Pimm's

What do you get when you combine a Pimm’s cup and a shandy? The ultimate easy-drinking refresher.

This simple, low-alcohol summertime cocktail only needs two ingredients: fragrant Pimm’s liqueur and some ginger ale or ginger beer.

Edgier than a classic Pimm’s Cup, this cocktail works well across many seasons.

This cocktail is a refreshing, slightly bitter spin on the Pimm’s Cup, thanks to the addition of Cynar, a vegetal Italian liqueur.

The combination of Pimm’s and Cel-Ray is pleasantly herbal- and celery-forward.

Who says that Pimm's is just for Pimm's Cups? Add Champagne, and it becomes an especially refreshing punch. Pimm's was created in the 1840s by an English oyster bar owner, and it became one of the most popular beverages in England. The exact recipe is a secret, but we do know that it is a gin-based liqueur flavored with spices and fruit. It is generally consumed in the Pimm's Cup with ginger ale and a fancy fruit garnish. This party punch takes it one step farther, letting it macerate with fruit and then adding Champagne rather than soda.

Choose an unaged aquavit like Aalborg.

Serving delicious drinks at large parties is a hard task without a full bar of mixologists, right? NO! Let me introduce Mr. Punch. He is a big bowl of cocktail normally containing fruit, alcohol, and a mixer. Of course, I like to use British flavors, but you can tailor this to your taste. My biggest tips: Use lemon to preserve freshness and use homemade mixers, such as iced tea, to keep costs down. All that's left is to hold your teacup up and make a toast to all those present, to your loved ones and, of course, to THE QUEEN!

The Brits live on easy-drinking Pimm's in warmer weather. For a bit more character, we add dry Sherry to the mix.

This is a party version of the Pimm’s Cup (pages 110 to 112), for when you want to give your guests a break during a three-day cricket match marathon. The difference is you have a few more fresh fruits at your disposal. We find it tastes best if in addition to the cucumber and mint you add strawberries, diced apples, and orange half-wheels. Then again, you can experiment for yourself and play with some seasonal fruits. Maybe some pears will give it your special touch; gin and pears mix really well. When preparing the large-batch cocktail, try to press the fruits and herbs very gently. It’s essential that you mix the large batch several hours ahead—ideally, the night before your guests arrive. Refrigerate it to let the fruits steep and release their essence into the blend.

Pimm’s is as British as cricket or a cup of tea and has gained in recognition with the general rebirth of the classic cocktail. The original recipe for the Pimm’s Cup is a very simple affair of Pimm’s No. 1 and lemon-lime soda served over ice with slices of cucumber. The Brits refer to this simply as Pimm’s and Lemonade (“lemonade” being the UK term for lemon-lime soda). What is fantastic about this recipe is the simplicity of ingredients. Add some cucumber and even a little mint and you have already elevated the cocktail. Try substituting champagne in the cocktail or even adding seasonal fruits to the mix, and you are light years beyond a simple highball.

Pimm’s is a proprietary cocktail in a bottle created by James Pimm in 1820 for his London oyster bar. His first blend, Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, was a gin-based liqueur infused with quinine, fruit extracts, and a secret blend of herbs. The word “cup” in this case refers to a punch made with spirits, wine, and soda or sparkling wine. Pimm started commercially offering Pimm’s No. 1 Cup around 1859, and by the end of World War II five more bottled blends had been developed: Pimm’s No. 2 Cup, based on Scotch whisky; No. 3, on brandy; No. 4, on rum; No. 5, on rye whiskey; and finally, No. 6, on vodka. Originally, most cups were garnished with cucumber or cucumber peel. Employees Only pays tribute to this forgotten trend in our Pimm’s Cup cocktail, which can be made as a long drink or in large batches or pitchers for parties. We build the base of the cocktail with Cointreau and fresh lime juice to add more alcohol and firm up the body. Fresh mint and delicious thinly sliced cucumbers are lightly bruised in the shake to release aroma, and we top it off with ginger ale, which adds to and opens up the bright flavors of the cocktail.

Pimm’s No. 1 is a gin-based beverage made from dry gin, liqueur, fruit juices, and spices. When combined with club soda or ginger ale and a cucumber spear, it becomes a Pimm’s Cup. Pimm’s No. 1 was created in the mid–eighteenth century by English oyster bar owner James Pimm. The recipe is still a secret; supposedly, only six people know exactly how it is made. It has a dark golden brown color, a medium body, and a taste of quinine, citrus fruits, and spice. Its low alcohol content—only 20 percent—makes it a perfect lunchtime cocktail. The cocktail found its home in the States in New Orleans in the early twentieth century when an anglophile bartender at Napoleon’s put it on their menu. The addition of lemonade distinguishes the American version from the classically British Pimm’s cup.

While most of my friends are foodies, David Alan’s central focus is liquid refreshment. A coffee distributor by trade, he devotes most of his free time to the art of the cocktail. He writes a witty, drink-packed blog called Tipsy Texan. I asked him to create a couple of drinks for my backyard garden party. Both are beautiful to look at and delicious enough to be dangerous. The drinks are tastiest made one at a time and enjoyed immediately. If you are throwing a party with a spouse or partner, suggest they help by manning (or woman-ing) your “bar”—any small to medium table will do—for the first 30 to 45 minutes of the party. The bar action provides a focal point for incoming guests, and it’s a great icebreaker. Have all the ingredients and drink-mixing paraphernalia assembled in advance and set them out on your bar just before guests arrive. A large ice bucket, or even two, filled with crushed ice is a must.

If you have them, mason jars are a down-home way to serve the drinks.

This is a drink made with on of Pimm's three mixtures: Pimm's No. 1 (with a gin base), Pimm's No. 2 (with a Scotch base) or Pimm's No. 3 (with a brandy base).