vanilla lemon vodka gimlet

If you love the fragrance of real vanilla beans, this lemon gimlet is your drink. It’s a smooth, delicate drink that radiates the rich smell of vanilla. I use fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors and a high quality vodka to keep the drink clean and pure.

This lemon gimlet scales up super easily, so if you’re making them for a party you can mix up a pitcher and chill it in the fridge until your guests arrive.

what is in a lemon gimlet?

Traditionally, a gimlet was made with gin and sweetened lime juice. The cocktail goes back to the 19th century when the Royal Navy was given lime juice to ward off scurvy. The sailors diluted their ration of gin with the lime juice and sugar and called it a gimlet, named after the corkscrew-like device used to tap the barrel of lime juice.

In this recipe, I replace gin with vodka, lime juice with lemon juice, and sweeten the cocktail with a vanilla infused simple syrup.

It’s a far cry from what the sailors used to drink, but I have a feeling you won’t mind the changes!

how do you serve a lemon gimlet?

It's best to serve a gimlet in a coupe or cocktail glass. I prefer to use chilled glasses to keep the drink cold, but this is optional. If you don’t have a coupe, any small (6- 8 oz) glass will work great.

how do you store simple syrup?

The simple syrup can be stored in a glass jar, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months.

what can I do with the used vanilla bean?

I prefer to leave the whole vanilla bean in the syrup to maximize the flavor, but it’s not necessary. Here are some other ideas of how to use your spent vanilla bean:

• Infuse sugar or salt (just bury it in the container)
• Homemade vanilla extract (steep 1 bean in ¼ cup vodka for a few months)
• Infused alcohol (steep 1 bean in a bottle of whiskey, vodka or rum for a week or two)
• In tea (steeped with chai spices, black tea and hot water, for example)
• In coffee (dry the pod, grind it in a spice grinder and add the vanilla powder to your fresh coffee grinds)
• Infused maple syrup (place the bean in the bottle of maple syrup, let steep for a few weeks)
• Vanilla sugar body scrub
  

related recipes:

the best gin sour

vodka spiked lemonade

rhubarb gin fizz

sparkling raspberry basil shrub cocktail

sparkling elderflower gin cocktail

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