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Pimm’s Cup
By: Darcy O'neil
In the northern hemisphere the hot day of summer are quickly approaching. With global warming giving the planet a fever, we need to stop creating green house gases, but until that happens, a nice refreshing summer cocktail might help. One such cocktail is the Pimm’s Cup, a classic cocktail invented in England in 1840 by James Pimm, as a health tonic.
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Summer drinksThe history and recipes of some other classic Summer Cocktails.
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A true Summer Cocktail
The Pimm’s cup is a true classic cocktail that’s best served on a hot summer day. So when you have your friends over for a game of polo, royal visit or when you head to your next regatta, you might want to pack the ingredients to make a Pimm’s Cup.
The nice thing about a Pimm’s Cup cocktail is that it is a light refreshing drink, with a moderate level of alcohol. This means that you can drink them for most of the afternoon without finding yourself in bed before the sun goes down. The original recipe is as follows:
Pimm's Cup - Original recipe
2 oz Pimm's No.1- ½ oz Lime Juice (fresh squeezed)
- Top with lemon-life soft drink (Lemonade in the UK)
Garnish with borage leaves, mint leaves, and slices of lemon, orange, strawberry, and apple. A trick to get all of these fruit chunks mixed with the ice is to lightly shake them with cubed ice and then place into the glass. Trying to layer fruit and ice is a pain.
Now a lot of people and bartenders don’t have borage leaves growing around the bar, so the humble English cucumber has become a close approximation for borage. A fresh strawberry is also a common garnish, but a washed maraschino cherry will do. In reality the best part about a Pimm’s Cup is make the garnish your own, as long as it includes a cucumber.
Other variations of the Pimm’s Cup, other than the fruit selection, include substituting ginger ale for the lemon-lime soft drink, which is my preferred version of the Pimm’s Cup. Simon Difford also uses this recipe in Difford’s Guide to Cocktails. If you want to make this drink a Pimm’s Royal, just substitute the ginger ale or lemon-lime for champagne or a good dry sparkling wine.
There is some confusion with the Pimm’s Cup and the Pimm’s Classic, even though they are almost the same. Depending on your source, a Pimm’s Classic cocktail is made with ginger ale, or is made with real lemonade (water, lemon, sugar). Either way, both are refreshing, but I still like ginger ale better.
The Pimm’s No.1 Cheater
So what happens if you can’t find Pimm’s No.1 at your local liquormart? Well, all is not lost and you can still enjoy this refreshing summer cocktail. Many bartenders are aware of a relatively close approximation to make Pimm’s No.1 from common bar ingredients. So here is a recipe to make a moderately close Pimm’s No.1 substitute:
Pimm’s Cheater Recipe
- 1 oz Gin
- 2/3 oz Sweet Vermouth (Red)
- 1/3 oz Dry Vermouth (White)
- ¼ oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
- 3 Dash Orange Bitters
There are a couple of “Pimm’s Cheater” recipes floating around the Internet, with different proportions and additional components. Some add sherry, and others don’t, some add dry vermouth or bitters. But, a common element is the bitterness in a Pimm’s Cocktail, so the bitters are a must.
Beyond No. 1 ...
Just for curiosities sake, Pimm’s has made more than just Pimm’s No.1. These are the different versions that have been made throughout history:
- Pimm’s No.1 Gin
- Pimm’s No.2 Whiskey
- Pimm’s No.3 Brandy
- Pimm’s No.4 Rum
- Pimm’s No.5 Rye
- Pimm's No.6 Vodka
Darcy O'Neil is a bartender with a formal education in chemistry. His motive for becoming a bartender was, part by chance, and partially to fulfill his culinary desires. Darcy feels that in life, food and drink are too important to take short cuts, so he quickly became an advocate for making great cocktails. Darcy currently works as a bartender in London, Ontario and spends his time writing about his mixology and bartending experiences on his website, http://www.theartofdrink.com"
