Gimlets are known to have their origin in the late 19th century. British sailors who were increasingly plagued with scurvy were prescribed a daily ration of lime juice to increase their consumption of vitamin C, preventing the painful and occasionally deadly illness. Since drinking lime juice straight was quite acidic and sour, a British Royal Navy doctor by the name of Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette recommended that sailors mix it with gin to make it more palatable.
Another interpretation of the cocktail’s history connects the gimlet to the similarly named tool for drilling small holes, which was also used on the British navy ships at the time. The gin cocktail reached acclaim in the 1950s when British Novelist, screenwriter, and author of The Long Goodbye, Raymond Chandler, popularized the drink with a recipe of equal parts gin and lime juice. Throughout history, the sipper has also been made with Lauchlin Rose’s lime cordial, but modern interpretations of the drink are now made with a 2:1 ratio of gin to fresh lime juice, resulting in a drink that is refreshing, cool, perfectly sweet, and lightly aromatic. For more gin cocktail recipes, try my French 75 recipe, Gin Fizz, or Aviation cocktail.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Gin – for superior flavor and the best botanical notes, choose your favorite high-quality gin, such as Beefeater, Plymouth Gin, Hayman’s of London, or Bombay Sapphire.
Lime Juice – fresh citrus juice really is the best here. Grab a handful of limes while at the store and keep them fresh in the refrigerator by storing them in perforated or mesh bags to have fresh citrus on hand anytime.
Simple Syrup – a mixture of equal parts water and granulated sugar. Simple syrup adds sweetness to the drink, cutting the acidity of the lime and enhancing the botanical flavor of the gin. Purchase premade simple syrup or see my pro-tips below to easily make it yourself.
citrus juice
How to Make A Gimlet
1. Add the gin, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add a large handful of ice to the shaker.
3. Cover and shake rapidly for 30 seconds, or until the outside of the container is chilled and frosted.
4. Strain the gimlet into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel, and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use larger ice cubes. Full-sized ice cubes will chill the gin mixture when shaking, melting minimally. Crushed ice cubes or ice pellets risk melting and diluting the flavor of the drink.
- Use fresh juice. Bottled juice just can’t compete with the bright and citrusy flavored of fresh-squeezed lime juice. Squeeze the limes using a citrus press or reamer.
- Chill the cocktail glasses ahead of time. Chill the glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving the drink, as the cooled class will help keep the drink cold and refreshing as you enjoy it.
- Easily make simple syrup. Though most liquor stores sell simple syrup, it’s very easy and more affordable to make it yourself. Here’s how to do it: combine equal parts boiling water and granulated sugar in a heat-safe bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the water is clear, or for about 30 seconds. You can also make it on the stovetop, bringing the water to boil over high heat before whisking in the sugar until clear. Cool the simple syrup to room temperature before making the drink to prevent it from melting the ice and diluting the cocktail.
- Adjust the sweetness to taste. If you prefer dryer drinks, start by shaking in ¼ ounce of simple syrup and adding more if desired. If sweeter cocktails are more your style, start with ½ ounce of syrup, shaking in additional as needed.
- Shake in a sealed container. Don’t have a cocktail shaker? No problem. You can shake up this drink in any sealed glass or metal food-safe container, such as a mason jar.
- Strain before serving. To prevent the gimlet from getting watered down, you will want to strain the ice out of the gin mixture when pouring into the glass. Either strain through the cocktail shaker, a cocktail or Hawthorne strainer, or a fine mesh sieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use nearly any martini glass or coupe glass for this refreshing cocktail. If desired, elevate your presentation by using a decorative or antique martini or coupe glass. Just pick something with a stem so the gimlet doesn’t warm up from your hands holding the glass.
Garnish the gimlet classically with a lime wheel, wedge, twist, or with a curl of lime zest. Add additional panache by optionally garnishing it with fresh herbs such as rosemary sprigs, basil leaves, fresh mint, or even fresh edible flowers such as pansies.
Though traditional gimlets were stirred, the addition of lime juice prevented the drinks from being clear. Shaking them rigorously in a cocktail shaker with ice combines the ingredients thoroughly and gets them properly chilled and frosty, making a case for the modern approach to shaking Gimlets.
Get creative and take this gin gimlet recipe in a variety of different directions. Substitute vodka for the gin to make a vodka gimlet; experiment with flavored gin, such as strawberry, blackberry, or cucumber; or add a tropical twist to the drink by using key lime juice instead of traditional. For a pronounced herbal flavor to the cocktail, muddle basil or rosemary in the simple syrup before mixing, or shake the gin and lime with dried juniper berries, cardamom pods, or crystallized ginger. If muddling or shaking in solid ingredients or aromatics, be sure to strain out them out before serving.
A Tom Collins is a cocktail made from a combination of gin, lemon juice, sugar, and club soda whereas a gimlet is made with gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Therefore, the biggest difference between the two is that a Tom Collins uses club soda and lemons whereas a gimlet calls for lime juice and no soda.
Gin rickeys are very similar to gimlets in that they are both made with gin and lime juice. The main difference is that a gimlet is additionally sweetened with simple syrup, and the unsweetened gin rickey is finished off with a pour of club soda.
A gimlet is not the same as a gin sour. A gimlet is made with gin, lime juice, and simple syrup, but a gin sour is also made with egg whites and bitters.
Yes, you can definitely make a non-alcoholic version of this drink! Simply substitute the gin with a non-alcoholic gin alternative and follow the recipe directions as listed.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Gimlet cocktail recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Gimlet
Equipment
- Coupe glass or martini glass
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Combine gin, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until the outside is chilled and frosted, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Notes
- Use larger ice cubes. Full-sized ice cubes will chill the gin mixture when shaking, melting minimally. Crushed ice cubes or ice pellets risk melting and diluting the flavor of the drink.
- Use fresh juice. Bottled juice just can’t compete with the bright and citrusy flavored of fresh-squeezed lime juice. Squeeze the limes using a citrus press or reamer.
- Chill the cocktail glasses ahead of time. Chill the glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving the drink, as the cooled class will help keep the drink cold and refreshing as you enjoy it.
- Easily make simple syrup. Though most liquor stores sell simple syrup, it’s very easy and more affordable to make it yourself. Here’s how to do it: combine equal parts boiling water and granulated sugar in a heat-safe bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the water is clear, or for about 30 seconds. You can also make it on the stovetop, bringing the water to boil over high heat before whisking in the sugar until clear. Cool the simple syrup to room temperature before making the drink to prevent it from melting the ice and diluting the cocktail.
- Adjust the sweetness to taste. If you prefer dryer drinks, start by shaking in ¼ ounce of simple syrup and adding more if desired. If sweeter cocktails are more your style, start with ½ ounce of syrup, shaking in additional as needed.
- Shake in a sealed container. Don’t have a cocktail shaker? No problem. You can shake up this drink in any sealed glass or metal food-safe container, such as a mason jar.
- Strain before serving. To prevent the gimlet from getting watered down, you will want to strain the ice out of the gin mixture when pouring into the glass. Either strain through the cocktail shaker, a cocktail or Hawthorne strainer, or a fine mesh sieve.
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