Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Make me a . . . Classic Gimlet
By CHRIS SHERMAN
Published January 10, 2007
|
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
|
[Times photo: Bob Croslin]
|
|
HISTORY The gimlet is a simple drink of only two ingredients, gin and Rose's Lime Juice, and centuries of romance and legend, from the Royal Navy to Philip Marlowe's bar. In the glass it is unmistakably crisp, bright and bracing. Pure refreshment with no martini pretense. Its roots are obviously in the British Empire. The gin came from Plymouth and London, the limes from the West Indies to fight sailors' scurvy until Rose's was invented. The origin of the name is less certain. It could be the gimlet auger used to bore into barrels of lime and alcohol; maybe it was a naval surgeon named Gimlette. TODAY Like many other gin drinks, the gimlet was vodka-fied in modern times, and sometimes made with rum or tequila. Clever bartenders have also tweaked it with ginger and mint. The drink has become drier, with less Rose's and more straight booze. TWISTS AND TIPS You can use fresh lime juice, but it's tart. At Tucson's in Clearwater, bartender Wanda Mollis sticks to a prepared lime juice; it has a consistent balance of sweet and sour. Mostly alcohol, this drink calls for good stuff. And since it's a refresher, keep it cold. Christ Sherman, Times staff writer Cocktail Classic Gimlet 2 ounces gin 1/2 ounce Rose's Lime Juice Ice Zest of lime - Add gin, lime juice and half a glass of ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain back into chilled glass; garnish with lime.
[Last modified January 9, 2007, 11:02:39]
Share your thoughts on this story
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
