On Fridays we like to offer up something fun for the weekend. Often it’s a baked treat like week before last’s Chocolate Muffins with White Chocolate and Dried Cherries or a fun drink like last Friday’s Puerto Rican Egg Nog.
Today we’re featuring a cocktail–French Gimlet. Just three ingredients–St. Germain, gin, and lime juice.
If you don’t have a bottle of St. Germain in your stash, buy it. Unlike a lot of other syrupy liqueurs, this one will not fade in the closet, untouched for years. It’s made from wild elderflowers, mild, yet floral, sweet not treacly. The St. Germain’s elderflower partners well with the gin’s juniper while the lime juice balances the sweetness.
The proportions are easy to remember: 2 parts gin, 1 part St. Germain, and 1/2 part lime juice. For two drinks (because it’s always good to share great food and drink with someone else) it’s 1/2 cup gin, 1/4 cup St. Germain, and 2 tablespoons lime juice.
Enjoy this lazy January weekend!
- ½ cup gin
- ¼ cup St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a coupes or martini glasses and serve.
a great cocktail Glad you are a purist and suggest gin over vodka . No Rose’s lime juice — a very good call. This cocktail has a good kick also
This is my kind of cocktail. Fresh, potent and gin-ny 🙂
This sounds great… I love St. Germain in champagne and sparkling wine. Do you recommend any particular gin?
My old standby is Bombay Sapphire–love it for its potent juniper berry flavor.
Bombay Sapphire is my go to for Martinis, Tangueray for summertime gin and tonics! Thanks for this recipe, having friends for dinner Saturday, this will be our cocktail to sip with a smoked trout app!
My friend made this cocktail for our book club and it was perfection. I’ve never been a huge fan of gin, but this made me a believer!
I’ve got a new fave. I may have to have my fictional characters try this. There drink of choice in my vintage fiction is Lemon Drops, but I think this drink will go into my next Girl in the Jitterbug Dress book.
Thanks!
It’s 3 years after your post. I’m looking up cocktails for Mother’s Day for my wife of 38 years (we have two grown sons) when I find this French Gimlet (it was very good) and then started to read the reviews after the fact. I happen upon your review and mention of the book which I found on Amazon and ordered. Complete serendipity. Thanks for your review and for mentioning your book. I’ll give it to my wife for a belated Mother’s Day gift. I hope you see this post someday.
My most favorite gin is Martin Miller’s, I love it for martinis. Must say it goes well in this recipe. Very refreshing and indeed potent.
That sounds like a delicious drink! Definitely, want to give this a try. cheers!
This is my favorite cocktail. I think it is best with Esme gin from France
Made it with Ford’s Gin and tossed a little more in but that’s how we roll. Was geeat!
Bombay Sapphire is good, Plymouth is GREAT. Thanks for putting this up…now my wife drinks gin!
I made this to sip on while giving my cockatoo its nightly bath! Garnished with a lime from my lime garden. Excellent !! First class !! Cheerio !!