Pimm's #1

[Stigand]

All the recent hot weather in the UK has given me a thirst for vast quantities of Pimms.

In the interests of variety, I picked up a bottle of Plymouth (of Plymouth Gin fame) Fruit Cup - their own version of the Pimms No 1 Cup.

Plymouth's branding capitalises on the fact that it is 'traditional' strength - 30% ABV rather than 20% ABV, as Pimm's now is.

I compared it to Pimms both mixed with lemonade and mixed with dry ginger ale. It was a revelation. The Plymouth Fruit Cup was a far more interesting product. It was spicier, had fresher orange notes, and had a distinctive Angostura/cola aftertaste that made it taste much more refreshing than the Pimm's. And of course it's stronger, which can only be a good thing.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to come by, at least in the UK. I asked the beer-and-spirits person at Borough Market (who stocks all the other Plymouth products) where I could get it, and he told me that Plymouth have, for the time being, signed an exclusive distribution deal with Waitrose - so you can only get it there. This is not such a big hardship as I will make use of any excuse to go to Waitrose.

So anyway, it's Plymouth Fruit Cup for me from now on.

[jackal10]

I expect the recipe for homemade or cheat's Pimms is well known, but I will repeat it anyway:

two parts 40% gin

two parts red vermouth

one part orange Curacao (or other orange liquer like Cointreau)

Some add 1 part sweet sherry or port. Some add bitters.

Mix with lemonade etc like Pimms

Edited August 13, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[Stigand]

Thanks for this - adding Angostura bitters to home-made Pimms would probably replicate the Plymouth taste pretty well.

[cdh]

How long have they been making this Pimm's-y stuff, and has is been exported to US yet? I'm a Pimms addict during the summer, and I find Pimm's to be one of the best party drinks to serve (when made up in a vast bowl).

Here's my Pimm's recipe for a party sized bowl:

1 cup pimms

1 cup vodka

1 cucumber peeled and sliced into round

1 orange sliced into rounds

2 L ginger ale

Generally I find that one huge chunk of ice is better than cubes, so I've taken to filling a fancy copper bunt pan with water and freezing, and putting the big donut-shaped .

[Stigand]

Your Pimms recipe sounds good. I'm with you in preferring ginger ale as a mixer to lemonade. And I think cucumber and orange are the two fruits/vegetables you shouldn't leave out (I can live without the strawberries, nectarines, etc that find their way into a lot of Pimms...).

Judging by the Plymouth website, they haven't been making it for all that long. There's a list of US Plymouth gin distributors on the website too, so it may be worth calling your local distributor and seeing if they've been offered the fruit cup.

[ctgm]

Plymouth's branding capitalises on the fact that it is 'traditional' strength - 30% ABV rather than 20% ABV, as Pimm's now is.

Pimm's in the UK is 25% not 20%. I can't remember what it was before they dropped the strength but think that it was 35%. I generally add a bit of extra gin to make up for what they took away!

[Jim Cotter]

I was first introduced to Pimms at large Polo tournament on Long Island NY in the

1980's. At the time I used to mix it with club soda and then splash a half shot of Boodles gin on the top. I have heard of other people using gingerale as a mixer

and finishing the drink by putting a spear of cucumber in .

I would enjoy hearing anyone elses tales of Pimms, how you like to drink it etc.

I love to drink this stuff on a hot lazy day savoring glass after glass without getting

nine sheets to the wind.

[jackal10]

1 Pimms to 5 of fizzy white lemonade, lots of ice garnished with borage flowers, mint, slices of orange and lemon abd cucumber peel in a large glass jug, then strained into the glass

Is there any other way?

[curlywurlyfi]

Is there any other way?

yes! try adding a healthy splash of Angostura bitters to the jug. Or cutting the lemonade half-and-half with soda water (all lemonade is too sweet for me). Or using dry ginger ale. Frozen raspberries also good as icecube helpers but this is definitely verging on chi-chi.

[bacchant036]

not so bad w champagne and strawberries,

the complete wimbledon experience in a glass.

anyone got any interesting ideas with their vodka cup,

and is the plymouth fruit cup any better? see it springing up all over the place here but not a big fan of pimms so have'nt indulged.

[tommy]

a bartender at le pont de la tour in london introduced me to this stuff a bunch of years ago. i thought it was one of the most unique drinks i'd ever had (cucumber, mint, lemonade). we smuggled 2 bottles home, thinking it wasn't available in the states. the next time i visited my local liquor store i asked the guy about it, and he said "yeah, i think we have a bunch of bottles down on the bottom shelf over there. no one *ever* asks for that stuff". turns out it would have been cheaper to just buy it at home.

every summer we threaten to break out some Pimm's, but without that english lemonade stuff, i've found it just doesn't turn out right.

