The best cocktail you've never had

THE Gimlet is one of those cocktails that causes arguments BEFORE it's consumed.

gin gimlet

THE Gimlet is one of those cocktails that causes arguments BEFORE it's consumed.

Is it sacriligious to add soda? Is fresh lime juice used, or Rose's Lime Juice?

AskMen take booze-related (and booze-fueled) discussions very seriously, and are here to clear up the dispute.

Regardless of what history says, they prefer their Gimlet made with gin (as opposed to vodka), a hearty pour of Rose's, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. On ice, in a rocks glass. Simple as that.

They humbly acknowledge their version flies in the face of the rule set down by our favourite noir crime author, Raymond Chandler, in his classic book The Long Goodbye (published in 1953), wherein the character Terry Lennox states that a real Gimlet is made of half gin, half Rose's, and nothing else. Sorry Ray, but without that extra squeeze of lime, the Rose's by itself it too sweet.

History has it that the Gimlet was first served by a British naval surgeon by the name of Gimlette as a way to get his sailors to drink lime juice, thereby preventing scurvy. See, refreshing and healthy!

Hair-on-your-chest factor: 85/100

The Gimlet is a summer refresher par excellence, but it packs a wallop. At the end of a hot day, when sipped on a porch or patio and especially when sipped while wearing anything made of seersucker, the Gimlet goes down with the greatest of ease. Before long you'll be drunkenly arguing with your father-in-law about the best gin to use.

AskMen suggest you argue on behalf of Hendricks, because it has a particularly rich flavour that works fantastically in this drink.

Ingredients:

4 oz gin (we recommend Hendricks or Plymouth)
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz Rose's Lime Juice

Mix the ingredients in a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Read more: au.askmen.com