Forgotten Gin Cocktails: The Gimlet, The Bennet, The Stay Up Late & The Debutante

Last week we looked at four classic gin cocktails, all variations on the gin sour, which contains gin, lemon, and sugar. Swap the lemon for lime and you have a gimlet – delicious on its own, and as a jumping-off point for even more classic drinks.

Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice; shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Add bitters to a gin sour and you have a Fitzgerald; add bitters to a gimlet and you have a Bennet. I love how the bitters lend an additional layer of complexity; I love how the name makes me think of my favorite Jane Austen heroine.

Here’s where it starts to get really interesting. What if we were to monkey around a little with the original spirit – say, add a little bit of cognac? It sounds odd, but by adding cognac to the gin in a gimlet, you get a lovely drink with a certain sweetness and roundness. It’s called the Stay Up Late.

And lastly – let’s take the gin sour, but change the sweetening agent. Lime pairs particularly well with pomegranate – swap the sugar syrup for some homemade grenadine and you have a sweetly tart little cocktail, the Debutante.

Nancy Mitchell has four more reasons to love gin. You can find more of her recipes on her blog, The Backyard Bartender.

(Images: Nancy Mitchell)