3-5whole limeszested in thick strips and then juiced
1cupfresh black locust flowers pulled from theirstemsplus more flowers for garnishing
Notes
Gimlets are one of my go-to drinks that I think don’t get enough credit or airtime based on how refreshing and tart they are. The sometimes-overlooked cousin of more popular gin drinks, they taste how limey I often want my gin and tonics to be made. They also don’t need tonic, which I so often run out of while I nearly always have the ingredients to make a simple syrup. Black locust flowers are a perfect pairing with the tart of limes and particular vegetal scent and flavor of juniper. This drink is as beautiful as it is tasty, and belies the effort it takes to whip up, looking far more elaborate than it actually is. As I’ve written in this series before, if you want to impress your friends, add some flowers into your drinks. For those who don’t drink alcohol, use this syrup recipe to mix up a drink using seltzer and lime juice, making sure you don’t skimp on the garnishes for serving.Black locust flower lime simple syrup for use in the gimlet.GinCombine the water, sugar, and lime zest in a saucepan and set on the stove over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved and water is simmering lightly. Lower the heat to keep at barely a simmer and add the cup of black locust flowers*. Keep the mixture at that light simmer for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Let cool for an hour, until it gets down to room temperature.*Any quantity of syrup can be made using this ratio of flowers and zest to water and sugar.Strain the syrup into a sanitized glass jar, pressing the flowers to get any remaining syrup out of them. Any syrup remaining can be stored covered in the refrigerator for several weeks.Mix 3 parts gin, 1 part syrup, 1 part lime juice together and shake or stir until mixed. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime wedge and some additional black locust flowers for fragrance and appearance. Enjoy immediately.
