Cucumber & Lavender Gin Gimlet

What is a gimlet?

A gimlet is a classic gin cocktail dating back to the 1920s. Gin and lime juice are the two main ingredients in a gimlet and also typically made with a simple syrup. Gimlets now may also be made with vodka if you don’t like gin. It’s a very simple drink to make at home if you have your spirit and fresh lime juice.

Most people do prefer to make them with about 1/2 oz of simple syrup as well which can easily be made at home with sugar and water. However this gimlet uses a honey syrup in place of simple. This is also incredibly easy to make at home which I will discuss here in this post.

What gin should I use?

Most classic gimlets are made with a London Dry Gin like Beefeater or Highclere Castle Gin. However for this gimlet recipe I wanted something to compliment the cucumber and lavender flavors so I chose Hendrick’s Lunar Gin. You can try this recipe with your favorite gin but I recommend looking for one with floral notes.

What Lavender liqueur should I use?

I often use a lavender liqueur by Wild Moon which is local to me. If you can’t find a lavender liqueur then a syrup would work well but you may also want to cut back on the honey syrup because the lavender syrup might make it sweeter. You can find many lavender syrups on Amazon like this one from Monin.

If you’re interested in more lavender recipes then try this Honey Lavender Oat Latte.

How do you make cucumber juice?

I have used cucumber juice in many of my recipes. It’s really simple to make and you will likely need at least one whole cucumber. Be sure to peel and remove the seeds to avoid any bitter flavors. Place the cucumber in a blender and use a very fine mesh strainer to strain into a measuring cup. One cucumber will usually yield about 8 ounces of juice, depending on the size of the cucumber. It’s very refreshing and a great addition to many cocktails and mocktails.

If you need another recipe to use your cucumber juice for try this Elderflower and Cucumber Spritz

How do you made honey syrup?

Like most syrups, it’s much easier than you might think! For honey syrup just add equal parts honey and equal parts water to a microwave safe container and microwave for about 1 minute. Stir until the honey is dissolved. You can also get creative with different types of honey for more complex flavors.

Lime juice – fresh or bottled?

Always try to use fresh lime juice in cocktails when possible, it really makes a huge different in flavor and how well your drink mixes. I recommend using a good hand juicer, it’s one of my favorite bar tools!

Looking for more gimlet recipes? Try this simple Basil Gimlet.

Cucumber & Lavender Gin Gimlet Recipe