Comments on: The Richmond Gimlet

By: Jason Littrell

Jason Littrell — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:48:50 +0000

It’s impossible to ignore the relationships between these drinks. There’s definitely a colloquial difference between these these cocktail (names), but they all have one thing in common…they taste good. Gimlet=sugar, lime, gin. Mint Gimlet= Richmond Gimlet, or “Southside” in New York. Let’s get crazy…add cucumber to the Richmond Gimlet and you have an Eastside.

As far as I’m concerned you can call them all Jeff, because that guy’s cool.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:56:45 +0000

I just made this now and it is really good. It is now on the menu for my home bar. Thanks for the great drink. The base is so different to a Bramble.

By: lee

lee — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:25:55 +0000

So if you put 4oz of alcohol why do you strain it into a 9oz glass?

I agree with you James, make a mint infused simple syrup. Then no worries about mint on your teeth! Also one other wonderful combination is sweet basil instead of mint, also infused in the syrup. Wonderful.

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:56:47 +0000

Tanqueray should be paying you. I normally hate gin, but this drink guarantees there will always be a bottle of No. 10 on my shelf.

By: James

James — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:15:21 +0000

I just tried one of these, and it was excellent. The only change is that instead of a mint leaf I used mint-infused simple syrup that was left over from a day of making mojitos. Definitely a keeper.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:01:11 +0000

OMG, I want to cry. My local joint makes a drink that I could never quite replicate. It has a mixture of Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau and cucumber juice but your Gimlet mixture is so similar in style and tartness that I have the will to live again! Yummy yummy yummy!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:48:37 +0000

Hey Jeff,

I tried your Richmond Gimlet for the first time this week. It was so good, I emailed the recipe far and wide and you’ll be pleased to know it slaked many thirsts over the last few days as the temperatures here (London, UK)unusually reached the mid 30s (centigrade).

I experimented and swapped the 1oz syrup for 1oz St Germain Liqueur. Worth a try if you get the chance – a delicious twist on your perfect original.

Thanks. Love the blog.

Andrew

By: Derek Borders

Derek Borders — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:12:35 +0000

This is funny. The first drink I came up with that made it onto a real menu is this exact recipe except that the base spirit is Bacardi Limon. I was trying for a cross between a Daquiri and a Mojito. I named their mutant offspring the Mint Conditon. For the garnish I use a lime wheel with a sprig of mint stabbed through it. I am especially fond of the little mint flecks that float around when you shake it well.

Other flavored rums make for some tasty variations as well. e.g. Bacardi Grand Grand Melon and Peach Red.

On a more pertinent note I think that Hendrix Gin with it’s unique cucumber and rose flavors would work really well here. Plus the crispness of that particular gin won’t be lost on such a clean cocktail.

By: Daniel RIchmond

Daniel RIchmond — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:54:22 +0000

Hey Jeff,
Love the site. You are truly the consummate bartender and bon vivant, and as always, your array of inebriant knowledge is beyond reproach.

By: Ebbe H.

Ebbe H. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:40:45 +0000

I am currently enjoying one of these. I have previously sinned against the gimlet by using Rose’s, and unsurprisngly this is much better. It even looks better with all the beat up mint from the shaking! Great drink, great blog, keep it coming.

By: The Concierge

The Concierge — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:38:58 +0000

I have made a similar drink for a little more than a year now, which is essentially the same except I used St. germain and not simple syrup and a little less of it than 1 oz. However, sometimes muddle the lime with a mint a little before I shake it and I have only made it with Plymouth and 209 Gins. In any case, it is something that is worth trying by anyone who enjoys this drink. I have noticed Gin and mint drinks of similar character have been popping up all over nyc recently, each made slightly different though.

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:48:15 +0000

Charlie

I leave the garnish out of this one, actually, but you’re free to experiment as you wish!

Jeff

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:09:03 +0000

Do you prefer to use a lime garnish or mint in this? Thanks.

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:33:24 +0000

Garretto – Oops, I see that now, sorry. Thanks for the encouragement, I always appreciate it!