[jackal10]

Fake Pimms Edited August 5, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[ctgm]

I just poured some Pimms on top of some cucumber, orange, strawberry and mint to let it infuse for a couple of hours before adding the lemonade. My boy is 3 and having a birthday party so as the weather is a balmy 28c, though that Pimms would be ideal.

I did note that it was 25% alc and not 20% as in Jackal10's link. I am sure like many products it is different strnegth in different markets. In the UK it was reduced in strength to purely attract a lower Duty rate. At £19.56 per litre of alcohol it makes sense!

PS I was in a pub last night on the banks of the Thames and for the first time came across Pimms on tap.

Edited August 5, 2004 by ctgm (log)

[mrbigjas]

every summer we threaten to break out some Pimm's, but without that english lemonade stuff, i've found it just doesn't turn out right.

let's talk about where we might find that stuff in the US to go with our pimm's.

[tommy]

every summer we threaten to break out some Pimm's, but without that english lemonade stuff, i've found it just doesn't turn out right.

let's talk about where we might find that stuff in the US to go with our pimm's.

that's the *last* thing i need.

but yeah. if one of you brits can fill me in on what soda or combination of drinks approximates that lemonade of yours, i'd be a happy guy. one theory was that really cheap "lemon lime" soda (generic brands) gets close. i didn't find that to be the case.

[mrbigjas]

exactly. like, that flavor? it's definitely not lemon-lime, and it's not really lemon either. but it's so good. it's like yellow trix in soda form.

[trillium]

Well, it's not the same, but I really like using San Pellagrino's limonata in my Pimm's. It's tart, fizzy and the flavor complements the Pimm's. I tried Reed's ginger beer and thought it was too strong and sweet.

I know if you add lemon and lime juice to tonic water you can sort of approximate bitter lemon soda...

regards,

trillium

[tommy]

exactly. like, that flavor? it's definitely not lemon-lime, and it's not really lemon either. but it's so good. it's like yellow trix in soda form.

one problem with this request is that few brits will admit to liking pimm's.

[docsconz]

I was turned on to Pimm's on my honeymoon at Little Dix Bay in the BVI in the 80's. Great stuff, although I haven't had it much since.

[hathor]

I inherited a bottle and had no idea what to do with it. I just move it around when I clean out the pantry. I'll give it a shot with the lemonade....who knew!

[JAZ]

I've had a couple of great drinks made with Pimm's. One was at the Orbit Room (San Francisco) and consisted of Pimm's, cucumber-and-apple infused gin and I have no idea what else -- ginger ale, but perhaps something else.

The other was a Pimm's Rose at the Starlight Room (where Marco Dionysos, the creator of the drink, now works). Here's an article on the drink -- you'll need to scroll down to near the end:

Pimm's Rose

"It gets this really nice, well balanced botanicals from the gin and the herbal essence of the Pimm's." According to Cocktails by Harrington and Morehead, the Pimm's Cup "gets as close to health food as anything we'd care to recommend." And I think you can say the same for Pimm's Rose.

The ingredients for Pimm's Rose are as follows: half an ounce of Pimm's, an ounce of Hendrick's, an ounce of cranberry juice, half an ounce of lemon juice, a dash of simple syrup. Topped it off with ginger ale. The garnish is a lemon twist and a wheel of cucumber.

[bacchant036]

the lemonade most popular over here is the schweppes lemonade,

its got a stronger lemon flavour than 7-up or sprite, and tastes slightly less sweet,

you could approximate with a homemade lemon/soda/gomme thing.

its a real summer drink here, gos hand in hand with hyde park in the afternoon etc etc etc.

consumption tends to quadruple (or more) most places in summer, although alot of brits don't seem to equate it with bars, more about a sitting in the sunshine enjoying the great outdoors kind of drink.

if i'm going to the park the next day get a big bottle, fill w pimms, cucumber, strawberries, mint, apple and anything else with fructose and leave it in the fridge overnight, then just add it to lemonade the next day in the park!

reminds everyone of summer

[tryska]

i'm wondering if you squeezed a lemon into some sprite or 7up whether that would work?

[tommy]

i'm wondering if you squeezed a lemon into some sprite or 7up whether that would work?

i think it'll be too sticky sweet. in fact, now that i think about it, i remember decent results with *diet* generic lemon soda. although i say "decent" and really mean "piss poor".

[tryska]

maybe the italian lemonades then? (do the mexican sodas have a lemon flavor?) the main difference being sugar v. HFCS