The Pimm's Cup

Vicki had the mom's group over for a one year survival party. Knowing my place, Vicki asked me to plan and man the beverage station. I needed a drink that wasn't overly potent, that was somewhat suited toward a nice sunny day, and that could be made for a number of people at once.

The Pimm's Cup fit the bill. I had never made them before, but had a few at various parties.

There is some variance in how the Pimm's Cup is made, naturally. I took the original recipe, as cited by Wikipedia . However, as Drinkboy says in his video about the Pimm's Cup, lemonade in Britian does not mean the same thing as it does across the pond in the States. Lemonade is apparently lemon-lime soda (Sprint, 7-Up). Drinkboy prefers ginger ale to soda, but I don't.

Given that Pimm's is pretty low in alcohol content, and also given that there were going to be many children in the house, I felt the need to give the drink a little more potency. Not a lot, but more than the normal recipe. To offest that extra punch, I needed something to balance kick. I chose fresh squeezed lemon juice and lime juice.

Here's my recipe for a small pitcher:
8 oz Pimm's No. 1
4 oz Gin
2 oz lemon juice
2 oz lime juice

Fill Highball glass three-quarters full with ice. Fill glass a little more than hald way the with Pimm's mix above. Top with 7-Up. Garnish with cucumber slice.

The cucumber does really impart a fresh flavor to the drink. It is great a great and easy recipe for a sunny afternoon.