Macallan Double Cask 12, Somerset Apple EDV, chaat masala bitters & ginger ale — Gymkhana London
Gymkhana and Trishna both serve a cocktail called Jal-Jeera, which tells you how fundamental this flavour combination — the cumin-tamarind-chaat masala profile of India's favourite street drink — has become to London's Indian cocktail scene. Gymkhana's version at 42 uses The Macallan Double Cask 12 Year Old (the finest mainstream Scotch currently being produced, in Speyside — matured in both American oak ex-bourbon and European oak ex-sherry casks), Somerset Apple EDV (the same non-alcoholic distillate from Somerset Cider Brandy Co. that Trishna uses — its apple character rhymes beautifully with the fresh acidity of jal jeera's tamarind), and chaat masala bitters. Ginger ale (not ginger beer — lighter, more aromatic) closes it as a highball of considerable sophistication.
The Macallan Double Cask 12 is widely available at Waitrose, John Lewis, and Master of Malt. Its sherry-cask notes (dried fruit, nutmeg, chocolate) integrate particularly well with chaat masala's sweet-sour-spice profile. Somerset Apple EDV is available from The Whisky Exchange and Flavour Blaster; it is a non-alcoholic distillate (unlike apple juice) with genuine distilled character.
Use Amrut Single Malt instead of Macallan for a fully Indian whisky version.
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