From the masterfully crafted drinks to some of the most delicious food items we have tried, Gair is going to take Dumbo by storm
Last week we checked out a new bar in the Dumbo area called Gair, and after trying our their food and cocktails it is safe to say it is now one of our absolute favorite places to go. Gair has branded itself as an elevated neighborhood cocktail bar that serves elevated, yet whimsical cocktails that you cannot find at other bars. As soon as we walked in we were met with a modern, yet industrial interior. The décor boasted tones of white, grey, and black with touches of concrete to support the bar. What makes Gair unique and interesting is that all the seating at Gair is designed so that the bar is at the center of everything. With more barstools than table seating, Gair has opted to make the bar the focal point of the establishment, which makes sense as their bar selection and cocktails are their main attraction.
Once we were seated at the bar, we took in the general ambiance of Gair. The crowd is on the younger side of things having a range from early 20s to early 30s on the Thursday night we went in. The staff were all friendly and incredibly helpful, especially when asked what their favorite items to order were. The playlist was on point and had genres playing like trance-y hip hop to more energetic house music to liven things up. The lighting was dim but not to the point where you couldn’t see the menu. Everything put together created a youthful, lively, and chic ambiance and environment.
On our first order for drinks, we asked the Head of Beverage at Gair what was his favorite drink to create for this menu. With that, he said the drink he was most proud of creating was the Old Man and the Sea. What seemed as though it was a simple cocktail ended up having such an incredible flavor and complexity to it. The drink was made with Japanese whisky, soy, nori, and topped with what they just said as ‘umami.’ The drink presentation was simple but refined. The whisky was a beautiful gold caramel color and a single piece of nori was wrapped around the inside of the glass. The drink was very spirit forward but helped put the essence and flavors of the Japanese whisky forward. You initially get notes of oak that transitions into a delectable caramel flavor towards the end. With each sip you get the notes of umami in it which helps balance some of the sweetness from the whisky. What you need to do when you get this drink is sink the nori into the whisky. As the drink sits, the saltiness from the nori infuses with the whisky and towards the end of the drink each sip becomes this umami bomb that is absolutely transcendent. What we initially thought was a simple drink turned out to have such a deep umami flavor that was perfectly paired with the whisky.
The next drink we tried was the Under the Influencer which is made with mezcal, passionfruit, cayenne, celery, and topped with a lager. The drink on the nose has a lot of floral and fruity notes to it with just a hint of spice from the cayenne. The first sip bursted with passionfruit flavors that was both sweet and had a slight acidity to it. The cayenne pepper comes in soon after where it coats your lips with tiny specks of spice that helps awaken your palate. The mezcal’s smokiness comes in a bit after you get the notes of fruit where it helps counter the sweetness a bit. And the lasting notes were notes of citrus that helps reset your palate a bit.
Our third favorite drink of the night was the Fruits of our Labor which was made with bourbon, Spanish brandy, banana, walnut, and dark chocolate. As you read the ingredients, you may think that this is more of dessert cocktail. However, the notes of banana, walnut, and chocolate play with the flavors of the bourbon and brandy where it creates an impeccable balance of savory and sweet. On the nose, you get this light and airy feel that is paired with some of the fragrant dark chocolate. The first sip surprised us where we got an immediate note of banana. But as the drink sat on our palate, we got the notes of walnut that played perfectly with the oakiness from the bourbon and brandy. And the finish of the drink was silky smooth and creamy that coated our mouths with a beautiful richness that kept us coming back for more.
Now although Gair has an incredible arrangement of cocktails, the food is not something to pass up either. The dishes on Gair’s menu are perfect sharable plates and an order of 3 items is enough to fill up a party of 2. The recipes are more noticeably American inspired with an heavy Japanese and Asian influence and twist on it. We started with the Japanese yams that were paired with kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, cippolini onions, and topped with chili oil. The yams were cooked perfectly where it was soft but not mushy and had the perfect tenderness to it. The yams were also incredibly meaty and thick which is perfect to help fill up an empty stomach. The flavor of the yams were sweet but not overpowering and paired with the onions added an extra layer of sweetness with a bit of sharpness as well. The kewpie mayo was decadent and creamy which paired perfectly with the sweetness of the yams and the bonito flakes also added an extra punch of umami to the dish as well. Our favorite part was at the very end when you get the chili oil on top that complimented the creamy and sweet flavors from the yam and mayo.
We also ordered the scallop crudo that was paired with pomelo and serrano pepper. To start we have to say the scallops served were so fresh which helped elevate the flavors of the dish exponentially. The scallops had such a delicate sweetness to it and when paired with the serrano pepper added a light touch of heat. The addition of the citrus in the crudo brightened every single ingredient and deepened the flavors from the scallop. It was incredibly impressive to see such light flavors complimenting each other to create such a vibrant dish that is layered with flavor.
Our last food item was the roasted maitake mushrooms with whipped ricotta and arugula served on top of grilled bread. This dish, in essence, is a ricotta toast with Japanese influence from the mushroom. With that being said, the maitake mushrooms stole the show with this dish packing in such deep, earthy, umami flavors in the dish. Paired with the creamy ricotta added an extra layer of decadence to the dish that we could not get enough of. The arugula topping was a smart addition where the natural pepperiness from it melded with the earthiness of the mushroom. And the addition of the flakey sea salt helped draw the flavors from the arugula as well. The grilled bread was fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside where it served as the perfect vessel for the toppings.
If it has not been entirely clear yet, we are absolutely in love with Gair. The ambiance and vibes were, for lack of a better phrase, on point. The usage of Japanese flavors with some of these classic American dishes was incredible and done in a way where all the flavors were able to shine on its own. The cocktail menu was so well thought out and we are going to be coming back to try out the ones we didn’t get to sample initially. Dumbo’s latest addition to the bar scene is one for the books and we cannot wait to see what Gair has in store for us in the future.
