Last week was Patrick’s first week back to school, and he was suffering from a pretty serious sore throat. Friday night we had friends coming over and didn’t want his throat to be a burden, so I picked up a handful (or so) of fresh ginger and a few lemons to brew a throat-easing remedy.
While boiling ginger and lemon makes for a soothing throat potion, it doesn’t do much good (or taste that great) if you aren’t sick or into crazy amounts of ginger. So, what should I do with all of this extra ginger? Enter: a trip to the liquor section.
Mind you, I do not suggest buying random ingredients and liquors if you don’t already have a recipe in mind. And it doesn’t always work for me either, but this time was a success. And thus, I present the Ginger Gimlet, a slightly spicy and floral take on a classically tart cocktail.
Ginger Gimlet Recipe
The typical gimlet recipe is made with gin or vodka, lime juice, and some kind of sweetener (sugar or simple syrup). Vodka gimlets have always been one of my favorites because they are simple, sweet, and tart (yum, lime juice).
To spice things up a little, I knew I wanted to make a ginger simple syrup with the leftover ginger. I also grabbed a couple limes and some fresh rosemary (you should always have some on hand anyway).
After perusing the liquor section, I grabbed a bottom of St. Germain, and declared my cart full and wallet empty.
And this is what happened:
Ingredients
- 1.5oz Vodka or Gin (I used Tito’s because it’s Patrick’s fave. Also successful with rum or whiskey.)
- 1.5oz FRESH, HAND-SQUEEZED lime juice. Trust me on this.
- 0.75oz Ginger Simple Syrup (recipe to come)
- 0.25oz St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (one for mixing, one for garnish)
Do This in This Order
- Measure & pour all ingredients over a handful of ice in a Boston shaker (This is the one I have.)
- Shake vigorously for 5-7 seconds
- Strain & pour over fresh ice in a cocktail glass
- Garnish with fresh rosemary sprig
Variations:
Gimlets are traditionally served up (without ice) in a martini glass, but for this fresh and floral take, I preferred it over ice.
As I mentioned, I tried this drink with rum and whiskey, and those turned out really great as well. And if lime isn’t your thing, fresh lemon juice works as well! (Just don’t call it a gimlet anymore ;). )
There you have it! We had friends over to play DnD when I was testing out the recipes, and the fresh cocktails turned out to be a big hit. We ended up making them every day this weekend. Whoops!
