D.C.'s Best Gin Bars

 

No matter the time of year, nothing hits the spot quite like a great gin cocktail. Check out our top five spots in the city to sip on perfectly refreshing gin cocktails.

 

Follow the chicken feet down an alley off of Barracks Row’s main street and you’ll stumble upon the cute, hidden rooftop gin garden. Variety is the name of the game here - choose from over 30 different types of gin to create your own drink or opt for one of the signature cocktails (I’m Still Ginny From the Block is a personal favorite: Glendalough Gin, pear liqueur, jalapeno-apple syrup, lime). (514 8th St, SE; 202-544-0100)

 

The Spanish-inspired restaurant from Fabio and Maria Trabocchi boasts a strong cocktail program featuring two signature Gin Tonics mixed with Tanqueray No. 10 & Fever Tree Tonic Water: Bailando with Juniper Berries & Cucumber and the Dia Libre with Earl Grey, Rosemary and Lemon. Snag them for $14 each. (791 Wharf St, SW; 202-525-1402)

 

The popular Spanish spot on 14th Street offers plenty of cocktail options for gin lovers. Pair your tapas with the restaurant’s ‘Gintonics’ (gin + house-made tonic) - choose from variations including: OId Raj gin and orange thyme tonic, Tanqueray 10 and house-made elderflower citrus tonic, Monkey 47 and strawberry coconut tonic and Edinburgh Seaside and rhubarb almond cardamom tonic. Perfect for those hot, humid summer days, order up The Gintonic slushito - a refreshing gin slushee made with Spring 44, classic tonic, basil and lime. Plymouth gin and house-made winter spice tonic. (1520 14th St., NW; 202-319-1404)

 

Although known as a favorite spot for sangria, Jaleo is also home to great gin cocktails. There are five different Gin & Tonics on the cocktail menu - choose from options including Jose’s Choice with Hendrick’s Gin, lemon verbena, juniper, lemon, lime; the refreshing Mediterranean with in Mare, lemon, lime, thyme and basil; and the Green Shades with Green Hat Gin, Mediterranean Fever Tree tonic, rosemary, cucumber, and lime peel. (480 7th St., NW; 202-628-7949)

 

The aptly named gin bar in Woodley Park offers a choose-your-own adventure style experience when it comes to drinks. Select a gin, choose a housemade tonic (eight varieties including Ginger-Cumin, Blood Orange-Saffron, and Rosemary Allspice) or a bottled option, and cheers away. If you’re having a hard time deciding what to choose, order up a gin flight and taste three different options. (2317 Calvert St, NW; 202-234-4110)