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 elements 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 mild and brilliant, like a extra informal model of a martini which you could sip slowly on a porch. I like a gimlet within the spring or summer time—they’re contemporary and good. In the event you take pleasure in ordering a superb gin cocktail or a margarita made with real lime juice, you’ll love a selfmade gimlet.
Watch Find out how to Make a Gimlet
Gimlet Substances
Gimlets are shaken cocktails made with three easy elements: 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 selfmade 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 greatest served ice-cold, which is why my directions embody chilling the glass earlier than use.
The Greatest Gin for Gimlets
Plymouth gin is the normal selection for a gimlet, and it’s an awesome one. In the event 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 might have at dwelling. Beefeater or Fords are good choices.


Gimlet Variations
Now we’re speaking! Gimlets lend themselves nicely to contemporary additions. You will discover a number 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 may combine them freely with nice outcomes.
Contemporary basil
Strive including 8 medium basil leaves to your cocktail shaker.
Contemporary 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 is named 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 advanced 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, the same cocktail made with gin, lemon as an alternative of lime, and honey easy syrup.

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

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 may combine as much as 3 in a normal cocktail shaker directly.
- 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 calmly draw it over the rim of the glass earlier than dropping it in. Get pleasure from.
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 totally 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 selection and yields an awesome gimlet. I 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 offered by an internet vitamin calculator. It shouldn’t be thought-about an alternative to knowledgeable nutritionist’s recommendation. See our full nutrition disclosure here.