THE TRADITIONAL GIMLET BUT WITH A LOVELY TWIST, THANKS TO JAGGERY!
I've always loved the familiar and comforting taste of jaggery growing up. Easy to detect in sweets given its richer molasses flavor, but never too sweet that it is overbearing. It is a SPECTACULAR ingredient and should come to no one's surprise...I keep my bar cart stocked with jaggery.
While this may be the first of my cocktails to feature jaggery, I can guarantee you that it won't be the last.
And this jaggery syrup (mind you, one of the only three ingredients in this cocktail recipe) can be made well in advance as long as it is stored in an air-tight container. It keeps for weeks on the bar cart and then can be transferred to the fridge for twice the amount of months. Have I convinced you to make the syrup yet?
Gimlets are not a hard drink to love, they are well-balanced and make for a great go-to beverage when ordering at a bar. But here's the scoop. They are very simple to make at home but make you feel EXTRA FANCY. Who would have thought? And more importantly...what's not to love? I love cocktails specifically like this for the holiday season. Your guests will feel fancy and special (not to mention loving their cocktails)... all thanks to you!
This is the most wonderful cocktail for the season and I hope you love making it for your guests as much as I loved developing it! And expect to see a lot more on this blog with jaggery syrup...you won't regret making it for this one and of course many more. :)
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INGREDIENTS
2 oz gin (I used Jaisalmer Indian craft gin)
1 oz jaggery simple syrup (recipe below)
1 oz lime juice (approximately the juice of one lime)
1 lime wedge, optional, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Jaggery syrup
Take equal parts hot water and jaggery and combine. I used 1/2 cup of ground jaggery powder and 1/2 cup of hot water.
Stir until the jaggery is fully melted.
Store in an airtight and heat-proof container or jar at room temperature for up to three months. Make sure it is cooled to room temperature before adding it to the cocktail shaker.
You can then transfer the jar to the fridge after a month, where it could last in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Gimlet
In a cocktail shaker, add your gin, jaggery syrup, and lime juice.
Add in ice and shake until chilled.
Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately.
~ Serves 1
Notes
I used Jaisalmer gin for this recipe which has strong citrus notes of lemongrass and orange peel as well as coriander. I like to use different types of gins for different recipes and I absolutely love Jaisalmer this recipe!
The recipe for jaggery simple syrup makes for 4 cocktails, but you can always double the recipe or cut it in half - depending on how many cocktails you are serving!