The Gimlet is one of those drinks, like the martini, where there’s a question of what the correct proportions are. CocktailDB uses a 2:1 ratio of gin to Rose’s lime juice. The recipes in the Wikipedia article on the gimlet use 2:1, 3:1, 3:2, 4:1, and 8:1. BULLDOG gin (our gin of the evening) suggests a ratio of gin to lime to sugar of 3:2:1. Like most things in life, it’s a matter of taste. However, an essential characteristic of a cocktail is balance, so neither the gin nor the lime should dominate.
The Rose’s lime juice one finds in the U.S. markets these days is a concoction of citric acid-flavored high-fructose corn syrup. This is a shame. But don’t worry: I have limes and sugar. Tonight we’ll be trying the 2:1 and 8:1 ratios.
The Gimlet, 2:1
- 3/4 oz. lime juice
- 3/4 oz. finely granulated sugar
- 1.5 oz. gin
The Gimlet, 8:1
- 1/4 oz. lime
- 1/4 tsp. finely granulated sugar
- 2 oz. gin
Shake the lime juice, sugar, and gin with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
The 2:1 ratio is preferred over the 8:1. Surprisingly, the lime was harsher in the 8:1 ratio than it was in the 2:1, possibly because there wasn’t enough sugar to mellow the lime and gin. Unless the 4:1 or 3:2 ratios have something to recommend them, I’ll continue to assert that a gimlet is 2 of gin to 1 of lime.
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