Ready-to-Drink Pickled Gimlet
Travel Distilled tries this ready-to-drink Pickled Gimlet from Dima’s Vodka, one of a range of premium cocktails ready-made in a bottle.
Dima’s Vodka from Ukraine is one of the creamiest and smoothest I’ve ever tasted, so I was keen to try this ready-to-drink pickled gimlet, one of a range of four pre-mixed cocktails made using Dima’s Vodka.
The cocktails are created in conjunction with The Gibson, one of London’s classiest and most adventurous cocktail bars. It sounds like an ideal pairing, and the team has come up with four very original vodka cocktails, all sold in bottles, ready-to-drink, and with garnishes supplied separately. Each bottle provides up to three drinks, or two generous ones, and just needs chilling before serving
The Range of Gibson and Dima’s Vodka Cocktails
The Electropolitan
The Electropolitan is a modern take on the Cosmopolitan, and this is what Dima’s Vodka and The Gibson says about it: ‘The Electropolitan mixes Dima’s Vodka with Electric Liqueur and sea buckthorn berry for a sharp peppery drink with a tart richness, highlighting the citrus notes of the vodka. The cocktail comes with a garnish of strawflower and wheat sheaf.’
The Dirty Fig Martini
The Dirty Fig Martini sounds like a stonker: ‘Sweet and savoury flavours balance in the Dirty Fig Martini, where Tommaso Agnini Balsamic Vermouth, Casoni figs, and cherry liqueur blend effortlessly with Dima’s Vodka. The Dirty Fig Martini can be garnished with balsamic pickled figs in a sweet and salty fig leaf brine.’
Kyiv’s Coffee
Kyiv’s Coffee is another original, a take on an Espresso Martini but inspired by Ukraine, Kyiv being the Ukrainian version of the capital, Kiev. ‘Embracing Ukraine’s booming café culture, the Kyiv Coffee is a smooth combination of Dima’s Vodka, The Gibson’s coffee liqueur, bitter orange marmalade, cold brew coffee, sea salt honey caramel and fresh bourbon vanilla. The Kyiv Coffee comes with a garnish of cream amaretto candy cocktail bears to enhance the pre-mixed cocktail.’
Pickled Gimlet
Their Pickled Gimlet is described as an ‘epicurean twist on the original. A little way removed from the classic gin and lime juice cocktail, the Pickled Gimlet has notes of pine and citrus, with Dima’s Vodka as the backbone. Blending sweet, sour and savoury, porcini mushroom, gherkin brine cordial, smoky sea salt and fresh lemon create a smoky, umami drink. The Gibson’s juicy mini umami gherkins are included for a garnish.’
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
I was asked to choose one of the cocktails to review. It was a really tough choice as they all sound fantastic, but I opted for the ready-to-drink Pickled Gimlet as I knew Dima’s Vodka goes well with pickles and gherkins.
Ready-made cocktails have become huge since the pandemic stopped people going out to bars and restaurants for a while. Food delivery services thrived, as people still wanted the pleasure of quality food and drink, and to help keep their local businesses afloat.
Canned cocktails have been on the shelves for several years, and were still expanding. Many people have been dubious, myself included, as it’s very easy to make a poor ready-to-drink cocktail. And why buy a simple gin and tonic in a can, when you can make a better one at home for a lot less cost? Great for a picnic, yes, but not necessarily for drinking at home.
However, there are now some top quality craft cocktails available in bottles and cans, and even boxes, and I’ve been really impressed by some like Post Meridiem and Crafthouse Cocktails. They’re producing cocktails of a quality you’d be happy with in a cocktail bar. To these top choices you can now add this range of Dima’s Vodka Cocktails from The Gibson, if this Pickled Gimlet is anything to go by.
Tasting this Ready-to-Drink Pickled Gimlet
A standard Gimlet is a very simple drink, a mix of either gin or vodka with lime juice, and dead easy to make for yourself. This Pickled Gimlet takes it to a whole other level.
It comes in a classy white box, inside which you find a bottle with the cocktail mix in, and a small bottle with the garnish, which in this case was three mini umami gherkins. That’s because you can get up to three cocktails from each 250ml bottle, though we poured two large ones and split the extra gherkin.
On the nose it’s a curious and complex mix of the pickles, the mushrooms, and a smokiness from the salt. It’s very personal, but I love all those aromas so to me it was heaven. My wife also nodded her approval.
Tasting it, all those flavours explode in your mouth. It’s got everything. There’s sweetness, sourness, savoury, umami, smokiness, all in every sip. And we did want to sip it, slowly, as there was so much going on and we wanted to enjoy every last drop. This is as more-ish as they come so be warned: if you’re going to buy one, buy two.
Buying the Ready-to-Drink Pickled Gimlet
Each of the four cocktails is 20% ABV (40 proof), which means they’re real cocktails and not the weak versions that you often get in cans, at about 5% ABV (10 proof). One bottle retails in the UK for £15, and whether you get two or three drinks out of it, it’s an absolute bargain for a cocktail of this quality. You can buy them from the Dima’s Vodka website.
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