Eu não tenho certeza se você quer apenas fazer as receitas, ou se você também quer ter o gosto de zimbro sem a reação alérgica, por assim dizer. Encontrar um substituto não deve ser muito difícil, mas eles não terão exatamente o mesmo sabor. Sugere-se vodka para bebidas do tipo martini:
This is a tough one to pull off, but in general, if you are making martini-type drinks, gin can sometimes be substituted for vodka, and vice versa. While these alcohols taste quite different, the texture and appearance of a cocktail is not altered by switching, and can often be just as good.
Me deparei com um vídeo sobre como fazer um gim de vodca , mas diz que "bagas de zimbro são o ingrediente-chave". Talvez você ainda possa adicionar o cardamomo e outras especiarias para combinar com o sabor de gin mais de perto. Aqui está outra página com instruções semelhantes (verifique a página para a receita):
But what many people don’t realize is that gin and vodka begin life in the exact same way. You could even say that gin is nothing more than infused vodka. [...] In his book The Complete Guide to Spirits (HarperCollins, 2004), Anthony Dias Blue describes cold compounding as a legitimate method for producing gin.
From: http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2007/how-to-make-your-own-gin-without-a-still/
Para outros tipos de bebidas, o Cook's Thesaurus lista algumas outras substituições possíveis:
gin This is distilled from grains and similar to vodka except that it's flavored with juniper berries, herbs, peels, and spices. London gin = dry gin = English gin = London dry gin is the preferred gin for martinis and other mixed drinks. American gin is similar, but isn't quite as heavy and dry as London gin. Hollands gin = sweet gin = Dutch gin = Geneva gin = Jenever is sweeter and more aromatic than other gins and isn't normally used for mixed drinks. Tanqueray and Beefeater are well-respected brands. Don't confuse gin with sloe gin, which is sweetened.
Substitutes: vodka (This turns a martini into a vodka martini, a gimlet into a vodka gimlet, a gin and tonic into a vodka and tonic, a Tom Collins into a vodka Collins, and so forth.) OR white rum OR whiskey OR tequila OR brandy (This turns an Alexander into a Brandy Alexander.)