Elizabeth Taylor's favorite cocktail was famously and unapologetically the Vodka Gimlet, and she liked it strong, straightforward, and in multiples. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, especially during the filming of Cleopatra and her highly publicized marriage to Richard Burton, the Gimlet became her signature drink. The classic recipe she preferred was simple: vodka, fresh lime juice, and a touch of sweetened lime cordial or simple syrup, shaken ice-cold and served straight up in a coupe glass with a lime wheel. Burton himself often recounted in his diaries and interviews how Elizabeth could out-drink almost anyone at the table while remaining glamorous and razor-sharp. For her, the drink wasn't about trendy mixology; it was about crisp, tart refreshment that cut through the heat of a set and the intensity of her social life. Bartenders at Chasen's in Hollywood and at the Bel-Air Hotel knew her order by heart. While she occasionally enjoyed champagne or a Brandy Alexander later in life, the Vodka Gimlet remains the cocktail most biographers and friends associate with her legendary, larger-than-life persona.
1 votes
Marked as accepted