If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut of ordering the same drinks when you go out, the master mixologists at the Gin Joint will pull you right out. The Gin Joint parties like it’s 1920 with seasonal, speakeasy-style craft cocktails and bar bites with unique twists. Just looking at the cocktail menu inspired me to order something besides tequila for once, and I’m glad I did.
The vibes
If you’re a vodka soda drinker, this isn’t the place for you for two reasons. First off, each cocktail has between five to eight components and they’re non-negotiable for the balanced flavor of the drinks. Secondly, you won’t find any vodka at this bar because vodka didn’t become popular in the U.S. until the 1940s/50s, after Prohibition ended. Luckily, I’m not a vodka drinker anyway (because I don’t hate myself), so the Gin Joint was a great experience for me.
The atmosphere of the Gin Joint is cozy and the focus is definitely on the bar. The walls are covered in shelves of liquor and it just makes you want to dive in to one of their unique cocktails. The cocktails are strong, so it’s a good thing they have snacks to keep you going.
Get out of your cocktail comfort zone
When you sit down, the servers immediately encourage you to step out of your cocktail comfort zone, so instead of immediately shouting out “TEQUILA!” I went for a gin drink. The “Et Tu, Brute?” is composed of American Gin, tonic syrup, pink peppercorns, lemon, green chartreuse, celery, and fennel.
This drink was a gin and tonic with the volume turned up to 11. The pink peppercorns added a floral note and the celery, fennel, and green chartreuse gave it an herbaceous flavor. It was a cocktail that kept evolving as I was drinking it, tasting different flavors in every sip. Although it was complex, it was definitely easy to drink (a little too easy perhaps).
The bar snacks
One of my favorite bar snacks is soft pretzels with cheese sauce, so I was pumped to see that on the menu. For some reason, people have been giving me bland cheese sauce lately, so I was glad to get a nice kick of spice from the Gin Joint’s version. I may or may not have snuck a pretzel in my camera bag for snacking later on that night.. You decide.
The Cola braised ham sandwich was another winner that kept the rich and cheesy flavors going. The ham had the perfect balance of sweet (from the Cola) and salty and it had a nice layer of gooey cheese on top that melted in my mouth.
Trust the bartenders
One of my favorite aspects about The Gin Joint is the Bartender’s choice option for cocktails. All you have to do is pick two words and then the bartenders will decide your drink destiny! I picked the words “refreshing” and “spicy” and the bartenders killed it (results pictured above).
If you want to try the “Et Tu, Brute?” yourself, you have to act fast before they switch to their spring menu! I’ll definitely be back for another bartender’s choice, because they know what they’re doing. Cheers, y’all!
