Gin drinks, air conditioning in summer, and the nicest, most knowledgeable bartender named Erik: that’s Sun Liquor.

On Sunday, May 23 Michael Klebeck’s Summit Ave lounge celebrates its fourth anniversary with a party sponsored by Eagle Rare bourbon. There will be drink specials, a barbecue, and much merriment. The party goes from 5 to 8pm.

Klebeck, you may remember, is opening a gin distillery nearby in a 1930s building on Pike Street. He says things are progressing nicely. “All [building] permits are approved and we are finishing up the plumbing work which was quite extensive. We are still on target for a September, maybe first-part-of-October opening.”

I’m anxious to taste this new gin. It’s a tricky market for a new distiller, considering all the excellent gins already out there. And it’s particularly difficult for Washington distillers: I learned recently (by listening to this guy) that the problem is being able to obtain the proper ingredients to make gin and still use the mandated amount of indigenously grown product required by the distillery laws here. Dry Fly, however, is making gin, and Bainbridge Organic Distillers, which now sells vodka at its tasting room, is getting ready to sell its gin. In any case, it’s so cool we’re going to have a distillery on Capitol Hill.