When I tell you that Twitter brings people together?? I came across some tweets with Few Spirits out of Chicago (ChiTown Baby!!) and found out that they would be in town. I promptly joined the convo and I said I was crashing whatever event they were going to. That’s the correct approach, no? So, many tweets later I meet Paul at Graffiato.

We’re chatting, and drinking Few Spirits of course, and I ask ‘How long have you been with the company?” Paul: “I own it.” *crickets*

That’s pretty much the last thing I said for the evening. So here are a few pics from the night. After Graffiato, we had gin drinks made with Few Gin and Few barrel aged gin, we went to The Passenger, Paul had a Few whiskey neat, I had a whiskey sour with Few whiskey. Paul saw a friend of his at the bar who proceeded to take a bottle out of his back pocket and suggest we all taste it….

Ok fine #YOLO. Yes, it was good.

I drank my way through my first Manhattan Cocktail Classic 2013’s Industry Invitational for two days, just for you my dear readers. I try all these things so you don’t have to. Because, that is just the kind of person that I am…I’m here for you! Since I clearly can’t write about 40+ things (and I know you don’t want to even read that much) Here are a few things from MCC that I want to find in my market and drink again.

Greenhook Ginsmith’s Beach Plum Gin Liqueur

I’m so into gin right now, it’s not even funny. But then Greenhook Ginsmiths give me this?? Listen… They infuse the gin with locally harvested beach plums from Long Island. Put that in with their signature gin and some turbinado sugar, you have amazingness. Unfortunately, it’s not available in my market. But I will be ordering it online, believe that.

Sorel

The website says this: “The brightness of Brazilian clove. The warmth of Indonesian cassia. The heat of Nigerian ginger. The woody bottom of Indonesian nutmeg. The full, aromatic body of Moroccan hibiscus. Pure cane sugar.  The finest 100% organic grain alcohol.”  I couldn’t have said it better at all. I had this liqueur in a modified Negroni: Campari, gin, Sorel.

Pavan Liqueur

The French liqueur is made from muscat grapes from the famed AOC Frontignan. A hint of orange blossom is added to the finished liqueur for that extra something. This liqueur is so versatile! They had it mixed with gin, tequila, vodka, champagne… Not all at once, 4 diff drinks LOL!

Celtic Honey Liqueur

This recipe is a secret, kinda like the Coke recipe is a secret. But the recipe was inspired by a recipe that has been passed down from generations from the Celtic tribes in Ireland. The recipe uses 100% Irish ingredients.

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?

Just a couple of cocktails to take you through the weekend. Enjoy!!

Garrick Club Punch by David Wondrich

• 4 Lemons
• .5 cup Superfine sugar
• 1 cup Fresh lemon juice, strained
• 1 (750-mL) bottle Gin*
• 4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur or Grand Marnier
• 24 oz Seltzer water or club soda, chilled

Glass: Punch or highball

Preparation

Peel the lemons with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith. Muddle the peels with the sugar in a 3-quart pitcher or punch bowl and let stand for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gin and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur or Grand Marnier, and stir. Fill the pitcher or bowl halfway with ice and add the seltzer or club soda. Stir again and serve in individual punch or highball glasses.

Lennart by Mr. Mixologist

• 1.5 oz Xante
• 0.5 oz Fresh squeezed lime juice
• Sprite or 7 Up

Glass: Highball

Preparation

Pour the Xante and lime juice into the highball glass filled with ice. Top with Sprite and garnish with a lime wedge.