It feels difficult to have just one favourite bar nowadays; a true first world problem.
With so many quality establishments to choose from, one’s choice of bar usually comes down not just to the drinks, but the quality of the experience and the chemistry one has with the bar’s own personality. Considering all that, I came to a conclusion that I might have a new favourite bar. It might be a newcomer, but it hits so many of the right notes that it’s hard not to love it!
Gibson is ensconced in historic Bukit Pasoh, tucked in a shophouse. Visitors will find a simple glass door marked with the name of the bar and a sketch of an onion where The Clan restaurant used to be. Go past the doorway, up the “secret” stair and you’ll find a rather large and well stocked bar in a cozy room that could sit 30 at most. On inquiry, I am told that it’s deliberately kept small and intimate, and there is a strict limit on the standing room. The vintage ambience of the place fits perfectly with the historic surroundings, and the fixtures and serving ware are antiques sourced by the owners.
This cosy and intimate ambience suits me just fine. It makes a fine contrast how dense and commercialised some of the so-called popular speakeasy bars have become lately. They’ve become so noisy enough that any feeble attempt at conversation will inevitably lead to sore throats. The waitstaff are frequently overworked and overwhelmed, but the drinks are inevitably underwhelming as bartenders struggle to meet demand.
Fortunately, it seems like there’s no danger of that unpleasantness happening at Gibson for now. The bartenders here are a friendly lot, and they have a little quirk where they wear bermudas with their sport coats to symbolise professional, yet fun, service. Certainly they were very attentive and friendly even towards chatterboxes like myself, which was a very promising sign.
We’re not just there for the service, though. The drinks were also pretty good.
Gibson (the bar) takes its name from the Gibson cocktail, which is a Martini with an onion instead of an olive or lemon peel. The bar uses two gins: Hendrick’s and Monkey 47, which are both excellent and have excellent depth of flavour. The onion is served as part of a set, with a smoked quail’s egg and a smoked tsukemono. It’s an interesting experience. I certainly enjoyed the savoury umami flavour, that went beautifully with the ice cold, balanced drink. Definitely a good choice.
The Last Call is actually a variant of an Old Fashioned, but because it’s from the Gibson’s Reserve section of the menu, there’s a twist to it. Drinks from the Reserve are made from rare ingredients, and in this case, the whisky being used is a Yamazaki 10, which was discontinued in 2010, and the bitters are Hermes Orange Bitters, produced by Suntory, which is anything, is even rarer than the Yamazaki; it’s pretty much impossible to get outside of auction! It also means that once the supplies are gone, the drink is off the menu forever. Was it any good, though? I have mixed feelings about that; it’s solid but not spectacular. The flavours were well rounded and balanced, with some subtle notable caramel, vanilla, citrus and oak notes, but didn’t blow my socks off. Perhaps its the unhealthy amount of expectations I had of the drink.
The Laid Backer is pretty interesting. It’s a Sparkle Donkey Reposado Tequila with a cold-brew coffee made from coconut water, salted vanilla syrup and pandan bitters. Served in a coconut with shaved ice. I loved it. The bitterness of coffee is nicely balanced out by the light saltiness of the coconut water and syrup, and a certain light sweetness also largely from the syrup. It’s very strange to say this, but the drink was both refreshing and a pick me up!
Without doubt, my favourite drink of the night was the Crystal Ramos Gin Fizz. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the Ramos Gin Fizz is a classic cocktail well known for somehow combining the tartness of lemon, the botanical flavours of gin and the floral, fruity notes of orange flower water….with the texture of cream. The twist for the Gibson take on the cocktail retains the yakult-like sour plum taste of the original, but not the milky texture- this is a perfectly clear cocktail! Thanks to molecular mixology techniques, the drinking was clarified, changing from a full-bodied, heavier drink into a very clean and refreshing one, while losing none of the beautiful flavours. The orange flower water comes in the form of extremely fragrant bubbles that add a certain je ne sais quoi, also courtesy of molecular mixology. The final concoction is a very enjoyable sipper that is well worth coming here for on its own.
Overall, I found the drinks ranged from good to superb. With the exception of drinks on the Reserve section, the cocktails cost just above $20, putting them on par with most cocktail bars. Well worth the price tag.
While I’m no oracle, I can already foresee that Gibson is going to be a haunt of mine in the near future. I appreciated the attention to detail and the care for its patrons; the ambience, service and drinks set it apart from even the other great (and once-great) options we have here in Singapore.
Try it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.
Gibson
Level Two, 20 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089834
Monday – Saturday: 5pm – 12 pm (Last order 11.30 pm)
