Lost Explorer espadín mezcal, Chaprah weaver ant chutney, lime & banasura peppercorn — Gymkhana
Bagheera is the black panther — Mowgli's protector in Kipling's The Jungle Book, set in the Indian forest. Gymkhana's cocktail named for him uses one of the most remarkable ingredients in any London cocktail: Chaprah, the weaver ant chutney of Chhattisgarh in central India. Red weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina — kerwa in the local tribal languages) are a traditional food source for forest communities across Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh — the ants and their eggs are collected from their leaf-nest colonies in sal and mahua trees and made into a chutney with chillies, garlic, and local spices. Their flavour is intensely citrusy (formic acid gives them a sharp, lime-like acidity) with a mild earthy heat. Banasura peppercorn (from the rainforests of Kerala's Wayanad district) is one of the rarest peppers in India — grown at altitude near the mythological Wayanad fort — with a complex flavour of citrus, spice, and pine. Together in a mezcal cocktail, they create something that could only be called Bagheera.
Chaprah ant chutney is the defining ingredient — no substitute fully replicates its citrusy-earthy character, though a combination of lime pickle + tamarind + a tiny pinch of citric acid creates a usable approximation. The Lost Explorer is Gymkhana's spec; Del Maguey San Luis del Rio or Ilegal Joven Mezcal are good substitutes. Banasura peppercorn is available from Peppadew Spices and specialist Indian food importers.
For a less extreme version, substitute a quality tamarind chutney (thinned slightly with lime juice) for the ant chutney — the citrusy-tart character is similar.
A Michelin-starred Mayfair institution inspired by the colonial-era gymkhana clubs of British India, where maharajas, army officers, and civil servants mixed. Gymkhana is known for exceptional game dishes, a legendary bar programme, and cocktails that draw on the subcontinent's rich botanical heritage — from wild game to monsoon spices.
Visit gymkhanalondon.com