A gimlet is 60ml of gin, 20ml of fresh lime juice and 15ml of lime syrup, shaken hard with ice and strained into a chilled glass. That is a pump and a half of Solano’s 10ml syrup pump. If you skip the fresh juice and let the syrup do all the work, lift it to 25ml and add a small squeeze of lime so it doesn’t go flat and sweet.
Three gimlet builds, from sharp to sweet
| Build | Gin | Fresh lime juice | Lime syrup | How it tastes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp | 60ml | 25ml | 15ml | Dry and tart, close to a modern bar gimlet |
| Balanced | 60ml | 20ml | 15ml | Tart up front, round finish |
| Syrup led | 60ml | 5ml | 25ml | Softer and sweeter, closer to the old cordial style |
The balanced gimlet in millilitres
Gin
Lime juice
Lime syrup
The gimlet was traditionally made with lime cordial, which is why older recipes taste so sweet. A syrup does the same job but gives you control. You set the lime juice separately, so you can pull the drink towards sharp or soft without remaking it.
How to make a gimlet
- Chill a coupe in the freezer.
- Add 60ml of gin, 20ml of fresh lime juice and 15ml of lime syrup to a shaker with plenty of ice.
- Shake for 12 to 15 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is too cold to hold comfortably.
- Strain into the glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
Using Solano’s Finger Lime
Solano’s Finger Lime is the one to use here, and the measures above stay the same. It brings a tangier, slightly floral citrus note and suits a gin with native botanicals.
The two mistakes that flatten a gimlet
Bottled lime juice turns the drink dull, so squeeze it fresh. And a warm glass loses the crispness in about two minutes, so don’t skip the chill.
A 60ml pour of 40% gin is about 1.9 Australian standard drinks. Check the ABV on your bottle.