Gunpowder Gimlet Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/23/21
Gunpowder Gimlet Cocktail
alejandrophotography / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Infuse: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Tea makes a fantastic component in a cocktail recipe. This gunpowder gimlet from bartender Ben Carpenter of Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena, California takes top honors, impressing with its magical mix of infusions. 

There may be just four ingredients in this iced tea cocktail, but they are a treasure trove of unique flavors. It begins by prepping two ingredients, including a two-hour infusion of green tea in Ford's Gin and a special pistachio honey syrup, which also takes about two hours. The timing is very convenient and much shorter than most liquor infusions. The nutty syrup really sets the drink apart, however, and gives the classic gimlet a nice modern spin.

While you have the pistachio syrup, use it to sweeten your green tea. As this recipe proves, it's a natural complement and should be useful in a number of other drinks as well.

Ingredients

For the Green Tea-Infused Gin:

  • 1/4 cup green tea leaves

  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle gin

For the Salted Pistachio Honey Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup salted pistachios

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 1/2 cup water

For the Cocktail:

  • 1 1/2 ounces green tea-infused gin

  • 1/2 ounce salted pistachio honey syrup

  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice

  • 3 to 4 dashes chamomile bitters

Steps to Make It

Make Green Tea-Infused Gin

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In an infusion jar, add the tea leaves, then fill with gin.

  3. Steep for 2 hours, or to taste.

  4. Strain out the tea leaves and bottle. It can be stored just like any other gin.

Make the Salted Pistachio Honey Syrup

  1. In a saucepan, add salted pistachios and equal parts honey and water to a saucepan.

  2. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then turn off the heat.

  3. Cover and let cool and steep in the pan for 1 to 2 hours.

  4. Strain out the pistachios and bottle in a jar with a tight-sealing lid. Store in the refrigerator.

Tips

  • The "gunpowder" in the cocktail's name refers to gunpowder green tea. It's a special process that rolls Chinese green tea leaves into small pellets. Any green tea will work just fine.
  • You can infuse up to 1 liter of gin using the same amount of tea. Ford's Gin comes in both sizes.
  • Strain both the gin and syrup using a fine-mesh strainer. You may have to double strain to ensure you get every bit of tea and nuts from the two ingredients.

Make the Gunpowder Gimlet

  1. In a cocktail shaker, pour the tea-infused gin, pistachio syrup, lemon juice, and bitters. Fill with ice cubes.

  2. Shake well.

  3. Strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass with fresh crushed ice.

  4. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Variations

  • While chamomile bitters are highly recommended, other flavored bitters can be used as well. Consider herbal bitters such as lavender or simply use the versatile aromatic or orange bitters.
  • Skip the nuts and make this drink with unflavored honey syrup instead: Mix equal parts honey and water until it has a uniform consistency, no heat required. It's a good option if you may be serving the drink to anyone who may be allergic to nuts.
  • This cocktail can also be made with tea-infused vodka or rum.

How Strong Is a Gunpowder Gimlet?

Ford's Gin is full of flavor, a fact indicated by its 90-proof bottling strength. That will, of course, also create a slightly stronger drink than if you were to pour a standard 80-proof gin. This cocktail's alcohol content should be in the 20 percent ABV (40 proof) range. While that's typical of drinks of this style, it's half the strength of a straight shot of the typical distilled spirit. Keep this in mind if you don't want to get tipsy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
138 Calories
0g Fat
10g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 138
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 23mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)