Vodka Gimlet with Homemade Lime Cordial
This vodka gimlet is one of the simplest cocktails you can make. It’s just vodka and lime cordial, shaken with ice and served ice cold. It’s crisp, citrusy, and perfectly balanced, and I use a quick homemade lime cordial that takes it to a whole other level.
About this vodka gimlet
A gimlet is a classic cocktail made with a spirit and lime cordial. The traditional version uses gin, but this vodka gimlet swaps it out for a cleaner, smoother base where the lime really gets to shine. The cocktail itself couldn’t be easier. It’s two ingredients, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass. The lime cordial does all the heavy lifting because it already has sweetness, tartness, and lime flavor built right in.
Most gimlet recipes call for Rose’s lime cordial, a sweetened, preserved lime juice that’s been around since the 1800s. It works, but I much prefer making my own. Homemade lime cordial has a depth of flavor that store-bought just can’t match. The zest steeps in the warm syrup and releases all its fragrant oils, fresh lime juice keeps things bright, and a little citric acid gives it that sharp, tangy bite that makes a cordial taste like a cordial and not just a lime syrup.
The method is really similar to how I make my other simple syrups, like my thyme simple syrup or cardamom simple syrup. You heat sugar and water, steep the zest, cool, and strain. The extra steps here are stirring in fresh lime juice and citric acid at the end.
Key ingredients and why
- Vodka: Use a good quality, unflavored vodka. Since there are only two main ingredients in the cocktail, the quality of your vodka really matters. You don’t need top shelf, but pick something smooth.
- Lime cordial: This is what makes a gimlet a gimlet. It’s a sweetened lime concentrate that brings sweetness, tartness, and citrus flavor all in one. You can use store-bought (Rose’s is the most common), but homemade is so much better. I’ve included my recipe in the notes of the recipe card below.
Homemade lime cordial
My cordial is a quick-cooked version that uses fresh lime zest, fresh lime juice, sugar, water, and a little citric acid. The citric acid is what gives it that sharp, bracing tartness that makes a cordial taste like a cordial and not just a sweet lime syrup. You can find citric acid powder in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or online. Find the full recipe for homemade lime cordial here.
Method
- Fill a coupe glass with ice and set it aside while you make the cocktail.
- Add vodka and lime cordial to a cocktail shaker, fill with ice, and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until the shaker feels frosty and cold.
- Tip the ice from the coupe glass, strain the cocktail into the chilled glass, and garnish with a lime wheel or twist of lime peel.
Tips
You might also like
If you love this vodka gimlet, try some of these cocktails next:
- Thyme gimlet – a gin gimlet with herbal thyme syrup
- Ginger gimlet – warm and spicy with homemade ginger syrup
- Grapefruit gimlet – a citrusy twist with fresh grapefruit
- Cherry gimlet – bright and fruity with cherry simple syrup
- The Moscow Mule – can’t go wrong with this vodka and ginger beer pairing!
Vodka Gimlet
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz lime cordial
- Ice
- Lime wheel or lime peel twist for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a coupe glass with ice and set aside to chill.
- Add vodka and lime cordial to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until the shaker is frosty and cold.
- Tip the ice from the coupe glass and strain the cocktail into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel or a twist of lime peel.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Homemade Lime Cordial
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp lime zest finely grated, from 4 limes
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice from the zested limes
- 1 Tbsp citric acid powder optional but recommended