By: Garretto

Garretto — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:01:40 +0000

Jeffrey — actually I was agreeing with you— it was P Richmond (above my response) who mentioned the Roses Lime “how can you dare call it a Gimlet” and then mentions the mojito. I think “Gimlet” is appropriate in the name, as it resembles it more than a mojito; both in taste and prep.

Not to change the subject, but your Bourbon Renewal is the best play on a whiskey sour I’ve ever tasted. It’s a “usual” around my house. Great drinks, JM!

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:52:38 +0000

Garretto – Point taken, however I do believe that gimlets were (for a short time) made with fresh lime and sugar before Rose came along. My Journal of the American Cocktail books are both in temporary storage, but I’m fairly sure that’s what I read therein.

By: Garretto

Garretto — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:41:30 +0000

Regarding the name, and inevitable mojito comparisons…
Last month I worked a weekend at the bar/restaurant my Bro-law owns.
I had the Richmond Gimlet as the “special” that weekend. It did real well (thanks again Jeffrey)and the Mojito kept coming up. “Oh it tastes like a mojito” and the other bartender even started to muddle the mint—NO NO NO! I put a stop to that quick.
As well as the flavor, the beauty of the drink is the ease of the recipe and preparation.I don’t view it as a version of a mojito just because it has mint in it. I’d compare it to a Gin-sour or (fresh juice) Gimlet, with mint. Just as it is named. I don’t see at as a Ginjito, or a Moginto.

By: p richmond

p richmond — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:57:00 +0000

i just read the write up of the Richmond Gimlet in Oklahoma Magazine. i have worked several spinoffs from the mojito myself and was quite intrigued. but how can you dare call it a Gimlet without Rose’s Sweetened Lime???

By: Evan M.

Evan M. — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:05:04 +0000

This is a great refreshing drink, although I just ran out of Tanq 10 So I used Hendricks which had good results but I could imagine Tanq 10 would work even nicer. I’ve made a drink similar to this but has a much different flavor, but still light and refreshing.
1 1/2 oz. vodka 1/2 oz. lime juice 1/2 oz. Ginger syrup and 1 mint sprig. For other mint/gin combinations everyone must try Audrey Saunder’s Gin Gin Mule or even better: a Ginger Rogers which I think is a better version of the Gin Gin Mule.
Make exactly like a mojito but use ginger syrup, gin, and ginger ale in place of simple syrup, rum, and soda. And then of course the Southside Cocktail.

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:58:08 +0000

Bill – So glad you and everyone at the party enjoyed it!

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:51:37 +0000

Jeff,
I tried the Richmond Gimlet and really enjoyed it. Had some friends try –they too loved it.
A friend had me bartend a pool party specifically requesting the drink—- made about thirty in a 2 hour period. Ran out of gin. Big hit!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Bill G.

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:22:43 +0000

Mike S. – Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the drink.

By: Mike S.

Mike S. — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00:03 +0000

I’ve been reading here on this site for a while now, and posting a comment here and there, but tonight I finally got around to making myself a Richmond Gimlet. It’s absolutely wonderful, and one that I’ll make again and again. Thanks much for posting the recipe.

Cheers!

Mike

By: Michaelg

Michaelg — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:48:56 +0000

I don’t mean to sound like a broken record (I’ve said this before in this site), but substituting a shot of limeade for the simple syrup is easier, and dare I say it…better?

By: SLOSHED! » Blog Archive » Tropical Fix

SLOSHED! » Blog Archive » Tropical Fix — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:52:43 +0000

[...] All right, now that the introspective portion of our program has concluded, let’s get on to the real reason you’re here. For this challenge, we’ve been asked to pick a drink that was posted or created by a fellow blogger and spread the love around a little. My first inclination was to make the Richmond Gimlet, something that I’ve been meaning to do ever since I laid eyes on Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s recipe æons ago. Doubts overcame me though, and I stopped myself. While everything about that drink screams “delightful!” to me, it seemed like a cop-out to pick the drink from Jeffrey’s blog for this challenge. I wanted to dig a little deeper. Use a liquor that I don’t feature very often. Grab a recipe from another blog that I admire, since I’ve already heaped lavish praise on the Nacional and adding more praise for the Richmond Gimlet would be pretty biased. [...]