The recipe
- 1½ ozPlymouth gin45 ml
- 1½ ozRose’s lime juice cordial45 ml
How to make it
- 1Stir the gin and lime cordial with ice.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
Variations: Most bars now use more gin, two to four parts to one of cordial, and many shake it with fresh lime juice and sugar syrup instead of Rose’s.
McElhone gives half gin, half Rose’s; the amounts are scaled to a 3 oz drink. He served it in the glass it was stirred in, “iced if desired”.
The ratio
1 : 1
In parts, a Gimlet is 1 gin and 1 lime cordial. Change one part and you have a cousin; the closest are below.
Built the same way
Head to head
More Sours
- Amaretto Sour — Amaretto and lemon shaken with egg white into a foamy, almond-sweet sour.
- Aviation — Gin and lemon sweetened with maraschino, with a spoonful of crème de violette for its pale sky color and floral edge.
- Bee’s Knees — Gin softened with honey and brightened with lemon and orange. A gentle, rounded sour.
- Between the Sheets — Cognac and white rum with triple sec and lemon: a Sidecar with a second spirit. Strong and orange-scented.
- Bourbon Renewal — A bourbon sour with crème de cassis and a dash of bitters, shaken and poured over ice: tart, dark-fruited and easy.
- Bramble — A gin sour over crushed ice with blackberry liqueur drizzled through it, bleeding purple as it sinks.