The BEST French Gimlet - Happy Honey Kitchen

Gin, elderflower, and citrus combine to make an herbaceous, floral and tart cocktail. It’s surprising to think this sophisticated and complex flavored beverage only has 3 ingredients!

• Gin – The better the gin, the better the drink. Use a high quality gin for this gin gimlet cocktail. I suggest using Beefeater or Tanqueray.
• Elderflower liqueur – The taste of elderflower liqueur is floral and fresh. St. Germain is one of the most famous elderflower liqueurs. It’s on the pricier side, so I usually use an off brand, such as Drillaud elderflower liqueur.
• Lime juice – Fresh squeezed limes are best to use in this French gimlet recipe.

Making a French Gimlet cocktail is as simple as the ingredients in this recipe. Gin and St. Germain are a classic combination and make perfect sense in this tart and sweet cocktail recipe.

First, chill your glass in the freezer for a few minutes while mixing this drink. Chilling the glass can make the flavors of the drink more crisp. Next, fill a cocktail shaker with ice, gin, elderflower liqueur, and fresh lime juice. Fresh lime juice is best.

Shake well for about 15 seconds, until cold. Finally, strain the drink into a cocktail glass. Typically, this cocktail is served in a coupe glass. The best gimlet garnish is a wedge of lime on the rim of the glass.

Serve this French Gimlet for happy hour or fancy dinner at home. Pro Tip: Make a big batch and pre-mix this elderflower gimlet in a large glass jug before a party. Simply stir and pour when your guests ask for more.

A gimlet is a classic cocktail that originated in the 1920s. A description of the drink from back then describes it as: “gin, and a spot of lime”. A gimlet is typically a gin cocktail, but it can be made with vodka as well. To make a vodka gimlet simply replace the gin with vodka.

A French Gimlet is a gin gimlet with the addition of elderflower liqueur.

The taste of gin can vary from one brand to another, but most people say it has a “pine” or “Christmas tree” flavor. Herbs, such as juniper berries and coriander, along with citrus are used to make gin giving it a botanic flavor. High quality, good gin is able to balance all the unique ingredients that go into making this spirit, so buy the “good stuff”.

I suggest using a high quality gin, such as Beefeater or Tanqueray, since it’s the main ingredient of this cocktail recipe.

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