If ginger is the cocktail spice everyone uses, galangal is the one bartenders should know about. It looks like ginger but tastes different: less hot, more aromatic, with a pine-citrus quality. Standard in Thai cooking (tom yum, tom kha) and increasingly in modern Southeast Asian cocktails.
What it is
Alpinia galanga. Native to Southeast Asia. The rhizome is harder and lighter-coloured than ginger, with red-pink shoots when fresh. Cousin to ginger but with a distinctly different flavour. Two species: greater galangal (most common in cocktails) and lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum, sharper).
Called lengkuas in Malay/Indonesian, kha in Thai, laos in Dutch.
Flavour profile
Aromatic, slightly spicy, with a pine-citrus-camphor edge. Less burning-hot than ginger, more cooling-aromatic. Pairs naturally with gin, vodka, white rum, sake, mezcal. Companion ingredients: lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, lime, chilli, coconut, basil.
Where to source galangal in Malaysia
Wet markets: RM 8 to 15 per kg. Year-round.
Supermarkets: Aeon, Cold Storage, Village Grocer carry fresh galangal in the herb/produce section.
Frozen galangal: sometimes available in Asian groceries. Works for syrups; loses some aroma compared to fresh.
Dried galangal: not recommended for cocktails; most aroma is gone.
How to prep galangal for cocktails
Galangal syrup (the standard). 40g sliced fresh galangal + 250ml water + 200g sugar. Simmer 12 minutes, steep 30 minutes covered, strain. Keeps refrigerated 3 weeks.
Galangal-lemongrass syrup. 30g sliced galangal + 3 lemongrass stalks (bruised) + 250ml water + 200g sugar. Same method. The Southeast Asian aromatic base.
Galangal-infused vodka. 50g sliced galangal in 500ml vodka. Cap, leave 48 hours, taste, strain.
Muddled galangal. One small coin lightly muddled in shaker. Strains out, leaves the aromatic.
Best cocktails with galangal
Tom Yum Cocktail: vodka, fresh lime, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, cili padi, fish sauce drop. Thai-coded.
Galangal Mule: vodka, fresh lime, galangal syrup, ginger beer.
Coconut-Galangal Daiquiri: white rum, fresh lime, galangal syrup, coconut cream.
Galangal Gin and Tonic: gin, tonic, ice, thin slice of fresh galangal as garnish.
In Malaysian use
Galangal (lengkuas in Malay) is native to Southeast Asia, with cultivation across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and southern China. It is genuinely one of the foundational ingredients in Malay cooking, sitting alongside lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, and turmeric as part of the rempah base for laksa, beef rendang, nasi ulam, chicken curry, and most Malay-style fish preparations. Peranakan and Indonesian cooking lean on it just as heavily, and it is the spice that distinguishes a Malay or Thai curry from an Indian one.
For sourcing, the fresh rhizome is at every wet market in the Klang Valley (TTDI, Section 17 PJ, Pudu, Chow Kit) at around RM 8 to 15 per kg, sometimes much cheaper at neighbourhood pasar tani Sunday markets. Cold Storage and AEON stock smaller packs at RM 12 to 20. At the bar, we sometimes pair galangal syrup with mezcal and calamansi for a smoky-aromatic spritz that pulls on both the Mexican and Malay aromatic vocabularies; the lengkuas reads cleaner against agave than against gin, which most modern bars default to.
Substitutions
- Fresh ginger for a hotter, sharper substitute (less aromatic).
- Lemongrass for the bright Southeast Asian aromatic.
- Cardamom + pine for the camphor-pine character.
Frequently asked questions
What does galangal taste like in cocktails?
Galangal (lengkuas) is aromatic and slightly spicy, with a pine-citrus-camphor edge. Less burning-hot than ginger and more cooling-aromatic. The flavour is distinctly different from its ginger relative, which is why Thai tom yum and tom kha taste the way they do. Pairs naturally with gin, vodka, white rum, sake, mezcal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, lime, chilli, coconut, and basil.
Where can I buy galangal in Malaysia?
Fresh galangal is at every wet market in the Klang Valley (TTDI, Section 17 PJ, Pudu, Chow Kit, Pasar Borong Selangor) for RM 8 to 15 per kg, year-round. Pasar tani Sunday markets are sometimes much cheaper. Cold Storage, AEON, and Village Grocer stock smaller packs for RM 12 to 20. Avoid dried galangal for cocktails; most aroma is gone.
What can I substitute for galangal?
Fresh ginger gives a hotter, sharper substitute with less aromatic complexity. Lemongrass covers the bright Southeast Asian aromatic direction. A pinch of cardamom plus a hint of pine syrup approximates the camphor-pine character. None replicate galangal's specific cooling-aromatic profile; for Thai-coded drinks, source the real thing.
Which cocktails use galangal?
Tom Yum Cocktail (vodka, lime, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, cili padi, fish sauce drop), Galangal Mule (vodka, lime, galangal syrup, ginger beer), Coconut-Galangal Daiquiri, and Galangal Gin and Tonic. At our bar we sometimes pair galangal syrup with mezcal and calamansi for a smoky-aromatic spritz where the lengkuas reads cleaner against agave than gin.
How long does galangal keep?
Fresh galangal keeps 2 weeks refrigerated wrapped in paper, 3 months frozen whole. Galangal syrup keeps 3 weeks refrigerated. Galangal-infused vodka lasts 6 months in a sealed bottle. Frozen galangal works for syrups but loses some aroma versus fresh. Dried galangal is not recommended for cocktail use.