Unlike the Serve and Volley This Wimbledon Favorite Has a Secret Recipe
The Pimm’s Cup gets its name from Pimm’s No. 1 – a gin based, tea colored liqueur (though some maintain it’s a bitter) that is the base for this classic summer cocktail. The recipe, which is characterized by bitters, spice and citrus, has remained top secret (apparently only six people know exactly how it is made) since James Pimm began producing it back in 1823. As was customary at the time, Pimm served his drink in a small tankard known as a “No. 1 Cup”—hence the name Pimm’s Cup.
The fan favorite cocktail at Wimbledon, polo matches and the Henley regatta, the Pimm’s Cup gives off an air of aristocracy, but if made right it can be just what the doctor ordered on a hot summer day. There are many variations of the Pimm’s Cup but generally it includes Pimm’s No. 1 and Ginger Ale (7-Up and Sprite will also work). In England the drink is traditionally made with Pimm’s and sparkling lemonade. Slices of apples, lemons, limes, oranges and cucumbers are usually incorporated into the drink if made in larger batches. Since Pimm’s No. 1 is low in alcohol it is quite common to supplement the drink with some extra gin which blends in harmoniously given the make-up of Pimm’s.
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces Pimm’s No. 1
½ ounce Gin (Hendricks works well because of it’s cucumber infusion)
2 ounces either Ginger Ale, Sprite, 7-Up or Sparkling Lemonade
Slices of cucumber, lemon or lime for garnish
Directions
Fill a Highball glass with ice and add Pimm’s No. 1 and gin. Stir. Add Ginger Ale, Sprite etc and garnish with a cucumber and slice of lemon or lime. If the drink is too sweet you can add soda water to dilute the sweetness without losing carbonation.
A.J. Rathbun is a freelance food and entertaining writer. He is the author of an array of books, including Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Good Spirits (winner of an IACP Cookbook award), Dark Spirits, Wine Cocktails, Luscious Liqueurs, Party Snacks!, Party Drinks!, Double Take (coauthored with Jeremy Holt), Champagne Cocktails, as well as the editor of In Their Cups: An Anthology of Poems About Drinking Places, Drinks, and Drinkers. He is a past guest on the Everyday Food program from Martha Stewart Living/Sirius satellite radio, and past contributor to culinary and entertaining magazines such as Every Day with Rachael Ray, The Food Network Magazine, Real Simple, Eating Well, Seattle Magazine, and Wine Enthusiast, among many others.
