Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Up your cocktail game: How to make the perfect gin gimlet

This gin gimlet recipe is sensational — and easy

A lime cut in half
Creative Force Studio / Shutterstock

When it comes to gin cocktails, there’s no debating the appeal of the classic gin and tonic. It’s crisp, refreshing, and perfect for a summer day (or literally any other time of year). But if your gin-based cocktail enjoyment doesn’t go past that popular cocktail, you’re really missing out on a world of floral, botanical, fresh mixed drinks. Especially the delicious, flavorful gin gimlet.

While we’re on the gin and tonic bandwagon from way back, we also love the simple, elegant gin gimlet. This herbaceous, piney, juniper, tart lime, and absolute refresher of a mixed drink is one of our favorites all year long from the breezy heat of summer to the frigid frost of winter.

One of the most basic gin-based cocktails to prepare, in its bare bones form, the drink consists of only two parts: gin and lime cordial (the official recipe calls for Rose’s Lime Juice). It’s mostly gin with a little lime juice and is a fresh, light, tart, boozy drink that deserves to be in your cocktail rotation. Also, if you’re a fan of daiquiris, there’s an alternative version of the drink that consists of gin (instead of white rum), simple syrup, and lime juice.

Gimlet lime in a cocktail coupe glass
Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock

Gin gimlet

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Combine gin and sweetened lime juice in a shaker.
  2. Shake vigorously, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wheel.

Gin gimlet history

Like many classic cocktails (especially gin-based drinks), the gin gimlet is British through and through. The popular sweetened lime juice used in most recipes (Rose’s) is made in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was created in the late 1800s as a way to preserve citrus juice. He opted to preserve it with sugar instead of alcohol to create a bigger appeal for the product.

It is said that the cocktail was invented by a British Royal Navy Rear-Admiral named Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette. Not surprisingly, scurvy was rampant among the Royal Navy in the late 1800s. Navy doctors prescribed lime juice so sailors would get enough vitamin C. But lime juice on its own is quite tart and bitter. Gimlette, it’s believed, suggested that the officers get their daily ration of gin (lower-ranking sailors got a ration of rum instead) and combine it with the lime juice to make it more palatable.

Others believe the drink was actually named for the gimlet, a tool used to drill some holes in wood, often found on ships. Like with all cocktails, it’s difficult to prove fact from fiction. It’s not fiction, though, that the first record of the drink was in 1923 when bartender Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris published the recipe. It consisted of Plymouth gin and Rose’s Lime Juice.

The gimlet debate

If you ask bartenders and peruse gin gimlet recipes online, you might notice that while some people prefer using sweetened lime juice, others prefer fresh lime juice and simple syrup (similar to a daiquiri but with gin instead of white rum). Some believe that the use of simple syrup and lime juice gives the drink a different, sweeter taste while the sweetened lime juice gives it the sweet, tart bite that drinkers prefer. We suggest ending the debate in your own home by mixing up both versions.

Gimlet Kamikaze cocktail in martini glass with lime slice and ice on wooden board with fresh limes and strainer with shaker.
DenisMArt / Adobe Stock

Ingredients matter

Just understand that, when it comes to a drink like the gimlet, paying attention to the recipe is important. Even though it’s simple, one misstep makes for a very unpalatable drink. We’re talking, of course, about lime juice. Be sure it’s sweetened. Otherwise, you’re in for a boozy, tart drink you might not enjoy all that much.

If you’re not about the store-bought lime cordials, you can also make your own. If you’re opting for the alternate version, simple syrup and fresh lime juice guarantee a sweet, citrus-driven drink. Just make sure you squeeze your juice out of an actual lime and not a tiny lime-shaped bottle.

Editors' Recommendations

Christopher Osburn
Christopher Osburn is a food and drinks writer located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. He's been writing professional
A brief look at the (slightly strange) history of gin
Want to know a bit more about gin? Here's some historical facts about the clear spirit
A glass of cucumber gin gimlet with cucumber slices on a table and container.

 

Some revere gin, while others can't stand the clear and aromatic spirit. Gin is mostly misunderstood, but thanks to some great new producers and a focus on terroir, gin is enjoying a bit of a renaissance these days. But how did it all begin, and what's there to know about the iconic spirit?

Read more
How to make the perfect beef stew, according to a master chef
This is the only beef stew recipe you need for dinner in
Beef stew

When one thinks of hearty spring dishes, beef stew is sure to be at the top of the list. The simplicity and deliciousness of this one-pot meal is what have made it a go-to meal for centuries. It can be made in a standard stock pot, Dutch oven, or cast-iron cauldron hanging over a campfire.

Whatever vessel you decide to cook beef stew in, it's a good idea to make a lot of it. The leftovers keep for a long time, and it's one of the few dishes you can prepare where the re-heats taste as good as the first cook. Combined with a crusty baguette to sop up the flavorful stock, there are few foods more comforting than this.

Read more
How to make the perfect Boulevardier
Learn how to make this cocktail and add it to your home bartending list
Boulevardier cocktail and orange zest on wooden table

If you haven't introduced yourself to the classic cocktail otherwise known as the Boulevardier, it's time you do so. The brooding relative of the Negroni, this drink goes way back and brings out some of the best flavors Campari has to offer.

The Boulevardier is a layered mix of Campari, vermouth, and bourbon, usually treated to a citrus garnish. It's believed to have been created in 1927, when it became the favorite cocktail of expatriate writer Erskine Gwynne. The Paris-based penman worked on a magazine of the same name, hence the drink's title. The drink was one of the many shining stars from the cocktail world's first true golden era.
Alicia Perry is a cocktail wizard and former general manager at San Diego's Polite Provisions. She likes a Boulevardier that allows the base spirit to shine brightly through the partner ingredients of sweet vermouth and Campari. "I utilize Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare in mine personally, there are vanilla and browned sugar notes in this specific bourbon that are brought forth when showcased in this cocktail," she said. In terms of the sweet vermouth, Perry opts for Carpano Antica.

Read more