The story behind the name goes to Sir Thomas Gimlette (1857-1943), a surgeon in the Royal Navy, who mixed gin with lime cordial. Credible or not, we knew that in the 1740s limes were consumed and mixed with in the daily ration of rum and water, called “grog”.

Rose’s is a concentrated lime juice cordial. Lauchlan Rose first imported lime juice from the West Indies in 1868. Trade thrived because merchant ships were compelled to carry lime or lemon juice to prevent scurvy. Therefore devised a method for preserving juice without alcohol, he invented the world’s first concentrated fruit drink.

The description in the 1953 Raymond Chandler novel The Long Goodbye stated that “a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s lime juice and nothing else”. This is in line with the proportions suggested by Harry Craddock’s 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, which specifies 50/50 of Plymouth Gin and Rose’s Lime Juice Cordial.