Rangpur lime gimlets, oh baby!

Rangpur limes are not limes at all but are best described as a Lemon X Mandarin.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to use my first ever harvest of Rangpur limes. A friend had given me a stunted little tree in a pot and it had languished there for at least a year or two before I finally planted it out last year. It’s now thriving. With masses of new growth, it has yielded an incredible first harvest, half of which I gave away to the fine folk who attend Hills Food Share.  But more were coming and, never one to waste a yield, I figured I had to learn what to do with these mouth-puckeringly sour mandarin X lemon citrus fruit.

So the first google search for a recipe brought up this little gem for Rangpur Lime Gimlets and, oh wow! I’m always up for a good cocktail and it just so happens that the weekend before I’d visited the home of Australia’s finest artisan gin and vodka (so say the awards). Old Young’s distillery in the Swan Valley is barely celebrating its second year and has a swag of international and Australian awards under its belt including Champion Australian Distiller. I’m a gin enthusiast and more than happy to become a gin connoisseur if given enough opportunity. And this divine gin gives me plenty of that!

My food styling leaves much to be desired but this Rangpur Lime gin martini was a taste sensation.

My new favourite gin

I made a double batch of Rangpur lime syrup as per the recipe for a rainy (and not so rainy) day. Apparently it’s also good with sparkling water for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink… ppfftt!

This fine gin made an oh so fine martini style cocktail using:

• 20ml Rangpur Lime syrup
• 20ml fresh lime juice (from Tahitian limes)
• 60ml 1829 Gin (infused with cardamom)

All in favour, say “I”!