East India Gimlet

The original gimlet was devised to prevent scurvy. When sailors, anxious to avoid death, took to mixing lime cordial with their gin, they created one of the earliest cocktails. Our version adds fresh lime and dill, with a dash of celery bitters.

The cordial must be Rose’s. Accept no imitations. Ensure also that your dill is fresh; anything slightly ailing will ruin the flavour of the drink.

This gimlet will go with almost any recipe in this book. But be warned: there’s a hef