Blackberry & Lilac Gimlet

A sweetened version of a traditional Gin Gimlet due to the addition of homemade Blackberry and Lilac simple syrup! 

What is a gimlet cocktail?

A classic Gimlet cocktail is composed of only two ingredients – lime juice and gin! I’ve added a bit of sweetness to our Gimlet to incorporate some floral and fruity notes. The lime juice and gin are still our key players here – I’ve just added a bit of twist!

Ingredient Breakdown

Blackberry & Lillac Simple Syrup

Lilacs have an incredible scent that fills up your home after placing a bouquet in your rooms. What’s beautiful about lilacs is that they’re also edible! The sweet and floral scent and flavor of lilacs provide this simple syrup a beautiful taste, and the addition of muddled blackberries only adds to the complexity of the flavor. The blackberry juices also help to provide this deep purple color that reacts with the lime juice to create this deep, rich color pictured below!

Lime Juice

The combination of these two fruit juices provides a sweet while acidic taste that goes incredibly well together.

Freshly squeezed lime juice is key! Prefer the bottled juice? I would highly advise taste testing bottled lime juice next to freshly squeezed. The difference is sure to shock your taste buds!

Freshly squeezed citrus juice is more naturally acidic, bright, and flavorful. When there are so few ingredients incorporated into a recipe, I always feel that the quality of those ingredients is absolutely essential.

Gin

Gin is usually made from a base of grain, such as wheat or barley, which is first fermented and then distilled! A variety of ingredients are then added to the alcohol such as juniper berries and other herbs, plants, and spices for a period of time. At the end of this process, you have gin!

I have to say, Gin may be my very favorite alcohol as of late! Sometimes Rye or Bourbon wins over Gin in the Fall and Winter but in the summer? Gin wins every time.

Only a few simple steps…

1. Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until liquid is chilled

2. Strain into your glass and garnish with lilac flowers and enjoy!

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The Golden Ratio

When mixing my own cocktails at home, I am ultimately looking for balance. The general rule to follow when it comes to building a cocktail is as follows:

• 2 Parts Alcohol (Gin, Rye, Vodka, Rum)
• 1 Part Sour (Lemon juice, Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice)
• 1 Part Sweet (Simple Syrup, Vermouth, Cream, Compote, Liquor)

By utilizing the basics above, you are more likely to achieve a balanced taste and is a great guide to reference when developing your own recipes. Once you have your base, you can add additional flavors and notes in order to accomplish a more complex cocktail.

Below, you’ll find some of my go-to cocktail recipes to try. You can utilize the infusion guide above in order to create your own simple syrup infusions as a key flavor player.

• Pear Brandy Sour
• Lime Mojitos
• Blood Orange Pisco Sour