
The gimlet is a traditional cocktail that deserves extra consideration! Made with gin, lime juice and sweetened with easy syrup, it comes from the bitter household of cocktails (my specialty). Save the flowery cocktails with unrecognizable substances for ordering at fancy bars—a easy, citrusy, not-too-sweet cocktail at house is one in all life’s easy pleasures.
The gimlet is mild and vivid, like a extra informal model of a martini that you would be able to sip slowly on a porch. I really like a gimlet within the spring or summer season—they’re contemporary and good. Should you take pleasure in ordering gin cocktail or a margarita made with actual lime juice, you’ll love a do-it-yourself gimlet.
Watch The right way to Make a Gimlet
Gimlet Elements
Gimlets are shaken cocktails made with three easy substances: gin, contemporary lime juice and easy syrup. Once I was a bartender after faculty, we served gimlets made with Rose’s sweetened lime juice, which tastes cloyingly candy and synthetic. A mixture of contemporary lime and easy syrup is much superior.
Some bartenders insist that gimlets should be made with do-it-yourself lime cordials, however I believe a correct lime twist garnish is all you want. All of us agree that gimlets should be shaken, not stirred. They’re greatest served ice-cold, which is why my directions embrace chilling the glass earlier than use.
The Greatest Gin for Gimlets
Plymouth gin is the standard alternative for a gimlet, and it’s a fantastic one. Should you’re ever bothered by the extent of juniper taste in London dry gin like Tanqueray, you’ll respect having Plymouth gin in your liquor cupboard. It’s much less dry and extra well-rounded.
I additionally love to make use of Hendrick’s gin in my gimlets. Its distinctive flavors of cucumber and rose petals mingle properly with the contemporary lime, which is why I used Hendrick’s in these pictures.
Don’t hesitate to make use of London dry gin in your gimlet for good outcomes, if that’s what you have got at house. Beefeater or Fords are good choices.


Gimlet Variations
Now we’re speaking! Gimlets lend themselves effectively to contemporary additions. You’ll find just a few of them on my weblog already. Try my Basil Gimlet, Cucumber Elderflower Gimlet and Cucumber Mint Gimlet.
Listed here are some choices to strive. You’ll be able to combine them freely with nice outcomes.
Recent basil
Strive including 8 medium basil leaves to your cocktail shaker.
Recent mint
Add as much as 10 contemporary mint leaves to your shaker. That is known as a Southside cocktail.
Cucumber
Add one 2-inch slice of peeled cucumber, halved after which quartered. That is known as an Eastside cocktail.
Elderflower liqueur
Use St-Germain elderflower instead of the straightforward syrup for a fragile floral taste. This model known as the “French Gimlet.” St-Germain is much less candy than easy syrup, so that you’ll want to make use of simply over 1 ounce of St-Germain to maintain the sweetness degree balanced.
Honey easy syrup
For extra complicated flavors, use the identical quantity of honey easy syrup as you’ll common easy syrup. Select a light-colored honey, like clover or orange blossom honey, for pretty floral flavors.
This model jogs my memory of the Bee’s Knees, an identical cocktail made with gin, lemon as an alternative of lime, and honey easy syrup.

Extra Cocktails to Strive
Extra Traditional Gin Cocktails
I really like gin cocktail. Listed here are just a few extra to take a look at:
Extra Citrusy Cocktails
These cocktails hail from the bitter household just like the gimlet:
Please let me know the way your gimlet seems within the feedback. I really like listening to from you and hope the gimlets are successful at your subsequent banquet.

Gimlet Cocktail
The gimlet cocktail is a pleasant mixture of gin, contemporary lime juice and easy syrup, served up with a twist of lime. Recipe yields 1 drink; you possibly can combine as much as 3 in a normal cocktail shaker without delay.
- Chill your coupe glass by filling it to the brim with ice and water. Set it apart whilst you put together the cocktail.
- Subsequent, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour within the gin, lime juice and easy syrup. Securely fasten the lid and shake the combination for about 20 seconds, or till the skin of the shaker is completely ice chilly.
- Discard the ice water in your glass and gently shake out any cussed water droplets. Pressure the combination into your ready glass. Gently twist the lime peel over the drink to launch the oils, then frivolously draw it over the rim of the glass earlier than dropping it in. Take pleasure in.
Notes
*To make easy syrup: Mix equal components sugar (or honey) and water in a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat over medium warmth or in 30-second bursts within the microwave, whisking sometimes, simply till the sweetener has absolutely dissolved into the water. Set it apart to chill earlier than utilizing. Leftover easy syrup will hold within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 1 month.
Gin suggestions: Plymouth gin is essentially the most genuine alternative and yields a fantastic gimlet. I really like Hendrick’s for its cucumber and floral notes. You might additionally use a London dry gin, like Beefeater or Fords.
Measurement ideas: Two ounces is ¼ cup, 1 ounce is 2 tablespoons, and ½ ounce is 1 tablespoon.
Vitamin
The data proven is an estimate supplied by a web-based vitamin calculator. It shouldn’t be thought of an alternative choice to an expert nutritionist’s recommendation. See our full vitamin disclosure right here.