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While the original Gimlet was made with Rose’s Lime Cordial, you can update this gin cocktail with fresh lime juice and a touch of simple syrup. It’s crisp, refreshing, and only 3 ingredients.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Gin: A distilled spirit flavored with juniper berries and, occasionally, other botanical herbs or spices.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Step-by-step instructions
- To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Glassware: A Gimlet is perfect in a cocktail glass such as a coupe or martini glass.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 8 cocktails, combine 20 ounces (2 ½ cups) gin, 4 ounces (½ cup) fresh lime juice, and 4 ounces (½ cup) simple syrup in a pitcher. Have ice, glassware, and lime wheels on hand so guests can help themselves.
- On the rocks: For a gimlet on the rocks, use a rocks glass or a stemless wine tumbler.
- Vodka gimlet: Substitute vodka for the gin.
- Daiquiri: Substitute white rum for the gin. Or, try the Hemingway Daiquiri which has grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur.
- Southside: Add some fresh leaves to the cocktail shaker with the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
- Gimlet with Rose’s Lime Juice: To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 ½ ounces gin and 1 ounce Rose’s sweetened lime juice. Shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
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Gimlet
While the original Gimlet was made with Rose's Lime Cordial, you can update this gin cocktail with fresh lime juice and a touch of simple syrup. It's crisp, refreshing, and only 3 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces gin (4 tablespoons, see note 1)
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice (1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup (1 tablespoon, see note 2)
- Ice as needed
- 1 lime wheel for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chill glassware if desired: Coat the outside of a glass with water and freeze until serving time. Or, freeze dry glassware for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
- Combine gin, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Gin: A distilled spirit flavored with juniper berries and, occasionally, other botanical herbs or spices.
- Simple syrup: Use store-bought or combine equal parts granulated sugar and water (i.e., 1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water) in a small saucepan. Cook gently over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool completely.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Glassware: A Gimlet is perfect in a cocktail glass such as a coupe or martini glass.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 8 cocktails, combine 20 ounces (2 ½ cups) gin, 4 ounces (½ cup) fresh lime juice, and 4 ounces (½ cup) simple syrup in a pitcher. Have ice, glassware, and lime wheels on hand so guests can help themselves.
- On the rocks: For a gimlet on the rocks, use a rocks glass or a stemless wine tumbler.
- Vodka gimlet: Substitute vodka for the gin.
- Daiquiri: Substitute white rum for the gin. Or, try the Hemingway Daiquiri which has grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur.
- Southside: Add some fresh leaves to the cocktail shaker with the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
- Gimlet with Rose’s Lime Juice: To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 ½ ounces gin and 1 ounce Rose’s sweetened lime juice. Shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 27mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Perfect. Impressed my father in law with this!