Appetites®

Appetites: The bright, snappy and oh-so-easy gimlet

A spring-inspired gimlet from Erik Eastman
Easy & Oskey's Erik Eastman made this gimlet, with a spring-inspired mint and pink peppercorn simple syrup.
Jennifer Simonson | MPR News file

What's the perfect spring cocktail?

It's the gimlet, according to Erik Eastman of Easy & Oskey. He's one of the people behind the Easy & Oskey bitters kits.

This perennial favorite offers beautiful, bright, snappy gin notes, and it's easy to mix up. Be sure to use fresh lime juice (never bottled) and clean ice.

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with clean ice (and a few mint leaves if you have them). Shake well for 10 seconds or longer. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Garnish with crushed pink peppercorns or a mint leaf.

If using powdered egg whites, whisk a pinch into the lime juice to dissolve before adding the juice to cocktail shaker.

Recipe: Mint and pink peppercorn simple syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large handful of fresh mint
• 1/4 cup crushed pink peppercorns

Combine water and sugar in a pan and stir over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add mint and peppercorns, steep two hours. Strain to remove solids. Simple syrup keeps up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Video: Spring gimlet