🎬 Regal Cinema Negroni

Fords Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, Darjeeling tea & black cardamom — GupShup NYC

Gin + Campari
5 min + infusion
Stirred
Old Fashioned Glass
~24%
GupShup
Ingredients
  • 30ml Fords Gin infused with Darjeeling first flush tea (see tips)
  • 30ml Campari
  • 30ml Starlino Sweet Vermouth (or Cocchi Torino)
  • 1 black cardamom pod, lightly cracked
  • Bitters (orange or Angostura)
  • Orange zest twist & black cardamom pod to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    InfuseFor Darjeeling-infused gin: add 1 tsp Darjeeling first flush tea leaves to 200ml gin. Infuse exactly 3 minutes (over-infusion makes it bitter). Strain.
  2. 2
    CrackLightly crack the black cardamom pod to release oils. Do not break it apart.
  3. 3
    StirCombine infused gin, Campari, vermouth, and cracked cardamom in a mixing glass with ice. Stir 30 seconds.
  4. 4
    StrainStrain into an Old Fashioned glass over a large clear ice cube.
  5. 5
    GarnishExpress an orange zest twist. Add a cracked black cardamom pod to the glass.

About This Cocktail

The Regal Cinema in Mumbai (opened 1933) was one of India's first and most beloved single-screen cinemas. GupShup's cocktail programme draws heavily on Indian cultural nostalgia, and this drink captures the ritual of the interval — when half the audience would exit the cinema to buy chai, samosas, and snacks from the stalls outside. Darjeeling tea (infused into the gin) adds a muscatel floral note; black cardamom (badi elaichi — smoked, earthy, far more complex than green cardamom) transforms the classic Negroni into something distinctly subcontinental.

Variations

Assam NegroniUse Assam second flush tea — earthier, maltier, less floral than Darjeeling; a bolder drink
Mezcal RegalReplace half the gin with mezcal — the smokiness echoes the black cardamom
White Negroni RegalReplace Campari with Suze, vermouth with Lillet Blanc — lighter, floral, the afternoon show version
Bartender Tips

Black cardamom (badi elaichi) — available at any Indian grocery store — is completely different from green cardamom. Its flavour is smoky, camphor-like, and intensely aromatic. It is used in biryanis, black dals, and spice blends across North India. Three minutes of infusion for Darjeeling tea is maximum — the tannins extract quickly and will make the drink too astringent. Fords Gin has a dry, clean botanical profile that complements the tea without fighting it.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
GupShup, New York City
Spirit
Gin + Campari
Method
Stirred
ABV
~24%
Gin Guide All Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails 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.

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