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The Gimlet

Naval Gimlet made with homemade lime cordial
“that which I have seene most fruitful is sower [sour] oranges and lemons . . . I wish that some learned man would write of it [scurvy], for it is the plague of the sea, and the spoyle of mariners.”
— Sir Richard Hawkins, 1590

A gimlet is a small hand drill, meant (back when things were still sealed in barrels) to drill a hole in a barrel and let whatever was put inside out. A gimlet pierces things, and so people with a sharp gaze were “gimlet-eyed”. A Gimlet also pierces. Made from gin and lime, it’s meant to be a short, sharp drink tossed down the hatch, but modern, craft oriented bartenders take one look at the neon-green, corn syrup filled Rose’s lime juice that’s supposed to go into the drink and think about either making their own lime cordial or simply substituting fresh lime juice and sugar. And I don’t think they’re wrong.

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Recent Discussion

  • Re Fine & Dandy, 10 hours 45 minutes ago Shawn C commented:

    Edited to list as altered recipe with notes about the original.

  • Re Ampleforth, 10 hours 53 minutes ago Shawn C commented:

    Is the cocktail supposed to have applejack or apple brandy? These are often not the same thing and people too often list applejack where apple brandy is intended. Since bonded is suggested in the note, I assume apple brandy should be specified rather than applejack (which can be blended with up to 80% neutral spirits.)

  • Re Fine & Dandy, 2 days ago Shawn C commented:

    This recipe listed presently as "authentic" instead came from a Bartender's Choice phone app that altered the recipe. It isn't supposed to be 2 parts sweet to 1 part sour, but Difford's and others make similar alterations changing it into a sweet drink instead. Savoy's original calls for 1/4 each of Cointreau and lemon juice, 1/2 Plymouth Gin, and one dash of Angostura. The result is not sweet at all and tends toward dry astringency when first served, because the lemon acidity comes through strongly while ice cold, and the sugar is completely muted until the drink warms somewhat. (Might depend somewhat on how much oil is squeezed from the pith when juicing the lemon.)

  • Re arsenic and mexican lace, 2 days ago EcoProf commented:

    It is an interesting riff on Arsenic and Old Lace. The mezcal goes well with the Absinthe, but the lime is totally unnecessary.

  • Re Fine & Dandy, 2 days 18 hours ago drinkingandthinking commented:

    Too sweet and the bitters don't work in this for me. I'm not a fan.