Last night's dogbite: Gimlet
Drinkage, Gin May 30th, 2007The Gimlet, naturally, sprang from Her Majesty’s Royal Navy solving two problems, boredom and scurvy, with one fell swoop; gin for the boredom, and preserved lime juice for the scurvy (or at least it’s the story I buy). This is a tight drink that I typically visit towards the end of an evening when I prefer to have simple built drinks versus mucking about with more than two ingredients, shaking/stirring/muddling, or separating an egg white into 1/2 an egg white (thanks for that, Alamagoozlum). It’s a nice end-capper that’s unassuming but bold.
That being said, there are two debates that rage about this drink;
- the ratio of preserved lime juice to gin, and/or
- whether fresh lime juice (and sometimes simple syrup) should be mixed in any measure.
My take on the first is that while the majority of guides, both young and old, I’ve consulted recommend a 3:1-4:1 ratio (e.g. here, here, or here) I prefer a 3:2. I really enjoy a tart drink, and since I tend to make a double when mixing a Gimlet, the flavor needs to hold up for the full length of the drink, which brings us to point two, whether or not limehuice and/or simple syrup should be added.
While I’m not a cocktail anthropologist based on the sources I’ve read, adding anything except preserved lime juice and gin rings out-of-place for me. Mainly because of the drink’s origin, these ingredients would have been tough to come by on their own. Plus, I’ve tried these variations and they just didn’t do it for me. So, my personal gimlet is:
- 3 oz gin (Bombay Original or Gordon’s)
- 2 oz Rose’s Lime Juice
- 1 lime wedge
Build in order in a double old fashioned glass filled with crushed or cracked ice. Lightly squeeze the lime wedge and drop into the glass. Add one stir stick and serve.
I let this sit for about 3-5 minutes, lightly stir it, and take the first drink appreciating the frost that’s built on the outside of the glass. Again, it’s a wonderful end to the evening and just about the right length to finish things off.
Prosit!
Rating: 
I really think that this and any other drink that works so well should be given a five star rating.
I’ll have to try your version, because I mixed a Gimlet once and it just didn’t work for me on any level. The flavors didn’t meld like I thought they would. I used Bombay Sapphire, though – perhaps a rougher gin would work better.
For my part you have to do two things; use a stronger-flavored gin as you mention, and let the thing sit in the ice for quite awhile. When I forget to do the first (which I no longer do), it’s just too singular in nature, and when I forget to do the second, it’s not melded well and I just get this overwhelming Rose’s lime juice (blech) or Gin (yum, but not what I’m trying to do) wash. So,let it steep, stir gently, and try it again. I’d be interested if it changes your experience at all.
Have you tried Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Richmond Gimlet yet? I just tried it today and it was a fantastic small variation of the Gimlet.
I’ve read that Rose’s predates the Gimlet, causing some to speculate that a true Gimlet must be made with Rose’s (not fresh lime juice, simple syrup or anything else. Just putting that out there.