Gimlet (cocktail)
| Cocktail | |
|---|---|
 A vodka gimlet with mint | |
| Type | Cocktail |
| Base spirit | |
| Served | Straight up: chilled, without ice |
| Standard garnish | Lime |
| Standard drinkware |  |
| Commonly used ingredients | |
| Preparation | Mix and serve. Garnish with a slice of lime |
The gimlet (/ˈɡɪmlət/) is a cocktail made of gin and lime cordial. A 1928 description of the drink was: gin, and a spot of lime.[1] A description in the 1953 Raymond Chandler novel The Long Goodbye stated that "a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose's lime juice and nothing else."[2] This is in line with the proportions suggested by The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which specifies one half gin and one half lime juice.[3] However, some modern tastes are less sweet, and generally provide for up to four parts gin to one part lime cordial.[4]
Etymology
[edit]The word "gimlet" used in this sense is first attested in 1928. The most obvious derivation is from the tool for drilling small holes, a word also used figuratively to describe something as sharp or piercing. Thus, the cocktail may have been named for its "penetrating" effects on the drinker.[5]
Another theory is that the drink was named after the Royal Navy surgeon Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette (27 November 1857[6] – 4 October 1943[7]), who allegedly introduced this drink as a means of inducing his messmates to take lime juice as an anti-scurvy medication.[8] However, this association is not mentioned in his obituary notice in the BMJ,[9] The Times (6 October 1943), or his entry in Who Was Who 1941–1950.
Variations
[edit]A variant of the cocktail, the vodka gimlet, replaces gin with vodka. The Schumann's Gimlet adds lemon juice and lime juice to the Gin.[10] The Bennett adds bitters.[11] The Pimmlet substitutes 2 parts Pimm's No. 1 Cup to 1 part London Dry Gin.[citation needed] Notably, the screwdriver (cocktail), another cocktail made from a clear spirit and a citrus juice, is also named after a common handtool.
A popular variation, the French gimlet, includes elderflower liqueur.[12]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Data from Wikidata
- ^ D. B. Wesson, I'll Never Be Cured III
- ^ Chandler, Raymond (August 1992) [1953]. The Long Goodbye. Vintage Books. p. 19. ISBN 0-394-75768-8.
- ^ Craddock, Harry (1930). The Savoy Cocktail Book.
- ^ PAT MUIR (April 28, 2022). "On the Bar: A gimlet isn't as good as a martini, but made correctly it's still a fine drink". Yakima Herald-Republic.
- ^ "gimlet". Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^ National Archives
- ^ British Medical Journal, 23 Oct 1943, p. 530
- ^ Covey Crump, a 1955 dictionary of Royal Navy slang by Commander A.T.L. Covey-Crump, RN, a former Naval Assistant to the Chief of Naval Information. Archived December 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Deaths In The Services: Sir Thomas Gimlette KCB (1857-1943)". British Medical Journal. 2 (4320): 530. 23 October 1943. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.4320.530. PMC 2285216.
- ^ "Gimlet (Schumann's Recipe)". Difford's Guide. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Bennett Cocktail". Difford's Guide. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Overheiser, Sonja (2020-02-27). "French Gimlet". A Couple Cooks. Retrieved 2023-07-01.