[1] Finish summer in style with a Strawberry Basil Gimlet (photo © Ruth’s Chris Steak House).

[2] A classic Gimlet. The recipe is below (Abacus Photo).

Here‘s a “berry” summery drink: a Strawberry Basil Gimlet. If you’re not a gin fan, you can substitute tequila or vodka.

We were inspired by this photo from Ruth’s Chris Steak House to make a batch yesterday.

The recipe follows. Also below:

> The history of the Gimlet.

> The classic Gimlet recipe.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of gin.

> The different types (expressions) of gin.

> The year’s 14 gin holidays.
 
 
RECIPE #1: STRAWBERRY BASIL GIMLET

Ingredients Per Cocktail

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the strawberry and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker with simple syrup. If you’re making multiple cocktails, it’s easier to purée.

2. ADD gin, lemon juice and ice, and shake well.

3. STRAIN into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a basil leaf and large berry, notched onto the rim.

The classic Gimlet has just three ingredients: gin, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. CHILL a coupe or cocktail glass in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.

2. ADD the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is frosted.

3. STRAIN into the chilled cocktail glass. Garnish and serve

Variations

 

[3] A Cucumber Gimlet (Gemini Photo).
 
 
GIMLET HISTORY

A gimlet is a tool for drilling small holes; the name was also used figuratively to describe something as sharp or piercing.

The word “gimlet” for a cocktail was first used around 1928—perhaps for its effects on the drinker. According to Wikipedia, another theory is that the drink was named after British Royal Navy Surgeon Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette KCB (who served 1879 to 1913).

Gimlette allegedly introduced the drink as a means of inducing his messmates to drink lime juice as an anti-scurvy medication. (Limes and other citrus fruit have been used by the Royal Navy for the prevention of scurvy since the mid-18th century.)

A 1928 description of the drink was “gin, a spot of lime, and soda.” In his 1953 novel. “The Long Goodbye,” Raymond Chandler wrote that “a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s lime juice cordial and nothing else.”

Note that while the idea of Rose’s sweet, syrupy lime juice* may offend modern tastes, it was popularly used in Chandler’s day. Nothing is better in a gimlet than fresh lime juice.

However, if you want to try old school gimlet with lime juice cordial, here’s a homemade lime juice cordial recipe and the reason why you should make your own.

Replace the lime juice and simple syrup with 3/4 to 1 ounce of the lime juice cordial.
 

[4] A Grapefruit Gimlet (photo © Madison Restaurant | London).
 
________________
 
*While the original Rose’s was made with sugar, the ingredients today include water, high fructose corn syrup, lime juice concentrate, preservatives like sodium metabisulphite, and natural flavors, with added colorings like Blue 1 in some versions.
 

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This tip was inspired by one of our favorite bloggers, Vicky of the U.K.-based blog Stasty.com. Vicky in turn was inspired:

“We were at a restaurant recently and they had peach lemonade on the menu. It was divine, so I had to replicate it at home, and it tasted even better.

“It’s so refreshing on a hot day and is nice with a shot of vodka as a cocktail. So, I will continue to buy my case of peaches every week until I [no longer] can…”

RECIPE: PEACH LEMONADE

Ingredients

This will be a hit, so make a big pitcher of peach lemonade. Photo courtesy Stasty.com.

2. PURÉE the skinned and pitted peaches in a food processor.

3. PLACE the lemon juice and sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently. Then, add the peach purée; stir well.

4. COOL the syrup, then add the water and refrigerate. Garnish as desired and serve.
 
Find more of our favorite beverages and recipes.

But now there are even better ones: black rice tortillas from Food For Life. Exotic, gluten free, vegan and yeast free, they are ready to be turned into:

Gluten-free wraps are dramatic as well as tasty. Photo courtesy Food For Life.

Black rice, also known as purple rice and forbidden rice, is a group of rice types that are black or dark brown when harvested, but turn purple when cooked.

Unlike refined white rice, black rice is a whole grain loaded with fiber, 18 amino acids, iron, zinc, copper, carotene, vitamins, minerals and anthocyanins (the same antioxidants that are found in like those found in açaí, blackberries, blueberries and tart cherries, and give all of these foods their deep pigments).

In ancient times, black rice was reserved exclusively for Chinese emperors—thus the name forbidden rice. (See the different types of rice.)

Today, you don’t have to be royalty to enjoy black rice—you can buy it at almost any natural foods store and online. It makes an especially glamorous rice pudding: Thai black rice pudding with coconut milk.

A healthier alternative to traditional wheat flour tortillas, these black rice tortillas are tastier, too.

One thing to watch out for: We didn’t see an expiration on our package and left them out at room temperature. The tortillas are actually pretty fragile: the shelf life is five days at room temperature. But they’ll stay fresh for three weeks when refrigerated and one year frozen.

The tortillas are certified kosher by KOF-K.

Here’s a recipe for homemade gluten-free tortillas.

Here are some of our favorite gluten-free products.

For information on gluten intolerance, visit the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Beyond what is called for in recipes, we add them to every meal of the day, from breakfast eggs and grits to salads (snip fresh herbs onto the greens or into egg salad, tuna salad, etc.), to yogurt (including dips and salad dressings) to grains and potatoes.

