Vodka Gimlet

The Vodka Gimlet is one of the purest expressions of a lime-forward sour cocktail. Unlike it's gin-based counterpart, whose profile is heavily dependent on a periodic table of botanicals from the spirit, the Vodka Gimlet leans into clean, simple flavors.

The original Gimlet dates to the 19th century, when lime rations were mandated for British sailors in an effort to combat scurvy. To preserve the juice, it was often mixed with neutral spirits, until a a ship provisioner named Lachlan Rose patented a technique that involved fortifying the juice with sugar rather than alcohol, allowing for a shelf stable product—Rose's Lime Juice Cordial.

For the better part of the 20th century, the classic Gimlet was a simple mix of gin and Rose's lime cordial. But two key factors changed this makeup. The vodka boom of the 1970s and '80s saw the more neutral spirit gain favor as a common substitute in formerly gin-based cocktails. And as the craft era of cocktails gained steam around the turn of the millennium, drinks that called for pre-made cordials like Rose's were often broken back into their original component parts, like fresh lime juice and sugar.

Why the Vodka Gimlet Works

The gimlet template is simple, and one of the most basic representations of the sour template of cocktails: a base spirit, with smaller portions of lime juice and sugar (the latter usually in the form of simple syrup). Gin will always be the spirit of choice for a classic Gimlet, but that doesn't leave the Vodka Gimlet without its own unique charms. Gin-based gimlets can be finicky, and the final profile is heavily tied to the botanicals of the gin on hand.

Vodka's more neutral flavor profile allows it to act is a blank canvas for the Gimlet template, which allows for a more back-to-basics cocktail where lime takes center stage. While the result will be less complex than a gin-based Gimlet, the Vodka Gimlet leans into maximum refreshment through simplicity. It's also more forgiving in construction and proportions can be more easily tweaked to fit the tastes of whomever's mixing it, as balancing the most subtle aspects of gin is less of a factor.

Should a Vodka Gimlet Use Fresh Lime Juice or Rose's Lime Cordial?

The endless debate is whether or not a Vodka Gimlet—or any Gimlet, really—should use fresh lime juice and sugar, or Rose's Lime Juice Cordial. There are purists on both sides of the argument. Many like to point that in Raymond Chandler’s 1953 noir novel The Long Goodbye, hardboiled detective Philip Marlowe claims, “A real Gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s lime juice and nothing else.”

As with all things, it's really a matter of taste. If you prefer your Vodka Gimlet as 50/50 mix of Vodka and Rose's, pour your heart out. However, it's important to remember that Rose's itself began as an effort to create a shelf-stable version of fresh lime juice. If you're not on a ship dealing with the logistics of storing juice through a transatlantic voyage, there's no reason not to create a Gimlet using fresh lime and sugar, to create the flavor profile Lachlan Rose was originally trying to capture.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka
• 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• Garnish: lime wheel

Steps

1. Add the vodka, lime juice and simple syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel.