❤️ Laal Ishq

Gin, prickly pear, jaggery, elderflower, lemon & aquafaba foam

Gin
8 min
Dry Shake
Coupe
~16%
GupShup
Ingredients
  • 45ml London Dry gin
  • 30ml prickly pear syrup (blend prickly pear pulp with sugar 1:1, strain; or use Monin Prickly Pear)
  • 15ml St-Germain elderflower liqueur
  • 15ml jaggery syrup (dissolve grated jaggery in warm water 1:1)
  • 20ml fresh lemon juice
  • 25ml aquafaba
  • Ice
  • Rose petals & a prickly pear slice to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Dry shakeCombine all ingredients except ice in a shaker. Dry shake 15 seconds vigorously for foam.
  2. 2
    Wet shakeAdd ice and shake hard 15 seconds more.
  3. 3
    StrainDouble-strain into a chilled coupe.
  4. 4
    GarnishThe foam should be 1–2 cm high. Float dried rose petals and a prickly pear slice.

About This Cocktail

Prickly pear (nagfani in Hindi) is the fruit of various Opuntia cactus species grown across the Deccan Plateau and Rajasthan in India. Its flavour combines sweet melon with mild berry notes and a faint earthiness, and its colour — brilliant magenta-crimson — is one of the most beautiful in the cocktail world. GupShup uses prickly pear as a foil for elderflower and jaggery: the British floral liqueur (St-Germain) meets the Indian unrefined sugar, bridged by gin's botanical complexity.

Variations

Hibiscus VersionReplace prickly pear with strong hibiscus tea syrup — equally vivid red, slightly more tart and floral
Mezcal Laal IshqReplace gin with mezcal — the smokiness with prickly pear and elderflower is a bold and impressive combination
Zero-Proof LaalReplace gin with Seedlip Garden 108 + extra prickly pear syrup + cold brew hibiscus tea — striking crimson non-alcoholic drink
Bartender Tips

Prickly pear syrup is available at specialty food stores and online. Fresh prickly pears are found at Mexican and some Indian grocery stores in season. Wear gloves when handling fresh prickly pear — the microspines are invisible and deeply unpleasant. Jaggery syrup has a slightly molasses-like, earthier sweetness than simple syrup that makes the drink more complex. Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) creates a more delicate foam than egg white.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
GupShup, New York City
Spirit
Gin (London Dry)
Method
Dry Shake + Shake
ABV
~16%
Gin 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