Gimlet

I’ve become an avid gin drinker in the last few years, and my favorite gin cocktails are simple ones like a classic negroni or a gin and tonic. Gimlets have also stolen my heart though, especially as a pre-dinner drink, because they’re sweet-tart, refreshing, and balanced. The original gimlet cocktail in the 1920s was very simple, with just gin and lime, but it evolved in the 1940s and was made with equal parts London dry gin (which has strong juniper flavors) and Rose’s Lime Juice Cordial (a sweetened lime juice). The ever-popular gimlet evolved yet again to its current iteration, which swaps in fresh lime juice and simple syrup for the lime juice cordial. It’s still only three ingredients and dead simple to make so that you can be sipping one in less than five minutes. Here’s how to make the perfect gimlet.

• It’s sweet-tart and refreshing. Fresh lime juice balances out the sweetness of the simple syrup, and the herbs and botanicals in the gin make the gimlet super refreshing. You can serve it up or keep it extra-cold by serving it over ice.
• There’s only 3 ingredients. All you need is lime, simple syrup, and gin (plus some ice) to make a gimlet.

• Lime: One lime provides both the garnish and the tart juice.
• Gin: While you can make a gimlet with any kind of gin, a London dry or other juniper and botanical-forward gin like the American brand Junipero works great here.
• Simple syrup: This balances out the cocktail and gives it some body. Using syrup means you don’t have to make sure the sugar is dissolved.
• Ice: Ice should be considered an essential ingredient in most cocktails. Here, it has a double role: It chills the cocktail down and makes it refreshing, and the ice that melts during shaking helps to dilute the gimlet ingredients and balance out the flavors. Don’t be skimpy on ice when shaking!

1. Prepare the lime. Cut a thin wheel from a lime for garnish, then juice the lime.
2. Shake and strain the cocktail. Shake lime juice, gin, simple syrup, and ice together, then strain into a glass. You can serve this up (chill the glass first) or over ice. Garnish with the lime wheel.

• Gimlets taste best when they’re shaken right before serving, but if you’re making more than one, you can juice the limes up to one day ahead and refrigerate the juice so that all you have to do is measure and shake.
• If you’re making more than one gimlet, make sure you have plenty of ice before you start.

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