Tulo

Gimlet Recipe

Fresh lime juice balanced against simple syrup in a near-equal ratio keeps the drink tart but not puckering, while a hard shake with plenty of ice chills and dilutes the gin just enough to soften its edge without watering it down.

Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
5 min
Servings
1

Ingredients

Servings1
  • 2 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup ice, for shaking
  • 1 slice lime wheel, for garnish

Nutrition per serving

Calories
185
Protein
0g
Carbs
15g
Fat
0g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

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Instructions

  1. 1Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to chill.
  2. 2Fill a cocktail shaker with the ice.
  3. 3Add the gin, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup to the shaker.
  4. 4Seal and shake hard for 12-15 seconds, until the shaker feels ice-cold and frosted on the outside.
  5. 5Double strain into the chilled glass (through both the shaker's built-in strainer and a fine mesh strainer) to catch any small ice shards or lime pulp.
  6. 6Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.

Tips & variations

  • For the old-school version, swap the fresh lime juice and simple syrup for 1 oz Rose's lime cordial; it produces a sweeter, more neon-green drink that's the original 1920s-era gimlet.
  • A London dry gin with a clean juniper backbone (like Beefeater or Tanqueray) keeps the citrus in front; a heavily botanical or barrel-aged gin can fight with the lime.
  • Swap the gin for vodka for a vodka gimlet, a common request for drinkers who find gin's juniper too assertive.
  • Muddle a few cucumber slices in the shaker before adding the other ingredients for a cool, garden-variety twist.

Storage & reheating

A gimlet is meant to be drunk immediately after shaking since the ice dilution is part of the recipe; it doesn't hold well once diluted. To prep ahead for a party, batch the gin, lime juice, and syrup together (without ice) in a bottle and refrigerate for up to 3 days, then shake individual portions with fresh ice to order.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Squeeze limes just before mixing; bottled lime juice loses its brightness within days and tastes flat by comparison.
  • If the drink tastes too sharp, add simple syrup a teaspoon at a time rather than all at once; it's easy to oversweeten and hard to correct once it's in the glass.

FAQ

What's the difference between a gimlet and a gin rickey?

A gimlet is shaken with lime juice and a sweetener (simple syrup or lime cordial) and served up in a chilled glass with no soda water; a gin rickey is built over ice with lime juice, no sweetener, and topped with club soda.

Is a gimlet shaken or stirred?

Shaken. Because it contains citrus juice, shaking with ice is needed to properly chill, dilute, and aerate it, unlike spirit-forward drinks such as a martini, which are stirred to stay silky and clear.

Can I use bottled lime cordial instead of fresh lime juice and syrup?

Yes, that's actually the traditional version. Use 1 ounce of Rose's or a similar lime cordial in place of the fresh lime juice and simple syrup for a sweeter, more classic-tasting gimlet.

What gin works best for a gimlet?

A juniper-forward London dry gin holds up best against the tart lime; softer or heavily citrus-infused gins can end up tasting muddled rather than balanced.

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