Homemade Lime Cordial
I love gimlets. Only problem is, I’m not a big fan of Rose’s Lime Juice. Unfortunately, I’ve never found a good alternative to Rose’s, aside from using lime juice and simple syrup. Until now, that is. I recently cooked up a batch of homemade lime cordial, and it was fantastic. To make it, you may have to hunt for a couple of the ingredients, but its worth it.
A Brief History of Rose’s Lime
According to Wikipedia, Lauchlin Rose (hence the name Rose’s) invented lime cordial in the 1860’s. Mr. Rose patented a method to preserve citrus juice that did not require alcohol, and the British Royal Navy was at that time required to provide a daily lime ration to sailors (hence the term “limey”). A lime cordial ration + gin = happy sailors who don’t get scurvy (or so they thought then). Rose’s has pretty much been around ever since then, and was cemented as an ingredient for the gimlet in the movie The Long Goodbye.
The Homemade Version
I started with a recipe I found on Wikipedia. Unfortunately, it was too sweet and did not have enough lime for my taste. Head to head with Rose’s, it just didn’t stand up. I though it had potential so I tinkered (and tinkered and tinkered). Here’s what you need to make about 3 cups of lime cordial:
- 1.5 cups Water
- ¾ cup Sugar
- ¾ tsp Citric Acid (found in fruits, granular, and called “Sour Salt”, available at big grocery stores)
- 3/8 tsp Tartaric Acid (also found in fruits, also granular, and available at homebrewing stores and home winemaking supply shops)
- Juice of 4 limes (~¾ cup)
- Rind of 2 limes
Stir sugar, citric acid and tartaric acid together. Bring water to a boil, then add sugar mixture. Stir thoroughly to dissolve sugar mixture into water. Add lime juice and rind, and stir. Heat mixture for 1-2 minutes on high heat, stirring often. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight, then strain out lime rind. Refrigerate for 24 hours before using. Stored in the refrigerator, it should keep better than simple syrup.
Making a Gimlet
People use a variety of recipes for gimlets, anywhere from 4:1 gin to lime cordial all the way to 1:1. With this lime cordial, I tend to like a 3:1 ratio of gin to cordial. Of course, the ratio will vary depending on the gin you use. I highly recommend a flavorful, spicy gin for a good gimlet, and experimentation to find your favorite ratio.
I appreciate your angle. But Rose’s Lime juice is simply a necessary ingredient in a real gimlet. Rose’s is an industrial product, sure…but we live in the industrial age.