Spritual Quest

I’m not a big drinker of hard liquor (apart from the obligatory G&T on hot summer evenings), but I can’t resist an expansive collection of (reasonably priced) wines and microbrew beers. So it was a pleasant surprise to get introduced to Modern Liquors at the corner of 9th and M during one of the recent Shaw Main Streets events.

The owner/manager Jeff Harrison is a super nice guy, and he holds tastings of wine and other spirited (spiritual?) beverages fairly often. Last Friday, my partner and I attended his limoncello tasting (and of course, left with two bottles). In case you’re not familiar with limoncello (sometimes called limoncino), it’s an irresistable Italian lemon liqueur. I first had some following a wonderful seafood lunch on my first day in Rome some years ago. The proprietor brought out the frosty bottle of limoncello, and I’ve been hooked ever since, but it’s not easy to find in DC.

Modern Liquors is the sort of commercial establishment I’d love to see more of in Shaw. Not that we need more liquor stores, but this one is totally different from the ones where you put your money through the turnstile in the bullet-proof glass. They treat you like a customer and neighbor, not a potential criminal.