Review: Gamlin Whiskey House in St. Louis

Rich, bold and uncomplicated by sweet mixers, the Gamlin Manhattan at Gamlin Whiskey House is the way all whiskey cocktails should taste. This classic drink pairs Knob Creek Single Barrel bourbon with a gentle splash of Carpano Antica Formula vermouth poured over a pair of thick, seemingly hand-chipped ice cubes. It might not be perfection in a glass, but it’s pretty close.

This high-end saloon, created by Sub Zero Vodka Bar and Taha’a Twisted Tiki owners Derek and Lucas Gamlin, sits on the enviable corner of Maryland and Euclid avenues in the Central West End. The joint and its clientele are dressed to impress: On a crowded Friday night, well-heeled diners and drinkers vie for space in the slick front bar stacked high with every type of bourbon, scotch and whiskey imaginable (250 labels, to be exact). The whiskey theme is played throughout the rear dining room – a casual, cool and decidedly masculine space with rich wood furnishings and rustic little touches like an entire wall of jarred preserves.

Each table is adorned with a box holding a trio of leather-bound drink menus – wine, whiskey and cocktails. The second seems tailored for the casual but not entirely uninformed whiskey drinker. The whiskey list is broken down into countries – America, Canada, Scotland, Ireland – and further into region and style like Kentucky’s Bourbon County or single malt versus blended. A number of mix-and-match whiskey flights are available and make for nice tableside decor on their long serving boards, but scotch aficionados be warned: This is definitely a North American-centric whiskey establishment. Lots of bourbon, lots of ryes, lots of small-batch fun stuff to warm your palate and singe your throat, but only two-dozen well-known distilleries are represented from the old country (i.e., The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie).

The phenomenal cocktails are enough to keep anyone content. Gamlin’s bartenders have a lot of fun with their little masterpieces like the Smoked Manhattan that is infused on-the-spot with actual cherry wood smoke and served up in a spiffy little glass whiskey pipe. Smokier still is the Queen Jane, a nicely conceived cocktail, which features a robust 18-year Laphroaig Islay single malt Scotch whisky poured over honey-laced ice. But the granddaddy of all the cocktails is the Bloody Ghost, a tall, white whiskey-infused bloody mary that smacks every other bloody I’ve sampled hard across the jaw. This and the Gamlin Manhattan alone are worth a return visit. Side note: Resist the urge to try any of Gamlin’s cocktails on tap. Each is a watered-down waste of time.

Executive chef Ivy Magruder’s dinner menu is similarly fashioned with a rustic masculine edge – a lot of red meat and hearty fare, appropriate and tempting on a cold night. Small plates such as the steak tartare are a success. Savory bits of tenderloin arrived topped with a golden egg, accompanied by a crispy baguette to scoop up the delightful mess. A Bird in the Hand, likewise, performed well with simple bourbon-brined chicken drums in a metal pot swimming with seared pieces of apple and onion. These little birds proved especially satisfying paired with the Bloody Ghost. The rich, almost buttery crabcake appetizer bathed in a thick rémoulade was also a standout.

Less satisfying, unfortunately, were entrees such as the rib-eye and the patio steak, whose presentation trumped the flavor and quality of the meat. Paired with forgettable sides, plain-tasting potato gratin with the former and a small pile of frumpy bourbon-spiced fries with the latter, these steaks simply didn’t have the oomph factor you’d expect from meals attached with price tags of $35 and $26, respectively. A better option is Gamlin’s late-night menu, which offers smaller-sized entrees for half the price. Not to be missed, any time of night, is the Sticky Toffee Pudding from the dessert menu. Crafted by Gamlin’s in-house pastry chef, Lisa Fernandez-Cruz, this soft little treat – smothered in a light bourbon sauce and topped with dates and a dollop of creme fraiche – rivals any bread pudding outside of New Orleans. Order it with a slug of bourbon or a scoop of house-made ice cream.

Overall, Gamlin Whiskey House is a great place to drink, but simply not worth it for a full dinner. Hopefully this will improve with age. Until then, the whiskey-fueled bar has a hell of a lot of good things going for it. No doubt the Gamlins will continue to pack them in.