With these stunningly beautiful bottles and unique ingredients, like spruce tips and Szechuan peppercorns, Deviation Distilling is an approachable gin that make one-of-a-kind cocktails. Launched in 2019, Deviation Distilling has a flagship lineup of three gins: Mountain Herb, Citrus Rosé and Spice Trade. The Citrus Rosé is cherry blossom season in a bottle. The bottle design is made with Japanese washi paper with the print of cherry blossoms. Grapefruit, tangerine, lavender, and tarragon complement the delicate, floral flavor of the grain, yielding a bright gin that is delightfully pink. The distillery was recently awarded “best contemporary gin” in the U.S. at the 2023 World Gin Awards . The distillery’s Mountain Herb Gin took home “best in country,” while Deviation’s Blood Orange received a silver and Citrus Rosé received a bronze medal each in the “Flavored Gin” category.  Deviation is partnering with restaurants around DC (including both locations of Rasika !) to have specialty cherry blossom cocktails on menus and is found at liquor stores and on menus across the city. Locations include Annabelle, West Dupont Circle Wines and Liquors, Bell Wine & Spirits, Gravitas, Left Door and more. For more information, visit deviationdistilling.com

Nycci joins The Moveable Feast podcast crew and dishes the delicious deets on her most recent trip to Sardinia. Listen to the full episode here.

Don't miss out this Super Bowl Sunday ~ Nycci has fun suggestions for everyone on WTOP.

Over the summer I had the good fortune to be a part of an amazing group of food, wine & hospitality leaders who were tasked with opening our minds and baring our souls - personally & professionally - on a 24/7 non-stop/action-packed journey to Israel, aka Reality Israel. I learned so much about the complexities of the region and the importance of food culture. I walked away with more questions than answers and I was also given the incredible gift of family. Waxing poetic about the trip aside — it would have never been the kind of experience without the incredible leadership of Michael Bauer. He is a professional educator and tour guide. As a field educator with over 25 years of experience, Michael has led adventure tours around Israel, Jordan, the Sinai desert, and Turkey. Michael has guided and taught Senators and Parliament members from different countries, Military Intelligence Units, Celebrities from the entertainment industry — ahem, and me! He is also the author of “Israel Journey - Eight Days In One Of The World’s Most Complex Countries”. I’m so thrilled to be reunited with Michael today. “The conflict is primarily a story about psychology and the preservation of identity” - Michael “Telling personal stories and exploring emotions is an effective way to learn about the Middle East, as opposed to only learning through statistics and text” - Michael Listen to the full episode here. Our Guest: Michael Bauer