Gin Gimlet

Hello. I know that my cocktail journaling has been sparse. Like so many people, I’ve been struggling with “the new normal” of living with this pandemic. I’m sick of giving Covid so much of my energy so I’m not going to say much more about it, only I’d like to offer that if you are also feeling anxious, depressed, and/or unproductive, you are not alone. I’m finding that if I just say it out loud and acknowledge these feelings are real, I’m able to somewhat move on with my day. Ok, enough about that.

I recently read a book that was set in London. The novel itself wasn’t spectacular but the characters were always drinking tea or in the evenings, gin & limes. I finally had to look up what they were referring to by gin & lime and of course, my search led me to the gimlet. The gimlet has been hanging out on my list of classic cocktails to make but I hadn’t gotten around to making one. It’s fun when inspiration hits! Traditionally, gimlets were made with Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice and gin. There are a couple of back stories to how it might have gotten its name but the most told is that it was invented by Sir Thomas Gimlette, a British Royal Navy medical officer who offered it to his crew to prevent scurvy. (Esquire, April 24, 2020) While researching the various methods to make a gin gimlet, I noticed that some people replace the Rose’s cordial with fresh lime juice and simple syrup but others are firm that it’s not a true gimlet without lime cordial, specifically Rose’s. However, back when this drink was invented, they didn’t even use ice because they were on ships. Gin and Rose’s lime juice served at room temperature… yum! Yes, I think there are good reasons to update classic recipes! I decided to compromise and follow a recipe for a homemade lime cordial. After reading several comments and opinions, I landed on a recipe from Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Jeffrey Morgenthaler writes about staying true to the traditional gimlet and created a recipe for a lime cordial that captures the tartness of Rose’s and is very easy to make. Many recipes for cordials take hours of waiting time for the lime zest to infuse the syrup. His recipe is made in the blender and has the addition of citric acid so you can replace your Rose’s with a fresh cordial that will hold up in the fridge for months. I liked the idea of having the cordial at the ready so I can shake up a quick gimlet in the evening, which seems like a true nod to the classic drink.

One other note about gimlets; when they were first served, the ratio of cordial to gin was 1:1. I made one using this ratio and found it quite sweet, like many old cocktail recipes. Our modern palates have adjusted to enjoy more spirit forward cocktails so this allows some room for playing, Some people also add a splash of soda water to their gimlets which would be another way to cut the sweetness. I’d encourage you to try a few variations but I landed on a ratio that I think works well. Cheers!

Gin & Lime: a Gimlet

Ingredients:

2 1/2 oz London Dry Gin, such as Plymouth

1 oz Lime Cordial (recipe below)

lime wheel, as garnish

Method:

Combine gin and lime cordial in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

Lime Cordial: recipe by Jeffrey Morgenthaler

250 grams sugar (about 8 oz but he suggests weighing the sugar and it ends up being slightly more than a cup)

1 1/2 ounce lime zest

1 1/2 ounce lime juice

8 oz hot water

1 oz citric acid

Method: Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium for 30 seconds. Strain mixture using a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate.