🍫 Khatti Imli

Dark rum, clarified tamarind, umeshu (Japanese plum), fresh citrus — GupShup NYC

Dark Rum
10 min
Shaken
Coupe
~17%
GupShup
Ingredients
  • 45ml dark rum (Old Monk, Appleton Estate 8yr, or El Dorado 8yr)
  • 30ml clarified tamarind (strain tamarind concentrate through coffee filter overnight — the liquid turns clear amber)
  • 20ml umeshu (Choya or similar Japanese plum sake)
  • 15ml fresh lime juice
  • 10ml simple syrup
  • Ice
  • Candied tamarind & lime wheel to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Clarify tamarindStir 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate with 60ml warm water. Strain slowly through a coffee filter (30–60 min). The result is a clear amber liquid with pure tamarind flavour.
  2. 2
    ShakeCombine rum, clarified tamarind, umeshu, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake hard 15 seconds.
  3. 3
    StrainFine-strain into a chilled coupe.
  4. 4
    GarnishFloat a small piece of candied tamarind on the surface. Add a lime wheel on the rim.

About This Cocktail

Tamarind and ume (Japanese plum) are both built around the same flavour logic: intense sourness with underlying fruit sweetness, using that tartness to cut through rich or fatty foods. Cultures separated by 5,000 miles arrived at essentially the same flavour philosophy. GupShup's Khatti Imli is a meeting point between these traditions: clarified tamarind (gravity-strained to remove cloudiness and astringency) is combined with umeshu (Japanese plum wine/sake) and dark rum — the third tradition of sugarcane-derived spirits from India's distilling heritage.

Variations

Brandy VersionReplace rum with VS Cognac or Indian brandy — the stone-fruit notes of Cognac bridge tamarind and ume even more gracefully
Mezcal Khatti ImliReplace rum with mezcal — the smokiness with tamarind is a very South Indian flavour combination, echoing the tamarind-smoky sambar
Highball VersionPour over ice in a tall glass, top with ginger beer — becomes a Khatti Imli Buck
Bartender Tips

Old Monk rum is India's most iconic dark rum — produced in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh since 1954, it has a rich vanilla-caramel flavour that pairs beautifully with tamarind. The clarification step is important: unclarified tamarind concentrate makes the drink cloudy and adds astringency that fights the cocktail's balance. Candied tamarind (imli candy) is available at Indian grocery stores and makes a whimsical, flavour-appropriate garnish.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
GupShup, New York City
Spirit
Dark Rum
Method
Shaken
ABV
~17%
Rum Guide All 69 Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails (87) Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
GupShup
Address
409 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10016
Style
Modern Indian cocktail bar & restaurant
Accolades
One of NYC's top Indian cocktail destinations

GupShup (meaning 'gossip' or 'chatter' in Hindi and Urdu) is a celebration of Indian social culture through food and drink. The cocktail menu draws from the full breadth of the subcontinent — paan-inspired drinks, lassi riffs, spiced old fashioneds — with an energy that matches the name. One of the most vibrant Indian drinking experiences in New York City.

Visit gupshup.nyc