Vodka Gimlet
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 24.6% ABV ∙
A Vodka Gimlet is a shaken sour of vodka, lime cordial, and fresh citrus, served up in a coupe as the vodka-based twin to the classic gin Gimlet. Cold and silky with a tart, bright edge, this pours crisp and clean, finishing on a fragrant lift of expressed lime oil.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 70 mlLime cordial 10 mlLemon juice 5 mlLime juice 5 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lime twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining — a warm glass takes the edge off the fine-strained texture fast.
- Fine-strain rather than regular-strain to keep the drink clear of ice shards and ready to sip immediately.
- Express the lime twist directly over the drink so its oils settle on the surface, then drop it in as garnish.
History
The Vodka Gimlet has no independent creation story of its own: it is simply the Gimlet made with vodka instead of gin, a swap that became common as vodka's popularity surged in America from the mid-20th century onward, giving the drink a smoother, more neutral profile than the original. No bartender, bar, or date is credited with introducing the vodka version; it developed gradually as a bar-menu variant rather than as a single documented invention.
The Gimlet itself is generally traced to the British Royal Navy, where lime juice was mixed with gin to make the sailors' mandated anti-scurvy rations more palatable, a practice popularly credited to naval surgeon Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette, though this attribution is often repeated as legend rather than firmly documented. The drink used Rose's Lime Cordial, patented in 1867, and the name "gimlet" was in print by the 1920s. The Vodka Gimlet keeps that lime-cordial formula but replaces the gin, trading its botanical character for vodka's cleaner taste.
FAQ
What is a Vodka Gimlet?
A Vodka Gimlet is a shaken, vodka-based cocktail sharpened with lime cordial, fine-strained into a chilled coupe and finished with an expressed lime twist. It's essentially a classic Gimlet with vodka standing in for gin, giving a cleaner, more neutral base behind the tart-sweet lime.
What is in a gimlet cocktail?
A classic Gimlet is gin and lime cordial, sometimes with a touch of fresh lime juice. This build uses vodka in place of gin, with lime cordial plus a small amount of fresh lemon juice, lime juice, and sugar syrup for extra balance.
What is the ratio for a gimlet?
The classic Gimlet ratio runs roughly 2:1 gin to lime cordial. This build is vodka-forward, with the cordial and a splash of fresh lemon and lime juice and syrup making up a smaller supporting portion, so the vodka carries more of the pour than in a traditional cordial-heavy build.
How do you make a good Vodka Gimlet?
Pre-chill the glass, shake the vodka, lime cordial, lemon juice, lime juice, and sugar syrup hard with ice, then fine-strain into the chilled coupe. Express a lime twist over the top and drop it in as garnish; the fine strain keeps the texture silky rather than icy.
Do people still drink Vodka Gimlets?
Yes, the Vodka Gimlet remains a popular modern order, especially among drinkers who prefer vodka's neutral profile to gin's botanicals. It has stayed a staple on cocktail menus as a simple, citrus-forward alternative to the classic Gimlet.
