The Gimlet has its origin in the British Navy. Officers and sailors were often struck by scurvy. One of the methods to make them more resistant to scurvy was giving them loads of Vitamin C. Lime contains a lot of Vitamin C, but pure lime juice tastes, well, pretty awful… So Gin and sugar syrup were added to the lime juice to make the stuff a bit more drinkable. How the drink gets its name is not certain. One theory is that the first one that made the brew, was Admiral Thomas Desmond Gimlette, another theory says that it is named after a ‘gimlet’, that was a sharp pin,  used to pierce barrels of Gin. We frankly do not care at all which of these theories is correct, all we know is that a gimlet is a very delicious drink, and an alcohol-free recipe can be found right here!

What do you need?

  • 6 cl. Memento (or another alcohol-free distillate such as No Ghost in a Bottle, Nona June, Ginsin, …)
  • 2 cl. simple syrup (can be made by boiling one part of water, mixing it with one part of sugar and letting it cool down)
  • 2 cl. fresh squeezed lime juice

How do you make it?

  • Cool a cocktail glass in advance by putting a few ice cubes in it or putting it in the freezer for about fifteen minutes.
  • Meanwhile, pour the Memento, the simple syrup and the lime juice in a shaker, together with four ice cubes.
  • Shake everything vigorously for about 15 seconds
  • Remove the ice from your glass and pour in the drink through a sieve or with a strainer
  • Enjoy!