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Home » Recipes » Food

Published: Mar 14, 2023, By: Melissa, Updated: Oct 23, 2023

French Gimlet

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This French gimlet recipe is a classic gimlet with the addition of St Germain elderflower liquor. The elderflower liquor adds a sophisticated floral sweetness to the tart limes and really makes the best lime gin cocktail. This delicious and easy elderflower gimlet is perfect in the summer months or anytime you want a quick-to-make cocktail.

french gimlet on table

Now, I don't know about you but if I can make a drink with just a few ingredients and it comes out as delicious as this French gimlet, I am making it often! This elderflower and lime gin cocktail is just that kind of drink.

If you are not familiar with elderflower liquor (St Germain), it is a sweet French liquor flavored with elderflower and it is so delicious in so many cocktails. I also use it in my Gin and tonic with grapefruit for additional sweetness.

It is a great addition to any home bar!

What is a French Gimlet

Now that I have hopefully convinced you to stock up on St Germain, let's dive into the French gimlet. A classic gin gimlet is just lime, gin and some sort of sweetener.

Usually, the sweetener is either roses lime juice, or a simple syrup. A French gimlet uses the sweet elderflower liquor as the sweetener so there is no need to go and buy anything else or make a simple syrup.

It also has the bonus of the light flavor of elderflower which pairs so well with a lime gin gimlet. It really is a perfectly balanced easy cocktail.

Ingredients you will need

There are only a few ingredients you will need for this cocktail. Here they are:

french gimlet ingredients
  • Gin. Your favorite brand.
  • Limes or lime juice. You can use bottled lime juice or juice your own.
  • St Germain Elderflower liquor.
  • Optional: If you like spicy, you can add a few dashes of your favorite spicy bitters. If I have it, I like to use it because I like spicy cocktails.

You only need 3 ingredients to make this French elderflower gimlet. It is as easy as my Aperol cocktail to make, maybe even easier!

As I mentioned above, if you love spice, go ahead and add some to the gimlet.

I like to sip on this sweet and tart French gimlet with or without the heat. It is totally up to you!

How to make

This recipe could not be any easier to make. Honestly, it will only take you a couple of minutes to make this.

Here are the steps:

  1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
  2. Add lime juice, gin, and St Germain to the shaker.
  3. Shake well until the shaker is nice and cold.
  4. Pour through a strainer into a martini glass.
  5. Enjoy!
French gimlet

Variations

This French gimlet recipe is great just the way it is but you can certainly change things up a bit. Here are some ideas:

  • Use vodka instead of gin to make a vodka elderflower gimlet.
  • Make it spicy. I like adding a little heat to my cocktails and a dash of spicy bitters or some cayenne pepper would go great with this French gimlet.
  • Add some herbs to add more of a botanical note to the drink. Fresh basil or rosemary would be a great addition to the French gimlet.

Faqs

What is a French Gimlet?

A French gimlet is a classic gimlet that has elderflower liquor added to it.

What does a French gimlet taste like?

A French gimlet is tart from the limes, sweet from the elderflower liquor and it has a touch of botanical flavor from the gin. It is a little sweet and a little tart and a perfectly balanced cocktail for all seasons.

Pairing Ideas

If you are looking for ideas of what to serve with this French gimlet, here are some ideas:

  • baked brie with puff pastry
    Baked Brie en Croute with Jam
  • savory palmiers
    Savory Palmiers with Parmesan and Ricotta
  • calzones sheet pan
    Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Calzones
  • A plate with a piece of cheese on it.
    Caramelized Brie (Easy and Delicious)

More French Recipes

If you love this French gimlet recipe, you will also love these:

  • French red wine beef stew
    French Beef Stew (Provencal Beef Stew)
  • brioche french toast on plate
    Honey Vanilla Brioche French Toast
  • French toast casserole in glass baking dish with powdered sugar and berries on top.
    Baked French Toast with Condensed Milk
  • cast iron chicken breasts
    The Best Cast Iron Chicken Breast
elderflower gimlet
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

French Gimlet

A delicious and simple gin lime gimlet with the addition of elderflower liquor.
Prep Time3 minutes mins
Total Time3 minutes mins
Servings: 1 cocktail
Author: Melissa Oleary

Equipment

  • 1 cocktail shaker
  • 1 martini glass

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Gin
  • 2 ounces St Germain Elderflower liquor
  • 2 ounces Lime juice

Instructions

  • Add about one cup of ice to a cocktail shaker.
  • Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker then add top to the shaker.
    2 ounces Gin, 2 ounces St Germain Elderflower liquor, 2 ounces Lime juice
  • Shake well until cocktail shaker is nice and cold.
  • Pour through a strainer into a martini glass.
  • Garnish with lime (optional).
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition Values are estimates only.

See full nutrition disclaimer here

Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

Course :cocktails, Drinks, entertaining

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 10 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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  1. Bill says

    September 07, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was my first time trying a French gimlet and it turned out great! Loved the flavors and so easy to make.

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      September 08, 2023 at 11:35 am

      I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Bethany says

    March 14, 2023 at 5:48 pm

    5 stars
    This was the tastiest cocktail! So simple and the flavor is amazing. I know what I will be drinking all summer:)

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      March 15, 2023 at 11:36 am

      So glad you enjoyed it Bethany!

      Reply

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I am so excited you are here. My name is Melissa and I started this recipe website to share easy recipes that I have been cooking for years. I have written hundreds of easy recipes that are tested and perfected. Some of the recipes I learned during my years of working in restaurants, some from owning my own food company, and others from friends and traveling.

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