An easy approach to the gimlet for summer drinking from a Durham bartender
In May 2024, mother-daughter team chef Preeti Waas and Amy Waas opened Bar Beej within Preeti’s acclaimed Durham restaurant, Cheeni. The 11-seat speakeasy has already been nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Bar, and as the manager and mixologist, Amy says the bar shares its philosophy with the restaurant: “Almost all of our cocktails ought to be accessible within the constraints of a home kitchen, because that’s the way we cook.”
The perfect example of this is the simple gimlet, one of Amy’s favorite cocktails, which she enjoys with locally made, women-owned Conniption gin and woman-owned El Guapo lime cordial. The cordial does the work of balancing sweetness and acidity with the alcohol-forward nature of this cocktail and is reliable if you can’t find good quality limes. At her no-frills concept, Amy considers garnishes optional, subject to what’s available or inspiring, so the final piece of this cocktail is a Boston shaker, which Amy says “helps a beginner bartender interact with the end product and the process of getting there better than other shakers do.”
When shaking, look for a frost on the outside of the tin, about one-third more volume, and a touch of froth. The gimlet, Amy says, originated as “a drink that was meant to be refreshing. It ought to look a little frosty.”
Gimlet
An intoxicating mix of El Guapo Lime Cordial’s sweet and tart essence with a stabilizing dry Conniption Gin blends into the ideal refreshing gimlet with a complete flavor profile, while simultaneously celebrating women-owned distilleries.
Gajra
The Gajra cocktail embodies the floral essence it is named after: jasmine flowers worn in the hair of South Indian women. It blends the flavors of mint, jasmine, and elderflower, boosted by dry Liberty & Plenty Whirligarden gin and bright El Guapo lime cordial.
Saanjh (twilight in sanskrit)
An enchanting blend of tart lemon and soothing lavender mixed with Conniption Kinship Pea Flower gin creates the beautiful and delicious saanjh cocktail perfect for charming all guests.
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Emily Havener
Emily Havener enjoys writing about food almost as much as she enjoys eating it. She has been food blogging and developing recipes since 2008, and her particular areas of expertise are finding creative ways to use leftovers and never making a recipe the same way twice. She’s always up for raw fish of any kind and a good gin cocktail or a glass of orange wine.
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