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Welcoming Patio Season With The Civilised Sipping Of Proper Pimm’s Cups

pimms-cup

by Shaun Layton | Rejoice! Patio season is finally here, and though most of the better cocktail bars in the city don’t have patios, you can still order a Pimm’s Cup just about anywhere, or easily make one at home. I have fond memories of hanging out in pubs in London watching the odd punter walk away from the counter with a Pimm’s in hand to drink it on a street corner. On a hot day the pubs spill outside onto the curbs and there are no whistle-blowing inspectors ruining all the fun. Maybe one day it’ll be the same in Vancouver. And…maybe not.

In early 1800’s London, “Fruit Cups” (a mix of spirit, wine, spices, fruit) were sold as tonics with digestive health benefits. They were quite posh at the time. The enterprising James Pimm ran the Oyster Bar of Lombard Street, and his recipe got so popular that he had couriers on bikes selling it to other bars around the city. His highly secret recipe consisted of gin, quinine, fruits, herbs, and spices. In 1865, he sold the business to Frederick Sawyer, who sold it fifteen years later to the then Lord Mayor of London, Horatio Davies. Davies capitalized on its popularity and opened a chain of Pimm’s Oyster Houses.

The marketing around Pimm’s has always been playful and a reflection of the times. One funny slogan during bad economic times read: “We had to let the west wing go, but thank heaven we can still afford our Pimm’s”. Pimm’s continued strong until the 1970’s and 80’s when a lot of classic cocktails met their doom, along with fresh juices, etc. Guinness acquired the brand in 1986, and then merged with spirits giant Diageo ten years later. This is when the once iconic elixir made a comeback, as a “Hooray Henry” type ad campaign around the slogan “Pimm’s O’clock” emerged…

Pimm’s is the symbol of summer cocktails in England. The Kentucky Derby has the Mint Julep, and Wimbledon has the Pimm’s Cup. Every summer over 80,000 pints are sold over the two week period at the London tennis club. If you’re listening Diageo…we want the canned RTD (Ready To Drink) Pimm’s and lemonade on this side of the pond! It’s also the house favourite at the famed Napoleon House in New Orleans, where the owner (in the 1950’s) said that he didn’t want his patrons getting too hammered.

So, what to do with it? Classically, Pimm’s is served tall, with lots if ice, fresh fruit and lemonade. My recipe own is a couple ounces of Pimm’s, lots of ice, tall glass, cucumber slices, orange and lemon slices, and ginger beer. Others may want to try ginger ale, or even sparkling wine. The goal is a fun, no hassle, good-looking and refreshing highball-style drink with low alcohol. At parties, if you come equipped to whip up a batch of Pimm’s, you’ll be a lot more popular than the 7 layer dip guy!

A good tip is to let the fruit sit in the Pimm’s for a few hours in the fridge so the flavours can infuse. The best Pimm’s in Vancouver can be found at Pidgin in Gastown, where Barman Justin Darnes (yup, he’s English!) mixes his own Pimm’s recipe. What I love is how he dices the fruit, and the quality crushed ice they use. So with Wimbledon and the World Cup approaching, lets raise a glass to England!

A quote from Justin and his recipe below:

“The key to a good Pimm’s is fruit and plenty of it, this is not where you want to be penny pinching. Strawberries and cucumber are the absolute bare-bones, but if you really want to make a great one, you have to add mint and orange slices. I make mine with crushed ice and mix it hard with a spoon, I’m using fresh lemon juice and simple syrup and the dilution created when using crushed ice gives you a sublimely chilled lemonade to bring the Fruits, and of course Pimm’s alive.”

HOUSE-MADE PIMM’S CUP

1/2 strawberry (chopped), 1 inch cucumber (chopped), 5 mint leaves, 1 wheel orange (in quarters)
20ml Lemon juice
7.5ml simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar)
60ml Pimm’s

Build ingredients in an ice filled collins glass. Muddle through with crushed ice like a mojito, mix everything evenly throughout the glass. Garnish with lemon zest and a mint sprig.

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