Abstract The reaction of 2‐methylindole with pyruvic acid was studied. Two products are found to be depending on experimental conditions, including the 2:2 condensation adduct and the 2:1 condensation adduct. The reaction mechanism evidently involves a 1:1 adduct of 2‐hydroxy‐2‐(2‐methylindol‐3‐yl)‐propionic acid as an intermediate.