A classic gin gimlet is a super refreshing "sour" cocktail that is a balance of sweet, tart and a little bit of bitter from the gin. This Blood Orange Mezcal Gimlet swaps in mezcal for the gin, and blood orange cordial for the simple syrup. It's delightfully refreshing, and is a great cool-weather drink during citrus season.
What is a Blood Orange Cordial?
A cordial in this case is basically a non-alcoholic fruit syrup for mixing into cocktails. The blood orange cordial for this recipe is made from pure blood orange concentrate by The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley. It is available from their website and in San Diego at Specialty Produce.
How to Make a Blood Orange Mezcal Gimlet
Combine the mezcal, blood orange cordial, fresh lime juice and a few dashes of angostura bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for about 20 seconds until it is completely chilled, then pour into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a blood orange wheel.
Make it a Mocktail
For those who aren't drinking, this blood orange mezcal gimlet cocktail can be turned into a delicious and refreshing mocktail by swapping out the mezcal for sparkling water
Scale it Up for a Party
This is a great cocktail to scale up and make ahead in a pitcher for a party. When pouring it from a pitcher, it's best to serve it over a few ice cubes rather than keeping ice in the pitcher, which would dilute the gimlet.
What Glass to Serve a Gimlet in?
A gimlet is served in a coupe glass. I recommend chilling the glass to keep the drink cold even longer.
Special Bar Equipment Used
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- Blood Orange Concentrate from Perfect Purée of Napa Valley
- Cocktail Shaker
- Angostura Orange Bitters
- El Silencio Mezcal
- Cocktail Strainer
- All-Clad 1-Quart Saucepan for making the blood orange cordial
Ingredients
- ¾ oz blood orange cordial
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 oz mezcal (such as El Silencio)
- 3 dashes angostura bitters
For the blood orange cordial
- ¼ cup perfect puree blood orange concentrate
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the blood orange cordial
- Combine the blood orange concentrate and water in a small saucepan (2 to 1 ratio). Add ½ cup sugar, a small pinch of salt and bring to 180 degrees on the stove (no higher). Chill completely before using.
To make the blood orange mezcal gimlet
- Combine blood orange cordial, lime juice, mezcal and Angostura bitters with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a blood orange wheel.
Notes
- Recipe makes ½ cup blood orange cordial.
- The blood orange cordial can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 6 months.
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