Gin and tonics are the cocktail world’s peanut butter and jelly. They go together so perfectly that you can hardly imagine them apart. It’s also one of the hardest drinks to mess up and thus a reliable default at a new bar. I would never disparage the G&T, but as you get older, your drinking tastes should evolve too. For those who use gin and tonic as a standby, perhaps it’s time to upgrade to the gimlet. It’s gin-based, refreshing, strong and a classier option. Its fetching lime green color will also draw comments like, “What is that lovely-looking drink?” You’ll take a slow slip, smack your lips as the bracing tartness hits, and calmly, knowingly, reply.
As with a number of classic drinks, the gimlet’s origin is disputed. What most can agree on is that it has roots in the British navy. As many know, British sailors earned the epithet “Limey” from the limes they ate to prevent scurvy. The most entertaining version of its creation has a 19th century naval surgeon named Sir Thomas Gimlette mixing gin with lime juice to make it more drinkable for sailors. For lovers of cocktail arcane, there is also a theory that it is named after a small corkscrew-like tool, called a gimlet, used for drilling holes in barrels.
There are several recipes for the gimlet and it is easily adaptable to individual tastes. But please ignore the egregious ones that pollute it with vodka. Gin needs to reclaim its rightful place as cocktail royalty, as it’s an altogether more complex and flavorful spirit. Here’s a 1928 description of the gimlet: “Gin, a spot of time, and soda.” Here’s my favorite, from Raymond Chandler’s masterful 1953 detective novel, The Long Goodbye: “A real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime Juice and nothing else.” In matters of drink, one should always defer to a hard boiled novelist. I think these proportions are solid, although a splash of soda or tonic water helps cut the sharpness of the lime. I also think it’s best mixed in a cocktail shaker and served up, but rocks are favorable as well. Though some cocktails cry out for individual servings (martinis), a pitcher of gimlets is a fine idea for parties or just for yourself. It’ll make you feel better and you won’t get scurvy.
Ingredients
2 ounces gin
2 ounces Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice
Stir in a shaker and serve with a lime wedge. And though purists may object, it does look swell in a martini glass.
In Portland, Oregon try one at: Gold Dust Meridian (3267 SE Hawthorne)
by Lukas Sherman
