…add Angostura. Now this is something you could sit back and sip on and enjoy. The ladies used the rum, sugar, Peychauds, and lime. Nice drink, crisp with hints of citrus.
No one however used the gin. That’s fine…it came back home with me!!
Want to seem fancier than you are? Want to fool some of your high-brow friends? Need to cover up the taste of cheap liquor? Here’s how!!