You’d be surprised how much better your favorite sandwich or burger tastes with fresh basil leaves, chives and/or other favorite herbs. We grow a pot of basil, our favorite go-to herb, on the kitchen windowsill.

But what if you end up with more herbs than you can use before they fade? Here are 10 of our favorite ways to use those extra herbs.

EVERYDAY COOKING

1. Infuse honey, maple syrup, salad oil, vinegar. If you have more than one herb on hand, you can mixed them.

Add rosemary, basil or whatever you’ve got to olive oil or other cooking oil. Photo courtesy FlavorYourLife.com.

2. Make herb butter. Stir chopped herbs into softened butter. You can keep it in the fridge for several weeks to enjoy as a bread spread and for cooking. Or freeze the butter for future use. One trick is to place the butter in plastic wrap and roll into a sausage shape. Freeze until it starts to firm; then cut into tablespoon-size slices and return to the freezer. Remove slices for as you need them for sauteéeing, to melt atop potatoes, rice and vegetables, etc.

Herb butter is one type of compound butter. Check out these compound butter recipes.

3. Amp up conventional condiments. Add chopped herbs to mayonnaise for a more flavorful sandwich spread. Similarly, add them to ketchup and mustard.

4. Make herb ice cubes for cooking. Add the herbs to an ice cube tray and fill the tray with olive oil, stock or white wine. They’ll be at the ready to pop into sauces, soups, stews, stir-frys, etc.

5. Make pesto. Basil is a traditional pesto base, but anything can be made into pesto, and you can blend different herbs, along with arugula or spinach. Store the pesto topped with a thin layer of olive oil, in an airtight jar; it will keep for months. Homemade pesto recipe.

6. Make herb ice cubes for drinks. Add herbs, chopped as finely or coarsely as you like, to the compartments of an ice cube tray and fill with water. Once frozen, you can pop them out and store them in a freezer bag.

7. Infuse vodka or other spirit. While there are endless fruit-flavored vodkas on the market, delicious herb- and spice-infused vodkas, which are popular in Russia, haven’t taken off with American consumers.

Toss your herbs into a bottle of vodka and enjoy the infused vodka in shots or savory cocktails, like Bloody Marys and Martinis. Infuse chiles, cilantro, rosemary, sage, thyme: The alcohol kills bacteria growth, so you don’t have to remove the herbs (just be sure they are completely covered by the spirit when you infuse them).

The method is easy: Crush the herbs in your hand to help release the oils and add the herbs to a bottle of vodka (you’ll have to consume some of the vodka if the bottle is full). Don’t use a bargain brand: The higher the quality of the vodka, the smoother and more flavorful the infusion. Place the bottle in a dark place and infuse for at least three days and up to two weeks.

Look at other alcohol-herb pairings: bourbon with mint or basil, Limoncello with thyme or whatever inspires you.

BAKING

8. Add to breads, muffins and biscuits. Chop the herbs finely, and don’t hesitate to combine fresh or dried fruit with the herbs. Our favorite combinations: blueberry-rosemary muffins and cheddar chive muffins.

9. Make pie crusts. From quiche to fruit pie, a little basil, thyme or rosemary in the crust can be a most welcome surprise. Use sweeter herbs with fruit pies. For savory pies, add whatever herbs appeal to you: chives, dill, oregano, etc.

10. Dehydrate the herbs. You don’t need an electric dehydrator. The photo above shows what everyone did in the days before dehydrators: Tie the stems with a string (or elastic band) and hang upside down to dry for a few days. You can hang the bunches on pegs, on a makeshift string or rope line, even clothespin-clipped to a hanger.

When dry, remove the stems and store in an airtight container. If you like, you can grind them with a mortar and pestle before storing.

What’s your favorite way to use extra herbs? Let us know.

And you can do it with an improved approach: a spillproof drinking lid adapter.

The Cuppow is a new invention that lets you up-cycle a canning jar into an eco-friendly beverage travel mug or sippy cup—although since glass is breakable, even extra-thick Mason jar, you’ll have to judge the portability based on your own habits.

“The canning jar already makes an awesome platform for a travel mug,” say the manufacturers. “It’s easy to clean, made of heat-resistant glass, cheap, durable, and when sealed it doesn’t leak. The only problem is that with their large openings, canning jars are not great for spill-free sipping while on the move. So we adapted it [into] a simple, eco-friendly alternative to poor-performing and messy disposable hot cups, and over-built and expensive travel mugs.”

Turn your canning jars into drinkware. Photo courtesy Cuppow.

The plastic circles, that insert into the metal rim of the canning jar lid, are available in clear, blue and pink for regular jars and clear, mint green, and orange for wide mouth jars. The adapters enable you to drink sippy-cup-style or insert a straw.

The Cuppow is made in the U.S.A. from 100% recycled BPA/BPS-free rigid plastic. It is dishwasher safe (top rack only).

They are available at retailers nationwide and at Cuppow.com.

The manufacturer is committed to diverting as much waste as possible from landfills and contributes 5% of profits to domestic charities and social initiatives.