It’s rare enough to find an Irishman like myself praising the English, but I have to bite the bullet and do just that. Not necessarily all of them, of course, rather a clever oyster-seller by the name of James Pimm, whose 1823 invention, Pimm’s, has saved my life more than once this summer. In hot weather beer can dehydrate and wine is for sipping, rather than slurping. Spirits, likewise, can be lethal if taken too frequently in the hot sun, so I raise a glass to Jimmy Pimm for his wonderful fruit cup.
Pimm invented it because gin and oysters were all the rage in London, but the poor soul couldn’t stand gin. So he mixed it with fruit and liqueurs, bequeathing us a truly original drink.
It’s gin-based, and contains 25 per cent alcohol, but served in a large jug, mixed with lemonade, ginger ale and fruit, the alcohol takes second place to the sheer refreshment it offers. And nothing could be simpler — take a litre jug, add 250ml of Pimm’s and top up with the mixer of your choice.
Of course, Pimm’s needs fruit as well. Oranges, lemons, even grapefruit add a lovely citric tang, but you could be a little unconventional and add some strawberries, slightly crushing them first, so the juice leaks out. Cherries are another fine addition, or simply add frozen mixed berries to the jug, as this acts as flavoured ice, cooling it down and adding more flavour.
Ordinarily, Pimm’s is mixed in a ratio of 1:3, with three times as much mixer as Pimm’s. You can also add it to sparkling wine to add some oomph and originality.
Cheers, Mr Pimm.
Pimm’s
- Pour 250ml of Pimm's into a litre jug. Top up with equal parts cranberry juice and orange juice and some soda water if you like bubbles in your drink. Top it off sliced oranges and strawberries.
- Add ginger ale and lemonade to 250ml of Pimm's and add a glassful of fruit wine of your choice—you can use any, but raspberry wine is delightful. Add sliced lemons and limes and a couple of handfuls of mixed berries.