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Some say, “You eat with your eyes.” I don’t know about you, but until my eyes start sporting incisors, I’ll continue to use my mouth. Especially when drinking cocktails.
I was recently at a bar that specialized in herbal concoctions and ordered a Rosemary Gimlet. I’ve been focusing a little more on gin these days, favoringan ice-cold martini over my usual whiskey or rye-based drinks. Partially because I was in the states and people kept making Manhattans and other cocktails way too sweet. One said-to-be reputable bar served me a Manhattanwith extra maraschino cherry juice in the glass. If I wasn’t so respectful of bartenders, I would have lept over the bar and made her stop. What’s up with that?
I tend to like my cocktails on the tangy or on the rugged side, rather than too fruity or sweet. Herbs, I can go either way on. Rosemary in particular, is one of those herbs that if you use a little too much of it, the taste can be medicinal. But when I saw it paired withgin and lime juice on abar menu in New York, I figured it would be a nice combination for a winter cocktail. And after my first sip, I was convinced that it was.
The only issue I had with the one that I’d ordered was that it was served in a thick glass, shapedlike a deep cone tapering downward, resting on a base with no stem. It was more appropriate to what you might find at an airport lounge rather than an upscale cocktail bar, where drinks were going for$14 a pop, plus tax andtip. While chatting with the barman, I did mention that the cocktail was tasty, but the glass could have used an updating. He repliedthat that’s what they had on hand, which seemed a shame.
We may not be able to eat with our eyes (and if you can, please share a video…or, er, maybe not…), but how a cocktail tastes can dependon the glass. At least to me. Just likewe all have our own favorite coffee cup, a cocktail glass provides avisceral experience that can’t always be explained. Wine pros will talk about how the shape of the glass focuses certain flavors of the wine tospecific parts of your tongue that will enhance the experience, which is probably true. Sois it too hard towant a cocktailin a proper glass? (And unless you’re from the south, hold the jam jars!)
A friend of mine told me about going to a swanky hotel in Manhattan for a martini, and her favorite part was the glass. She described it as having a curved shape, like a typical martini glass, but at the very top, right before the rim, the glass curved in just a little bit, which she reiterated with the tips of her index fingers cocking inwards. From that tiny gesture, I could tell exactly how that cold martini tasted as it slipped through her lips.
Ditto with a gimlet. Icy gin needs to be served in a stemmed glass, as your handswill warm the drink. When I’m roaming through thrift stores and flea markets, I pick up cocktail glasses when I see ones that interest me. For some reason, cocktail glasses tend to get broken more often than other glasses, which may be why some people just give up and use jam jars. (Spoiler: Those French “working glasses” that they sell for drinks in America, no one uses for drinks in France.) But being a thrifty guy, I buy cocktail glasses when they’re $1 a pop, if I can, and treat myself to a proper glass. Like the ones here that I bought at a Goodwill shop.
The name “Gimlet” sounds like something that might be sipped in a more genteel era, when the proper glass was de rigeur. Modern tastes now swap out fresh lime juice for the sweetened bottled stuff. And unless I didn’t get the memo, you can use any kind of gin that you like. I picked up this bottle of dry rye gin, made by St. George Spirits, perhaps hoping to capture some of the former glory of the rye whiskey-based Manhattans that I knew and loved so well.
I knew the Jörg Rupf, the German founder of the company, back when he was tinkering away with his oak barrels and distiller, in a hangar, making eau-de-vies and other spirits that few in Americahad ever heard of. (He once made a holly berry eau-de-vie that was kind of wacky, for Christmas. He also laughed about how little business he did: At the time, his biggest restaurant account went through 1/2 bottle of liquor every two months.) Now the company has shifted hands, right about the time cocktails reemergedin America, and seems to be going gangbusters.
Although Jörg has retired, the new team is doing some very interesting things, like this gin. I found the rye a bit too “present” for a martini, but was spot-onin this gimlet. But feel free to use a favorite gin, because you should always judge a liquor by the flavor, not by the bottle. Unless, of course, you drink with your eyes.
[This recipe is featured in my book Drinking French…now available!]
Rosemary Gimlet
Rosemary adds a lovely resiny flavor to this cocktail, with pairs nicely with the tart lime and juniper-rich gin. However it is a flavor that can quickly overwhelm. I found the amount in the syrup that I used to be just right. But if you’re a bit apprehensive, you can dial it back to 1 1/2 tablespoons (about 3g). The rosemary syrup will make enough for about eight or so cocktails. It can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks. It’s also nice drizzled over fresh orange slices for dessert.The recipe can be scaled up to whatever will fit comfortably in a cocktail shaker. Most cocktail shakers can handle two drinks at the same time.
Rosemary Syrup
- 1/2 cup (125ml) water
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (4g) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Rosemary Gimlet
- 2 ounces gin
- 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
- 3/4 ounce rosemary syrup
Make the rosemary syrup by heating the water, sugar and chopped rosemary leaves in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool completely. Once cool, strain the rosemary syrup into a jar, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chill a stemmed cocktail glass in the freezer.
Measure the gin, lime juice and rosemary syrup into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway with ice, cover, and shake the gimlet mixture about twenty seconds, until very cold. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or a slice of fresh lime.
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