Gunga Din

This post contains affiliate links. See our disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Gunga Din* is a modern cocktail that was created by St. John Frizell at Fort Defiance in New York City, New York and was first published in the book Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette. Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s literary work of the same name, the recipe is a clever tiki-inspired variation of the classic Gin & Tonic that features all of the same ingredients of the original plus a couple of wild cards, such as Scottish gin and cardamom pods, which are native to India and offer a unique herbal twist.

*A note about the name: We are aware of the racist and imperialist nature of Rudyard Kipling’s poem and would never want anyone to interpret our publishing of this recipe as our condoning of either. We don’t know the true intention this cocktail’s creator had when choosing its name, but our understanding when reading the description of the drink is that it was meant to honor the character Gunga Din, not promote the obvious racism and colonialism of the British Empire depicted by Kipling.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Gin: This is the base spirit. The recipe specifically calls for a Scottish gin, but we used Malfy Gin Originale for its crisp juniper flavor… and because Kendall said the bottle matched the photo. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dry London Spirit in place of the gin.

Pineapple Juice: This adds sweet and fruity pineapple flavor. We prefer fresh pineapple juice, but you can substitute canned juice if that’s easier than juicing an entire pineapple.

Lime Juice: This adds sour citrus flavors for balance. Again, we prefer to use fresh lime juice.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.

Cardamom Pods: This is a spice native to India that is made from the seeds of several plants. We found ours in the bulk spice section at our local grocery store.

Tonic Water: This stretches the drink and adds tonic water’s distinct quinine flavor. We chose to use Fitch & Leedes Indian Tonic Water (gifted) in this drink.

Pineapple Fronds: These are the garnish.

Tasting Notes

The Gunga Din begins with faint pineapple aromas and has a taste that features plenty of herbal gin and sour tonic along with the sweetness of pineapple, and it has an aftertaste that highlight’s tonic’s bitterness juxtaposed with pineapple and emboldened with some cardamom earthiness.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Despite it being an extremely interesting take on a Gin & Tonic, neither of us thought the Gunga Din stood out as much as some other tikis we’ve tried have, especially since the muddled cardamom didn’t add the amount of flavor we expected. That said, if you’re already a fan of the classic, do yourself a favor and try this version, preferably while reciting old Victorian poetry.

Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.

Take Our Quiz →

Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This drink was pretty decent, but I think you need to be a gin and tonic lover in order to appreciate it. Essentially, it’s a tiki-fied version of that, with the added flavor and sweetness of pineapple to accent and some crushed up cardamom to give it some savory notes. While I didn’t personally get a lot from the addition of cardamom, the drink itself is decent, but I would consider a gin and tonic before I would really call it a tiki staple.”

—

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐
“I was intrigued to see a tiki-fied Gin & Tonic style drink, but I was skeptical that I’d like this one from the start because I’m not a big fan of tonic water’s bitter quinine flavor in general. This recipe does a pretty good job of dressing up the template: the pineapple is there to sweeten it up and the cardamom added an interesting hint of flavor. That said, I didn’t love this one. It’s classic tiki templates all the way for me, I guess!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.

Sale

Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes

Hardcover Book; Frechette, Chloe (Author); English (Publication Language); 176 Pages – 05/12/2020 (Publication Date) – Ten Speed Press (Publisher)

$11.29

AuthorEasy Tiki

Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dry London Spirit in place of the gin to try a booze-free version of this drink.

Tools & Glassware We Recommend

Anchor Hocking Screaming Tiki Glasses,470 milliliters

Set of two 16 ounce glasses; Glasses are approximately 6 1/4″ tall and 3″ wide; Commercial grade heavy duty Glassware from Anchor Hocking Company

$16.50

HISTORY COMPANY Classic Tiki Glass 2-Piece Set for Tropical Cocktails (Gift Box Collection)

$33.00

Viski Pacific Crystal Tiki Glasses Set of 2 – Premium Crystal Clear Glass, Stylish Tiki Cocktail Glasses, Cocktail Glass Gift Set – 14 oz

$22.99

Libbey Classic Tiki Statue Rocks Glass, 16-ounce, Set of 4

Tiki statue design pays homage to tiki bar culture of the 1950s and ’60s; Includes 4, 16-ounce rocks glasses (3.5-inch diameter by 6.4-inch height)

$23.55

A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set – Bar Accessories for The Home Bar Set – Bartender Kit w/Boston Shaker, Jigger, Muddler, Spoon, Strainers & Picks – Bartending Set

$99.98

A Bar Above Gold Cocktail Shaker Set – 4-Piece Gold Bartender Kit for Business or Home Bar – Includes Hawthorne Strainer & Japanese Jigger – Professional Bar Accessories for The Home Bar Set

$64.99

A Bar Above Bar Jigger – Finished Japanese Jigger with Measurements Inside – Cocktail Measuring Jigger – Steel Measuring Tool for Bartenders – Jigger 2 oz 1 oz – Jiggers and Pourers

$13.99

[240 Count] Umbrella Cocktail Drink Picks – Assorted Tropical Colors Party Toothpicks

$10.99

More Tiki Cocktails

If you like this tiki cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Donga Punch: A rhum agricole cocktail made with Don’s mix, lime juice, a grapefruit twist, a cinnamon stick, and an orchid blossom

Something Tequila: A tequila cocktail made with pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup, passion fruit syrup, a lime slice, a mint sprig, and edible flowers

Ginger Inferno: A rum cocktail made with ginger liqueur, velvet falernum liqueur, lime juice, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, a lime slice, and candied ginger

Cobra’s Fang: A rum cocktail made with orange juice, lime juice, passion fruit syrup, Swedish punsch, grenadine, absinthe, pineapple fronds, and a snake-shaped orange peel

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2023-03-27.