Empire Empire’s cardamom and lemon gimlet. Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink styling: Seb Davis. View image in fullscreen Empire Empire’s cardamom and lemon gimlet. Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink styling: Seb Davis. The good mixer Cocktails Cocktail of the week: Empire Empire’s cardamom and lemon (or lime) gimlet – recipe This spicy gin and citrus combo has a kick that belies its modest size
Prefer the Guardian on Google G imlets may be on the small side, but they tend to make up for that by packing a pretty decent punch. This gently spiced, citrus-forward example is no exception, and makes for a gloriously summery aperitif.
50ml dry gin – we use Bombay Sapphire 25ml fresh lemon juice , or lime juice – this works well with either (lime adds a nice touch of bitterness, if you like that kind of thing) 15ml runny honey 2-3 crushed green cardamom pods , or 1 pinch green cardamom powder 1 twist lemon peel , or lime peel, to garnish (optional)
Put a gimlet glass or coupe in the freezer in plenty of time to get it properly cold. To build the drink, put everything in a shaker filled with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds, to chill and dilute a little. Strain into the chilled glass (if you like, drop in a fresh cube of ice, too, though it should be cold enough as it is) and serve neat, though if you want a garnish, squeeze a lemon (or lime) twist over the top, then drop it into the drink.
Harneet Baweja, owner, Empire Empire , London W11