
The Gimlet
Gin thankfully has its roots as a healing libation.
Gin was first discovered as the flavor-cutting and buzz-creating malaria treatment in the Gin and Tonic. Then, as a way to deliver much needed Vitamin C to sailors, gin rose to the occasion AGAIN in the classic Gimlet gin cocktail with the pairing of gin and lime. One might wonder, could they just eat an orange? Sure, but what’s the fun in that?

Enjoy this limey classic, the Gimlet, as you ward off scurvy. And remember that I’m not a doctor, so please don’t self diagnose yourself with scurvy (or anything) and then prescribe yourself a whole lotta gin drinks with lime.
The Gimlet
Ingredients
- 2 parts Gin
- 3/4 part Fresh lime juice
- 3/4 part Simple syrup
Instructions
- Add ice to your favorite shaker.
- Lovingly, add your gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Substitute Rose's lime for fresh lime and simple syrup if you want to save a few things to wash.
- Now shake the hell out of it. Generally speaking, shake all cocktails that have citrus. There are exceptions, this is not one of them.
- Strain into a martini glass or coupe (scandalous!) glass of your choice.
- Add a garnish of your choosing if you dare. The traditional garnish is a lime wedge. Go for subtle flavor and add a cucumber, go for color and add raspberries, go for camp and add an umbrella.

Delicious transformations of the Gimlet gin cocktail theme.
This is the part where you get to mix it up by substituting some of the ingredients for a spin on the old classic.
- Change the gin. Use flavored gins to mix things up a bit. A cucumber gin paired with a cuke garnish works well. Using a honey gin? Skip the syrup and garnish with a bee. No, don’t do that. Garnish with a honeycomb. What about a really herbal gin? Spice it up with a rosemary twig.
- Change the syrup. Add some flavor to your syrups. You can literally boil your sugar-water down with fruits, herbs, honey, nuts, and spices. Let things simmer for 20 minutes or more for some lovely flavored syrups.
- Change the citrus. But then it’s not truly a Gimlet, but who cares. Pineapple and gin, anyone?
- Change the garnish. Stick with the lime, or add some flavor with another citrus, some spice, some herbs, whatever you have approaching its expiration date in your fridge.

So you want to get make your own simple syrup?
Go for it. Nothing could be easier. Well, except for maybe buying some simple syrup. But doesn’t it feel nice when you have made some of the ingredients?
To make simple syrup, mix equal parts water and sugar and slowly heat on the stove. When the sugar is dissolved and the cloudy, foggy appearance is gone, it’s ready.
Store your simple syrup in the fridge and cool before using the first time.
You can also plant your own lime tree, if you are into that sort of thing and your climate makes it easy.
Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 part Sugar Start with a cup and see how that works for you.
- 1 part Water Match that cup of sugar with a cup of water.
Instructions
- Combine equal parts of sugar and water into a saucepan.
- Boil it up! I like to bring the mixture to a boil slowly.
- Stir your sugar and water mixture constantly.
- You are done cooking when the syrup is clear.
- Remove from the heat and allow the simple syrup to cool.
- Keep your simple syrup refridgerated.
