Clssic Cocktail 11

Gin and lemon, gin and lime… Seems like gin and citrus tend to be good friends, don’t they? Have you heard of the Gimlet? Well, this is another gin cocktail with a lime flavor profile. The Gimlet sounds like something created by some British royalty. In fact, apart from the use of gin being British, the history is also related to the British Navy in the mid-1800.

It was common knowledge that alcohol was used more for medicinal purposes back in the 1800, this was especially true for the sailors at that time. With poor storage facilities on board ships, perishable fruits and vegetables could not be kept for extended period of time. Once the ration had depleted, the sailors were led to suffer from a disease called Scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency). This was when the British Navy realized the importance of having constant supply of citrus on board long voyages. The challenge again was the storage condition. Using alcohol as preservative has then become a convenient option since the British Navy rum was plentiful. To prevent the sailors from consuming too much alcohol, the Navy was constantly searching for a non-alcoholic solution to the problem.

In the year 1867, a Scottish merchant by the name of Lauchlin Rose patented a method of preserving lime juice. To help market the product, he sweetened the mixture, put it in a nice bottle and name it “Rose’s Lime Cordial”.

With this cocktail, I can’t stress enough the importance of knowing the basics and history of classic cocktails. At present, even though cocktails are going the way where as many fresh ingredients should be used as possible, it is not the case for the gimlet. However much a bartender is tempted to replace preserved lime juice to fresh lime juice, a “gimlet connoisseur” will not be pleased to have that preserved lime flavor taken away from the drink.

The sailors who suffered from scurvy drank it with rum and water (a grog) while the Naval officers drank it with gin. Sources say that the cocktail was named after the British Royal Navy Surgeon General Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette.

To make your own Gimlet:
60ml Gin
20ml Rose’s Lime Cordial

SHAKE the two ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.