Cocktail of the week: Gothic Bar?s red nose gimlet ? recipe
There?s a bit of prep involved here ? you need to make the syrup a day ahead, for instance ? but this is a great drink for impressing guests. If you opt to rim the glasses with lime sherbet, either buy some in ready-made or make your own by finely crushing a few lemon drop sweets in a mortar ? dip the rim of the glass first in lime juice and then in the lemon drop dust. The excess syrup will keep in the fridge for about a month ? use it up in puddings, apple-based ones especially.
Red nose gimlet
Serves 1
For the cinnamon syrup
70g caster sugar
? cinnamon stick
For the drink
25ml sloe gin ? we use Hepple?s sloe & hawthorn gin
20ml apricot brandy
12?ml lime cordial ? we use Rose?s
12?ml fresh lime juice
5ml cinnamon syrup ? see above and method
Lime sherbet, bought in or homemade (see introduction), to rim the glass (optional)
First make the syrup. Put the sugar in a small saucepan, add 70ml water and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then take off the heat, add the cinnamon and leave to infuse overnight. Strain into a clean jar, seal and store in the fridge for up to a month. These quantities make more than enough syrup, but any that?s excess to requirements works brilliantly as a sugar or glaze replacement in desserts, or in hot toddies, tea and even coffee or hot chocolate.
To build the drink, measure all the liquids into a shaker, add ice, then shake hard. Single strain into a nick & nora glass ? if you like, rim it with sherbet first ? then serve.
