Gallows Humor ： Bold Cocktails & Dark Concepts
By Heather Millet
Few bar settings break the bounds of the expected, often shying away from a total commitment to abstract possibilities.Some lean on obscure music alone. Others counter bizarre décor with mainstream playlists. A few serve wild drinks, but offset them with muted aesthetics.There is a new location, however, that holds no fear of conceptual immersion. It sinks the senses into a separate universe, stepping out of Shanghai and into a bar that flips reality upside down.
Photo by Maria Menand / That'sPhoto by Maria Menand / That'sPhoto by Maria Menand / That'sPhoto by Maria Menand / That'sAs if plucked from the galactic unknown, Gallows Humor has landed on Shaanxi Nan Lu, bringing strange flavors, thought-altering music, and striking design.The bar's name holds its meaning in the ability to find comedy within disaster, learning to laugh at the horrors of existence. The darkness and the light must intertwine.Photo by Maria Menand / That'sFrom outside, the bar looks like a mystery, hidden behind tall, tinted windows. Stepping into the bar we are struck by the key accent: a green rectangle of light spanning the middle of the ceiling, like an inverted pool table.Photo by Maria Menand / That'sHole-punched metal light fixtures line the counters, and corner furniture is so black it's almost invisible. Photo by Maria Menand / That'sMinimalist and dark wave techno create an entrancing aura that instills a sense of silence and curiosity before checking the menu.Photo by Maria Menand / That'sThe view from the bar seats, through the enormous gray windows, feels like being on the observation deck of a spaceship—unseen to passersby and detached from the banality of daily (or nightly) life.Aya Guan (center) and Crawford Su (center rigth) alongside the Gallows Humor team. Photo by Maria Menand / That's.Gallows Humor is the new venture by Crawford Su and Aya Guan of Paal bar.The duo have known each other for over a decade, with Crawford honing his craft at Speak Low, Aya at Union Trading Company.They've achieved a sort of mind-meld in their shared vision for drinks and bars, which has helped them arrive at this current junction.The menu is fully aligned with their concept of novelty and boundary-pushing. While loosely based on a few classic cocktails, the diversity of ingredients and techniques stretches far beyond tradition.Chasing Vermeer (RMB98): Blue Cheese, Strawberry, Coconut Water, Green Olive, Gin. Photo by Maria Menand / That'sThe Chasing Vermeer (all cocktails RMB98) leaps off the page, with blue cheese being its first ingredient.The team combines this with fresh strawberry, coconut water, and green olive—all sous-vide to achieve balance—before a finish of carbonation and gin.The savory ingredients breathe heavily through the fresh strawberry, making it immediately clear that the drinks at Gallows Humor are aimed at a bold palate. This is not your standard strawberry cocktail.Almost Famous (RMB98): Guava, Neroli Blossom, Bitter Herbs, Mezcal. Photo by Maria Menand / That'sOnto the Almost Famous, a spin on the Naked and Famous cocktail, which usually features tequila. This version incorporates guava, neroli flower, bitter herbs, and mezcal.The bitter flavors currently come from a blend of clarified Aperol and the highly elusive Chartreuse. However, the menu is designed to be malleable as time moves forward, trends evolve, and ingredients become available.A rotovap distillation process is used, lending the cocktail a strong aroma and punchy, dynamic flavors.Crawford describes this drink as "dangerous" because its strength is deceptively well-masked. It evokes an air of late-night dancing in an industrial club.Blanc de Noir (RMB98): Century Egg, Pineapple, Masala, Black Walnut, Rum. Photo by Maria Menand / That's.Possibly the most intimidating cocktail on the menu is the Blanc de Noir, which features century eggThe drink's name is inspired by a type of champagne made from dark grapes that are treated to turn lighter in color—much like how this cocktail is crafted with black-aged egg, yet results in a cool golden hue.Achieved via milk washing—a process using milk to unify whey and spirits—whatever one might say about this beverage, it is undeniably bold and unapologetic. While the aromatic pungency is difficult to accept at first, the liquid itself delivers a rich, musky flavor, non-reliant on the pineapple, and very fully masala. Mango Mania (RMB98): Mango Consommé, Clam, Tabasco, Chipotle, Lager. Photo by Maria Menand / That's.Finally, for an outside-the-box Michelada twist, there's the Mango Mania. Trading tomato for mango, this cocktail draws inspiration from the Bloody Caesar, incorporating clam juice alongside the classic elements of Tabasco and Corona beer.Where it also stays true to the original is in its bright flavor and uplifting quality, which would make it a useful hair-of-the-dog on a hangover.Though the sweetness of mango rings true, the beverage offers an underlying ocean sweat—for the grit of existence, and for funsies.Mezcal shots at Gallows Humor. Photo by Maria Menand / That's.Beyond this lies more adventures in cocktail expanses, with ingredients ranging from black sesame gelato to liquid marshmallow to smoked jasmine.As the menu evolves, there will doubtless be endless reaches. Almost Famous. Photo by Maria Menand / That'sSo, if you're seeking something unexpected, photogenic, and futuristic, this is your place.If you are looking to hide in plain sight and watch the world from behind protective dark glass, this is your haven.And if you're on the hunt for boldly dynamic cocktails, Gallows Humor will satisfy your craving, unapologetically—serving up a touch of biting satire in every glass.Photo by Maria Menand / That'sGallows Humor No.35-1, F/1 Shanxi Nan Lu, Huangpu 黄浦区陕西南路35号-1F-1
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