The Gimlet is a favorite gin cocktail for many for a good reason, it is refreshing, aromatic and so very simple to make. Yet, there is a debate about the "appropriate" Gimlet (pronounced gim-lit - with a hard "g" unlike gin) can be made these days.
It was quite interesting that a discussion of Rose's lime juice and lime cordial in general (specifically in regards to this cocktail) went on for longer than one might expect at a "Cocktails that Made Gin Famous" seminar at Tales of the Cocktail. Yes, we are cocktail geeks and could go off on what seems to be the simplest ingredients (you should here some of the discussions about ice). The consensus has been for years that Rose's lime (technically a cordial because it is sweetened and is now mislabeled as a juice) was the way to make a Gimlet. Fresh lime juice doesn't have the sweetness the cocktail requires and Rose's is an industry standard so it has been one of those "hard" rules in cocktails: use Rose's (if for nothing else) for a Gimlet.
However, points were made that the Rose's we know today may not be the original Rose's when the Gimlet came about in the first part of the 20th century. The solution to this that makes a far superior Gimlet is to get out the saucepan and sugar, rind some limes and make your own lime cordial. The recipe for homemade lime cordial is here and, let me tell you, once you've perfected your cordial and found the right gin (an aromatic London dry is ideal) you will never go back to Rose's.
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