Gimlet
Ingredients:
Serve the gimlet cocktail in a Coupe glass.
- 2 oz gin
- 1/2 oz lime-juice cordial
Garnish: 1 lime wedge
Tools & Equipment
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How to Make
- Add all the ingredients to your shaker
- Shake hard for 10-15 seconds
- Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass
- Add the garnish
About
The Gimlet is a simple to make and refreshing cocktail that you can drink year round. The history of the Gimlet is unknown, yet it seems clear that it was invented in the 1800’s by sailors looking to heed off scurvy, a disease brought on by lack of Vitamin C. Because lime juice is high in Vitamin C, it made sense for sailors to drink as much of it as possible. And what better way to get it down, but with a nice addition of gin? Although scurvy is a disease of the past, the Gimlet continues to be imbibed by drinkers around the world.
Lime Cordial vs Lime Juice
A quick perusing of the internet or cocktail books, readers will find a few different recipes regarding the Gimlet. Some recipes will call for only lime cordial (specifically Rose’s brand), others will call for lime and simple syrup, while yet others will call for a 50/50 mix of lime cordial and lime juice.
So which is correct?
Like all cocktails, the ultimate recipe that you choose will come down to your personal taste preference. What is clear though, is that the original recipes absolutely called for lime cordial, and specifically Rose’s Lime Juice, rather than lime juice.
So why the move to lime juice and simple syrup over Rose’s?
It’s simple, when Rose’s Lime Juice was originally produced, it mixed lime juice with sugar, lime zest, and citric acid. Today’s version of Rose’s though contains looked-down-upon ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and Blue #1. These simple changes have taken a cocktail staple from a tasty additive ingredient to an unhealthy, overly sweet product. This is why we suggest making your own lime cordial so that you get the best of both worlds.
How to Make Lime Cordial
In order to make our lime cordial, here’s what you need:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp lime zest
- 2 tbsp citric acid
Instructions to make lime cordial:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a pot
- Bring to a simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved in a blender
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until ingredients are well mixed (about 20-30 seconds)
- Strain into a bottle and refrigerate.
