Pimm's Cup Recipe

Before you start

A Pimm's Cup is a long, low-alcohol summer drink built on Pimm's No. 1, a gin-based fruit cup with a spiced, bittersweet character. In Britain it is lengthened with sparkling lemonade, which there means a clear, lemon-lime soda, not American still lemonade. The glass is then packed with cucumber, strawberries, orange and mint, which flavor the drink as you sip.

The usual ratio is one part Pimm's to about three parts mixer, though plenty of people go weaker for a long afternoon. Cucumber is the essential garnish, adding a cool, fresh note; mint should be slapped, not muddled, so it smells bright rather than grassy. Use lots of ice and build the drink right before serving so it stays sparkling.

Ingredients

• 50 ml (1⅔ oz) Pimm's No. 1
• 150 ml (5 oz) British-style sparkling lemonade — or lemon-lime soda; chilled
• 3 thin slices cucumber — plus a long ribbon or spear for garnish
• 2 strawberries — hulled and halved
• 1 orange half-wheel
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 1 glassful ice cubes

Method

1. Fill the glass about one-third with ice. Add half the cucumber, strawberry and orange, then more ice and the rest of the fruit, so the garnish is spread through the glass rather than all floating on top.
2. Pour the Pimm's over the ice and fruit, measuring it so the drink stays light.
3. Top up with the chilled sparkling lemonade, pouring slowly so it keeps its fizz.
4. Lift once or twice from the bottom with the bar spoon to mix the Pimm's through.
5. Clap the mint sprig between your palms to wake up the aroma and tuck it in next to the cucumber spear. Serve right away.

Tips for success

• Choose firm cucumbers and slice them thinly. The cucumber flavor is a big part of the drink, and thin slices release more of it.
• For a pitcher, use 250 ml Pimm's to 750 ml lemonade with plenty of fruit, and add ice to glasses rather than the jug.
• If your lemonade is very sweet, add a squeeze of fresh lemon to brighten the drink.

Substitutions

Sparkling lemonade

Ginger ale gives a spicier, drier drink and is a popular alternative. Half soda water and half lemonade makes it less sweet.

Pimm's No. 1

Other gin-based fruit cups work similarly. For something homemade, try 25 ml gin, 15 ml sweet vermouth and 10 ml orange liqueur; it is stronger, so add more mixer.

Strawberries

Raspberries or a few slices of apple are both traditional enough and hold up well in the glass.

Variations

Pimm's Royale

Top 25 ml Pimm's with chilled Champagne instead of lemonade, and garnish with a strawberry.

Ginger Pimm's

Use ginger ale in place of lemonade and add a thin slice of fresh ginger.

Troubleshooting

It tastes too sweet

Swap part of the lemonade for soda water, or use ginger ale. A wedge of lemon squeezed in also balances it.

The fruit makes the drink murky

Strawberries broken up by hard stirring cloud the glass. Lift gently instead of stirring, and add berries in halves rather than crushing them.

The mint smells grassy or bitter

It was muddled or torn. Slap the sprig once between your hands and use it whole as a garnish.

Storage

Serve immediately. Sliced fruit for garnishes keeps covered in the fridge for a few hours. Opened Pimm's keeps at room temperature, tightly capped, away from heat.

Safety notes

Pimm's No. 1 is 25% ABV. This drink contains about 0.7 U.S. standard drinks. Its fruity taste can hide the alcohol, so pace yourself. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and never drink and drive.