Watermelon Gimlet

Last Updated on June 23, 2021 by Heather Wibbels

This Watermelon Gimlet will cure what ails you. Even on a hot summer afternoon, there’s not much more satisfying that a cold gimlet, chilled to perfection with just the right balance of sweet and sour. Here, I’ve made a simple gimlet even more summer with the addition of watermelon simple syrup and a touch of lavender bitters.

I never think I have any gin until I go looking for it and find lonely gin bottles from the early days of different whiskey distilleries in among the bottles of whiskey. They stand there like the lost introverts at a party – trying to participate but being left on the sidelines.

I still had a small bit of watermelon syrup in the fridge that needed to be used up, and a lovely floral gin gimlet was just what the doctor ordered this afternoon. Gimlets were a simple solution, just gin, lime and simple to put together a gorgeous cocktail with a fresh watermelon and basil garnish.

The basil came about because I was thinking of those tasty watermelon/basil/feta salads I see on restaurant menus this time of year, and the aromatic basil tucked just behind the watermelon garnish gave me a hint of basil’s savory notes with each sip of the cocktail.

I did add just a bit of Scrappy’s Lavender bitters to tone down the sweetness, and added a smidge of hibiscus syrup to dial up the pink color a smidge. If you don’t have hibiscus, a dash of quality grenadine will give the same effect.

If you’d like to see more gin recipes, I just put a champagne/gin cocktail up last week here for Strawberry Gin Bubbles or you can take a peek at another watermelon cocktail with the Meloncholy Watermelon Sour.

Watermelon Gimlet

Heather Wibbels

Sip your worries away with this easy summer gimlet variation. A touch of watermelon simple syrup and just a smidge of lavender bitters give this summer classic an interesting twist.

5 from 7 votes

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Course Drinks

Cuisine Gin cocktail

Servings 1

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 oz Castle and Key gin
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ¾ oz scant watermelon simple syrup**
• 1 barspoon hibiscus simple syrup for color (or homemade grenadine)
• 6 drops Scrappy’s lavender bitters
• Garnish: thin slice of watermelon and a basil leaf

Instructions

 

• Combine gin, lime juice, simples and bitters in a shaking tin.
• Add ice and shake for 10-12 seconds or until the shaker is so cold it’s painful.
• Double strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a watermelon slice and a fresh basil leaf.

Notes

**Watermelon simple syrup: See link above in recipe text.

Keyword chili lime, gin, lavender, watermelon

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