Today I have another classic cocktail using my favorite spirit, gin.
And, it’s a gimlet. And not just one gimlet but three gimlets. Not that I am encouraging you to drink three gimlets, but I am offering three versions of a gimlet.
In case you did not know, a gimlet is a lime-a-licious gin-based drink stirred or shaken over ice. Then strained into a cocktail glass and served “up”. Though I have seen them prepared over rocks with a splash of club soda.
The original cocktail was brought to the world by the gin loving British. Those crazy Brits must have considered gin medicinal, because British sailors used this cocktail to ward off scurvy . Yesterday’s gin and tonic was insurance against malaria. It really brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “take your medicine”, doesn’t it?
There is some debate about from where the name gimlet came. As scurvy was a sailors disease it seems likely that the corkscrew-like device of the same name is probably a good guess. It was used to bore into shipping barrels like the conatiners lime juice traveled in.
In 1867 a Scottish fellow named Lauchlin Rose figured out a way to add sugar to processed lime juice. This helped keep the juice from spoiling on long journeys at sea.
Today’s gimlet is made with a mixer that bears its inventor’s name: Rose’s lime juice. In days of scurvy the concoction was referred to as lime cordial. But it is better described as sweet lime syrup, and it is used in many cocktails.
The gimlet reached its zenith of glamorous sophistication in the 1930’s when writer Raymond Chandler assigned the cocktail as the 
cocktail of choice for his wildly popular character, Philip Marlowe. In the novel The Long Goodbye, detective Marlowe made famous the phrase, “A real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s lime juice and nothing else.”
When I turned my research to the be-all-and-end-all (to many a mixologist) of cocktail genealogy The Savoy Hotel Cocktail Book, I found that the classic recipe for this cocktail was indeed made up of equal parts of Plymouth gin and Rose’s lime juice.
So for you I include a recipe for what I will call: The Classic Gimlet
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 1/2 ounces Rose’s lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish
Fill a mixing glass with cracked ice. Stir in the gin and lime juice. Strain into a very cold cocktail glass. Squeeze the lime wedge into the cocktail and drop the lime into the glass.
However, many people today (including me) find this recipe way too sweet. So I have taken the liberty of rewriting the classic recipe just a tad for modern tastes. Another big change is size. Notice this is a 4‑ounce cocktail. Today’s cocktail glasses are usually gia-normous! So I am also offering: The Contemporary Gimlet.
3 ounces of gin
1‑ounce Rose’s lime juice
Twist of lime
Fill a mixing glass with cracked ice. Stir in the gin and lime juice. Strain into a very cold cocktail glass. Pinch the lime twist over the glass. Then rub the rim of the glass with the twist and drop it into the glass.
And finally I offer you my version. I like the pucker of unsweetened fresh lime juice with just a hint of sweet Rose’s. I also recommend Plymouth Gin. It has a sweeter perfume than the standard London Dry styles of gin. I also like mine shaken not stirred. Those little flecks of ice really hit the spot for me. This I call: The SippitySup Lime Gimlet Cocktail.
2 1/2 ounces Plymouth gin
1‑ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2‑ounce Rose’s lime juice
Twist or wedge of lime
Fill a mixing glass with cracked ice. Stir in the gin and both lime juices. Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds. Strain into a very cold cocktail glass. Garnish with either a twist or a wedge of lime.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Yes, please!
+Jessie
I knew only that it was a chilled soup in Spanish cuisine. I now consider myself informed.
Those are some gorgeous tomatoes, particularly the vivid red one — that one looks as if you could just eat it like a peach! (That is, if one’s jaw isn’t wired shut.)
I just posted a tomato soup today… I guess we’re all into tomatoes right now. Unfortunaltely, in my backyard I found only 2 little cherry tomatoes ready to be eaten, and only today (the other are still green; I’m in WA). But at the farmers market I found a box of very ripe tomatoes for about $2/lb.! That made the soup even sweeter (originally I planned to make fresh toamtoes pasta sauce but they were just too juicy…). Their regular price is $4-$5/lb. But worth every cent. Such a pleasure.
I am so excited to try this recipee since all of our tomatoes come in. The kids are also thrilled and I bet they will really enjoy the soup that we made from our own garden. I hope you chased the soup with some good pain pills. By the way, did you take any devices off for the pic?
The “devices” are on the form of bands and wires on my back molars so to look at me you’d never know. But you may be able to tell I have lost 5 or 6 pounds. Which for me is bad. Keeping weight on has always been my struggle. In fact right before this happened I made a vow to gain 5 pounds. Now I may need to gain 10 pounds to get back to ideal. Unless in the coming weeks I lose more weight. Which I hope is not the case. Pass the Ensure please. GREG
Tomato soup and your Gazpacho look great. I’ve grown heirloom tomatoes with mixed success over the past 4 years. Some varieties do better than others, my Mexican Midgets have been producing for about 6 weeks now. And the paste toms are coming into full swing now.
Regards,
CCR =:~)
OH goodness.. Heaven!!! Your creativeness is totally awe-inspiring to say the least… I am glad that I am beginning to stumble this site… even if I cannot cook to save my life.. I can vicariously live through your site.. 🙂
I love the pix of the tomatoes…
btw, just fav. you at Technorati..
Shall we exchange the links? Well…I will go add yours…no one should ever miss this site…full of information and entries that make me laugh…
Angie’s Recipes
You should try a great Southern Indiana home grown tomato, you would love it !!
Send me one!!!! 😉 GREG
Hi there, I have passed on The Kreative Award to you.
That is so cool. GREG
Done right with some heirlooms of course. I have something coming down the pipeline that will use something like this gazpacho so stay tuned and get better soon.
Eric
The reason I called it “Lazy” was because I was too lazy to soak the bread first, then blend everything ingredient by ingredient in a blender. I just tossed everything into a big pot and used the stick blender on it. Less mess, less time, same great flavor!
I have yet to make a any type of gazpacho. I think I should. Looks great. A good way to start a meal off right.
My first year of growing heirlooms. I am wondering if they’ll grow tomatoes. Lots of flowers but no fruit! Finally this weekend,one little tiny bud of a tomato. Can’t wait for it to harvest!