“Thanks for giving us another shot,” said Covington Vice Mayor Ron Washington to Vic and Lesley Hugo, co-founders of Juniper’s, Northern Kentucky’s first gin and tapas bar.
Also the founders of Crafts and Vines, the Hugos decided to open another bar in Covington’s historic MainStrasse neighborhood — this time, the establishment’s drinks would center around gin. After launching to public on Jan. 6, Covington city officials wanted to give the bar a proper welcome with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We in the city of Covington appreciate the entrepreneurs like yourself taking a risk on us,” Washington said.
Juniper’s is located on the first floor of the John R. Green Company building, a former school supplies store. The space is decorated with antique furniture and a banquette. The Hugo’s plan to add a library with a backgammon and chess table.
Their menu includes a variety of gin cocktails such as the Grass Skirt which includes gin, mezcal, campari, pineapple, lime, falernum, and French 75, a blend of gin, Prosecco and lemon. Other than cocktails, gin flights are offered with a side glass of tonic. Besides gin, multiple domestic and European beers are on the menu, as well as rum and tequila.
For food, the menu features a rotating cast of global food items like Jamaican jerk chicken, shakshuka and British sausage rolls.
Vic, who grew up in Park Hills, and Lesley, who grew up in Fort Mitchell, said they’ve always been fans of Covington. Lesley was a former employee at The Glass Menagerie, a former private club in the city. Vic mentioned the couple would go on dates down along the Ohio Riverfront.
“When we came to open a second location, we wanted to bring that vibe back — that liveliness, the excitement around cocktails, dancing and music and give the people of Covington, and also the people everywhere else, a place to come and experience something different,” Vic said.
