Gimlet

The Gimlet, invented by a medical doctor, was born out of necessity. Sir Thomas D. Gimlette, a British naval surgeon, prescribed his vitamin-packed cocktail to sailors to prevent scurvy. His daily dose consisted of navy-strength Plymouth gin, which was rationed to officers (common sailors drank rum), and lime cordial, which was a way of preserving lime juice on long sea voyages. The Gimlet found its way into social drinking and became as recognized as the Martini or Manhattan, due to the instant availability of Rose’s Lime Juice. Unfortunately, over years of de-evolution, lime cordials on the market fell victim to the same pressures as other mass-produced products—to become more profitable. Today, most have little to do with lime and more to do with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colorings. With the rebirth of the classic cocktail over the last decade, many enthusiasts have decided that fresh lime juice and simple syrup are the way to go, but in our opinion, the resulting “gin daiquiri” does not honor the spirit of the original cocktail and should not be called a Gimlet. True Gimlet drinkers look down their noses at such an abomination. To bridge the gap between both camps, we created our own all-natural lime cordial using lime and kaffir lime leaf. It is stunningly simple and classically structured but surprisingly novel and sophisticated.