Today's Friday Cocktail Hour features a variation on a most excellent sour, thanks to the protean David Lebovitz, a poem by Matthew Dickman, how to make an infused simple syrup, and the three most important words in the English language and the Russian language. The video is by the excellent @katguanche and videographer @annabellmei218. Thank you all.
The gimlet is a classic sour and a reminder that innovative cocktails are moments away with the basic sour formula: 2 parts spirits, 1 part sour, 1 part sweet. The gimlet is gin, lime juice, simple syrup. A ginger lemon drop would be vodka, lemon juice, and ginger infused simple syrup. A margarita is a basic sour: 2 parts tequila and one part lime juice, one part orange liqueur (Cointreau or Triple Sec).
For a gimlet, do NOT use Rose's Lime Juice, which someone in the 1980s told me was how you made a gimlet and thus made me wonder why a gimlet a cocktail at all. I don't know what the hell Rose's Lime Juice is, but ain't juice that's for sure.
Everything in this video is worthy of increased attention, not least of all the excellent poet Matthew Dickman ("The Mysterious Human Heart" is from his book All-American Poem), and read this amazing New Yorker profile on Matthew and his twin bother by @Rebeccamead_NYC, and perhaps most of all, the Three Most Important Words, which this country needs more than ever.
Cheers and happy Friday everyone!
The Rosemary Gimlet
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce rosemary simple syrup (see notes, or video, for instructions)
- 1 lime wedge or disc for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the liquids
- Chill with ice and strain into a chilled glass or rocks glass.
Heh - vodka gimlets with Rose's lime syrup were basically all my parents drank in the 70s and 80s.
I confess to loving Rose's Lime Juice. Every time I have been given an alleged gimlet without it, I have regretted not having asked for something else.
to each his own! but surely you didn't make the rosemary gimlet and deem it a 2 star recipe. that hurts.
You are right, I didn't! But I will return after I try!
So I have to say that my two-stars was for dislike of Rose's. I should have remained agnostic on the drink till I tried it. My bad!
OK, I hereby revise my rating.
I just spent a week in Nantucket with friends and when my turn came, I made rosemary gimlets for us. They were a great hit. I even liked them myself. ! 🙂
One of us likes her drinks "not too sweet", so I started out with half the simple syrup called for. She loved it. Everyone tried it, and there might have been another taker for that modification, but I think everyone else preferred your recipe as written. At least, I did.
thanks peter!
This is actually one of our household's most beloved cocktails. (I don't usually rate my own recipes, but since Peter can rate a recipe without trying it, then I'm going to counter.)
I have a vague recollection of you using Rose’s lime juice in a Key West drink, I think it was a recipe from a bar.
I will try make this for my wife, our rosemary plant is in need of a good cut back.
My only substitution will be the garnish - a small trimmed stalk of rosemary. I think fresh citrus is only appropriate if you live in a climate that they grow in. Less exposure during quarantine, my shelf stable $4.59 gallon of lime juice taste the same after mixing it.
I’m a big proponent of lemon and lime juice concentrate after many blind taste test with people who couldn’t pick the fresh one.
There is no difference, especially when mixed with other goodies.
Cheers and good health all!
I have enough friggin rosemary to use my entire gallon of lime juice. And after a testing of this drink, I must say it would be a great use of it. Delicious & refreshing.
Also scrounged up this recipe. I enjoyed this drink years ago.
https://ruhlman.com/2015/01/30/friday-cocktail-hour-key-lime-martini/
Have not been a fan of gin but perhaps I need to expand my horizons. This looks fantastic. Sadly, we have not planted rosemary in many years but thankful for the nearby farmstand. (And I knew what those 3 words would be as soon as you mentioned them.)
Beautiful poetry...thank you so much for these.
thanks for stopping by.
This has been my go-to all summer—hits all the right notes for me!
Loved this recipe. Felt very fancy even though it was very easy to make. We added an ice cube because it was a strong drink!
thanks for trying! my wife likes hers on the rocks as well.