The classic Gimlet is made with London dry gin and fresh lime juice and traditionally served in a coupe glass, though you can definitely use a martini glass instead. Some Gimlet recipes use lime juice cordial, which is a sweetened bottled lime juice available in the liquor department. There have been variations of this cocktail using vodka as well.
We love this classic Gimlet, but another fruity way to enjoy this alcohol is with our Raspberry Gin Rickey, excellent for summer!
Gimlet Cocktail Recipe
Mixologists are recipe developers much like a chefs are. Therefore they are many variations of the Gimlet out there. What is always a mainstay though is lime juice. A traditional Gimlet cocktail is made with London dry gin and lime juice, but there are variations using vodka as well. If you’ve ever had a daiquiri, it’s put together in a similar fashion using rum.
RELATED: you might also like this recipe – Long Island Iced Tea
While you can certainly use a martini glass for this drink, a coupe glass is its true vessel. You can often find coupe glasses at thrift stores by the dozens. Many people mistake them for dessert dishes! They are much shorter than a martini glass so it’s easy to understand where that confusion comes from.
We use fresh squeezed lime juice and simple syrup in our recipe. You can definitely use lime cordial instead, or even a combination of the two (minus the simple syrup). We prefer the fresh taste of limes we have squeezed ourselves.
Ingredients for making a gimlet cocktail:
- London dry gin
- fresh squeezed lime juice
- Simple syrup
- Lime wheel (garnish)
Helpful cocktail mixing tools:
- cocktail shaker
- coupe glasses (or martini glasses)
- Juicer
- Shot glass or jigger
- Paring knife
How to make a Gimlet cocktail:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup.
- Shake vigorously until shaker is very cold.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
- Garnish with the lime wheel.
Enjoy your gin Gimlet!
Fun facts about the Gimlet:
- In the 1920’s a splash of soda may have been added
- In The Savoy Cocktail Book this drink is made from half gin and half cordial
- While there is some debate, many believe that the drink was named after Surgeon Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette KCB (1857–1943)
- There’s a drink called a South Side that adds fresh mint leaves
If you’d like to try some other cocktails with that bottle of gin, here’s a delicious Blackberry Gin Martini as well as our Pink Lady Cocktail and the French 75 that you might enjoy. Be sure to check out all of our cocktail recipes! And lime lovers, definitely check out our Moscow Mule!
Gimlet
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 2 ounces London dry gin
- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 1 Lime wheel
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup.
- Shake vigorously until shaker is very cold.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
- Garnish with the wheel.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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