In Northwest, a True Gin Joint

From the martini to the gimlet to the Singapore Sling, gin has been a major player in the history of the cocktail.

Yet gin remains a second-class citizen in most bars, especially when compared with the explosive growth of flavored vodka and high-end bourbon.

One place where the liquor takes center stage is the Gin Joint, a small bar underneath New Heights Restaurant in Northwest Washington. Chef John Wabeck, a gin connoisseur, has assembled a list of almost two dozen selections, including two versions of the traditional and full-bodied Old Raj; G'Vine, a new, floral French brand made from grape leaves; wonderfully peppery Bluecoat, distilled in Philadelphia; and Damrak, a Dutch spirit with a nose hinting of blood oranges and a smooth, malty body.

"I was a vodka-tonic guy when I was young," Wabeck says, explaining that he made the switch to gin about the time he started training as a sommelier. "When you go from Bombay to Citadelle, it's like wine. The differences are so subtle. If you have 10 California pinot noirs, they're all going to taste different, but they're all going to let you know they're California pinots. This is the same thing."

The bar is sunny and pleasant, with a huge picture window looking out onto the street, and with only 10 high-backed stools at the polished wooden counter, it's intimate, especially when diners are waiting for tables on weekends. Alongside the menu of gins (for which Wabeck wrote the tasting notes) is a short list pairing such vintage cocktails as the Knickerbocker (Broker's London dry gin, both dry and sweet vermouth) with New Heights' own creations: Beefeater and the whiskey-based liqueur Drambuie, or cucumber-infused Hendrick's with black currant-flavored creme de cassis.

"When I come here, there's always an attention to detail that makes it into an experience," says Jay Bothwell, who's sipping Aviation gin with bitter lemon tonic. "It's not just, 'I'll have a gin and tonic.' And I had no idea there were so many gins!" Bothwell, a senior vice president of a development company, and his wife, Pam, frequently drive from Dupont to visit New Heights.

To encourage experimentation (and teach customers about ingredients), the Gin Joint offers three varieties of tonic water. That may seem excessive, as most people just drink whatever the bar serves, but tonic can have a huge impact on a drink's flavor. After all, it makes up two-thirds of the liquid in your glass.

I tried pairing Zuidam, a crisp, lightly citrusy gin from Holland, with Canada Dry, Schweppes and Fever-Tree. The Canada Dry was candy sweet and almost too rich; the Schweppes was drier and a little sticky. I struck gold with Fever-Tree, an English import that comes in tiny six-ounce bottles. Its effervescence and light lemon touch made the gin sing. I didn't even need a twist of lime.

The Fever-Tree and gin mix, Wabeck says, is close to gin-and-tonic nirvana. "If anyone asks, 'Why a bar full of gin?,' it's like, 'Did you ever taste this?' "

New Heights Restaurant's Gin Joint 2317 Calvert St. NW Phone:202-234-4110 New Heights Restaurant's Gin Joint 2317 Calvert St. NW Phone:202-234-4110