The Gin Joint

Amazing food and wonderful gin selection. It is on the pricey side but not too bad. Well worth a visit and in an amazing location. The house made tonics are wonderful, and I HIGHLY recommend the house made fettuccini with the 63 degree egg.

I was looking for a reception space for a happy hour type event post a conference at the Omni Shoreham across the street. I needed somewhere close that wouldn’t cost $$$. The chef was great to work with to come up with a menu within our budget. The space is very cool with the Gin Joint down stairs and the New Heights Restaurant upstairs. Very cool vibe. The wine selection was amazing! One of the best pinot grigio I’ve ever had. If I hadn’t had a hour and a half drive back home I would’ve had more than my two glasses.
Menu:
Assorted cheese and meat tray with crostini
Arrancini’s
Mini crab cakes
Mini cheesecakes
All were fantastic. I don’t get to the Woodley Park area as often as I’d like but this place is going on the «go back here» list.

The Gin Joint used to be one of my regular haunts when I lived in the Woodley Park area. It was, unequivocally, one of my favorite bars in DC. Nicole, the bartender, was exceptional with creating gin cocktails that were exactly what you were looking for, but also new and inventive.
I haven’t been there for a few months though since I moved, and this last time I went I was slightly disappointed. The bartender was ambivalent at best, and seemed annoyed that I was asking for a drink that was not listed on the menu at hand. The martini she made me was good, but I ended up just picking a gin off the menu that I’d already had because I didn’t want to bother her. This is a vastly different experience than what I had been accustomed to. Maybe it was an off night.

I have no idea how the restaurant upstairs is and I couldn’t care less.
My sisters and I arrived shortly after they opened for happy hour one evening and, understandably, were the only people at the bar for the majority of our time there. Given that, the woman tending bar absolutely danced attendance on us, though she did have to field a few phone calls, which is entirely reasonable. I wish to extend my thanks again for her excellent advice on gin choices, and her cheerful pouring of various house-​made tonics to appease our curious tongues while the three of us passed glasses back and forth. She even produced a bottle of gin not even on the menu yet for us to try, and we were all sufficiently impressed with the stuff that I suspect several bottles will make appearances at Christmas.
In total, nine separate types of gin were consumed mostly straight and unchilled, and five different tonics of various types, all of which would have been delicious alone, nevermind mixed with excellent liquor. The aged gin, and the oriental london dry were the favorites of the lot, both explicit recommendations from the bartender. To balance the alcohol intake, we ordered from the happy hour appetizer menu and enjoyed a trio of excellently fried oysters, some pleasantly crisped fried green tomatoes and a plate of absolutely stunning chickpea fries accompanied with a spicy raita-​like sauce.
I will absolutely be coming back, and dragging everyone I know that can stomach gin with me. Or anything else, since they do have a full bar, but where’s the fun in that?

Great place for all things Gin. This is the place to go in DC for gin. They have a ton of options and they make their own tonics to match the flavor profile of gins. I always get G & Ts flights, that highlight the homemade tonics. The head bartender is great and very knowledgeable. She makes the Gin Joint stand out.
The one downside is the small bar area. Its seats about 12 and can fill-​up quickly. We usually go early on a random weeknight to try to avoid too much of a crowd. The restaurant upstairs also sort of makes for a weird set-​up

While in the neighborhood for a conference, we stopped by the Gin Joint for a round of pre-​dinner drinks. They have plenty of outdoor seating, strong drinks, but are a tad on the pricey side; overall, a decent stop if you are a big gin drinker.

Grilled Oysters… OMG! I was so impressed with the flavor of these things. I got them on two separate occasions in a 5 day period. I honestly don’t remember having anything else; I know i did, i am sure it was good… see below for explanation.
The gin cocktails were really good!!! If you are with a group, or hell even alone, get the flight. its a fun experience. They make their own tonics, how cool is that?

Pretty good place for a gin-​centric cocktail.

I’ve been here couple of times last year. It was a small but nice place. I really had good cocktails. But last week when i went there craving for some nice drinks, it was a big disappointment. I could hardly taste anything but some fruit juice. Gins were quite crappy. Sorry but it was a big disappointment for me. Don’t think i will go to the bar again.

Started with the cheese plate. I let the bartender choose for me. Whatever he picked was perfect. Portions were small, but they are called small plates after all.
Crispy oysters were next. Topped with cilantro and included a spicy mayo — SO GOOD. Definitely worth the wait from the kitchen.
But if you really want to get crazy — order the chickpea fries. I’ve never had anything like this. Truly innovative.

A dream combination of world class gin cocktails and innovative light bites. Homemade tonics (as in, Kavita at the bar is cooking them weekly in fresh batches) cannot be found anywhere else, with flavors like saffron, anise, pepper, honey, blood orange, cardamom, basil, and cumin making every cocktail magnificent!
Gins are classified as floral, spice, citrus, and aged, with at least 10 choices in each category. Kavita, the super-​bartender, knows exactly what gin to pair with your favorite tonic choice, and can recommend a cocktail based on your general preferences.
I would recommend Monkey 47, Comb 9, and Smalls as my top «different» gins. My classic favorites are Nolet, Brooklyn, and Green Hat.
Light bites hold their weight as a full-​on tapas-​style dinner. Chickpea Fries top the list for me, followed closely by Brussels Sprouts and Veal.
You can’t go wrong with a weekend evening here. Come in and you’ll thank me!

The Gin Joint shares a liquor license with New Heights Restaurant, but really deserves its own entry since 1) it occupies the first floor of the building (New Heights is upstairs), so you don’t have to traipse through the restaurant to get there and 2) it can stand on its own merits.
DC has seen an explosion of whiskey-​centric establishments as of late, and even had a rum bar for a hot minute (RIP Hogo), but gin has remained sort of an outlier, which is odd, since it’s the basic component of a classic Martini and Bluecoat Gin distillery in Philly was at the forefront of the artisanal distilling movement. Anyway, the Gin Joint has rectified this to a certain extent; they have some 70 varieties on hand. Between 5 and 7 Mondays to Fridays they have a Gin and Tonic of the Day for $ 7. When I stopped by on a recent Friday night it was made with Damrak gin from Holland with a few leaves of lemon verbena (grown out front) to add a bright note.
It was also slammed, which leads to my only complaint: it’s pretty small. There are only 10 seats at the bar in addition to a table for two by the window. There are also another 20 outdoor seats shared with New Heights for alfresco drinking/​dining. Of course if you want to have more than a couple of G&Ts or Martinis, you can always order off of the New Heights menu too.