
The gimlet is a basic 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 frilly cocktails with unrecognizable components for ordering at fancy bars—a easy, citrusy, not-too-sweet cocktail at house is certainly one of life’s easy pleasures.
The gimlet is gentle and brilliant, like a extra informal model of a martini which you could sip slowly on a porch. I really like a gimlet within the spring or summer season—they’re contemporary and good. When you get pleasure from ordering an excellent gin cocktail or a margarita made with actual lime juice, you’ll love a home made gimlet.
Watch Find out how to Make a Gimlet
Gimlet Substances
Gimlets are shaken cocktails made with three easy components: 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 mix of contemporary lime and easy syrup is much superior.
Some bartenders insist that gimlets should be made with home made lime cordials, however I feel a correct lime twist garnish is all you want. All of us agree that gimlets should be shaken, not stirred. They’re finest served ice-cold, which is why my directions embody chilling the glass earlier than use.
The Greatest Gin for Gimlets
Plymouth gin is the standard alternative for a gimlet, and it’s an excellent one. When you’re ever bothered by the extent of juniper taste in London dry gin like Tanqueray, you’ll admire 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 photographs.
Don’t hesitate to make use of London dry gin in your gimlet for good outcomes, if that’s what you’ve at house. Beefeater or Fords are good choices.


Gimlet Variations
Now we’re speaking! Gimlets lend themselves effectively to contemporary additions. You could find a couple of of them on my weblog already. Take a look at 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
Attempt including 8 medium basil leaves to your cocktail shaker.
Recent mint
Add as much as 10 contemporary mint leaves to your shaker. That is referred to as a Southside cocktail.
Cucumber
Add one 2-inch slice of peeled cucumber, halved after which quartered. That is referred to as an Eastside cocktail.
Elderflower liqueur
Use St-Germain elderflower instead of the easy syrup for a fragile floral taste. This model is 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 stage 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 analogous cocktail made with gin, lemon as a substitute of lime, and honey easy syrup.

Extra Cocktails to Attempt
Extra Traditional Gin Cocktails
I really like an excellent gin cocktail. Listed here are a couple of 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 ceremonial dinner.

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 an ordinary 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 surface of the shaker is totally 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 evenly draw it over the rim of the glass earlier than dropping it in. Take pleasure in.
Notes
*To make easy syrup: Mix equal elements 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 totally dissolved into the water. Set it apart to chill earlier than utilizing. Leftover easy syrup will preserve within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 1 month.
Gin suggestions: Plymouth gin is probably the most genuine alternative and yields an excellent gimlet. I really like Hendrick’s for its cucumber and floral notes. You could possibly additionally use a London dry gin, like Beefeater or Fords.
Measurement suggestions: Two ounces is ¼ cup, 1 ounce is 2 tablespoons, and ½ ounce is 1 tablespoon.
Vitamin
The knowledge proven is an estimate supplied by a web-based vitamin calculator. It shouldn’t be thought-about an alternative to knowledgeable nutritionist’s recommendation. See our full vitamin disclosure right here.