Pimm's Cup

I have been researching this drink but I can not find a thread that goes into any detail here. It seems like a refreshing drink but I am apprehensive to buy a bottle of Pimms because it has quinine in it and I do not really like bitter drinks. Can anyone describe what it tastes like? For example I like a Tom Collins rather than a gin and tonic.
I am assuming Pimms Cup can be purchased at the liquor store and the rest such as the lemonade part can be made at home. Also instead of lemonade so some use other fizzy things? Do any bars serve Pimms Cup cocktails?

Pimm's is pretty widespread these days - just about every non-dive bar seems to have a bottle on the shelf, so you should have plenty of chances to try it without committing to a whole bottle. Owen & Engine even has a small Pimm's Cup section on their drink menu, with 2-3 variations.

Once mixed with some sort of sparkling citrus beverage (plus chopped cucumber & assorted fruit), I haven't noticed any bitterness, quinine-y or otherwise. It's a pretty smooth, light, easy-drinking refreshment.

toria wrote:I am assuming Pimms Cup can be purchased at the liquor store and the rest such as the lemonade part can be made at home. Also instead of lemonade so some use other fizzy things? Do any bars serve Pimms Cup cocktails?

I was reminded by a pair of Brits once that, in the UK and mainland Europe, fizzy lemon-lime sodas (7 Up, Sprite, etc.) are labeled as "lemonade", so when the recipe calls for "Pimm's and lemonade", a fizzy citrus drink should be used.

Khaopaat wrote:I was reminded by a pair of Brits once that, in the UK and mainland Europe, fizzy lemon-lime sodas (7 Up, Sprite, etc.) are labeled as "lemonade", so when the recipe calls for "Pimm's and lemonade", a fizzy citrus drink should be used.

Would Schweppes bitter lemon be a preferred addition to this drink?

Regards,

I have not seen that for a long time. I have seen the san pellegrino lemon drink which I think would be good. If the schweppes is like that then I think it would be good too and not as sweet as seven up or ginger ale.

I was big on Pimms this summer. Makes great summer drinks - my favorite is 2 parts Pimms to 1 part each: lemonade/ginger ale/cucumber vodka, over ice.

Pimms isn't all that pricey, under $20 a bottle. Give it a shot, what's the worst that could happen?

SN, I agree with you. I will pick up some at Binnys and give it a shot.

Cathy2 wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:I was reminded by a pair of Brits once that, in the UK and mainland Europe, fizzy lemon-lime sodas (7 Up, Sprite, etc.) are labeled as "lemonade", so when the recipe calls for "Pimm's and lemonade", a fizzy citrus drink should be used.

Would Schweppes bitter lemon be a preferred addition to this drink?

Regards,

No, you want Sprite or 7Up. White's Lemonade is what's usually used in the UK & Sprite is the closest equivalent. The bitter lemon is far too bitter.

toria, the final drink is really not bitter, you're aiming for a strong cucumber/lemon flavor with a fair amount of sweet, fizzy overlay over a sort of bitter tea like taste.

Binney's usually has Pimm's No 1 Cup (& you want the No 1, not the others), there will be a recipe card attached, but basically its 1 part Pimms No.1 with 3 parts chilled lemonade; add some borage, cucumber, orange (lemon if you prefer, & mint is sometime added too). If you make it in a jug, reduce the amount of lemonade slightly & replace with ice. Its traditionally a summer cocktail, but its good with Indian food too instead of beer.

thanks for the advice. It sounds like a refreshing drink.

One more questions...should the cucumbers be in spears or slices? Also the lemons....and can you substitute limes too. Slices or wedges?

It doesn't matter how you cut the fruit/cues - whatever looks best in your glasses. I don't care for limes in Pimms, but it might work. Remember, the norm is to use an orange, & a lemon is already a substitute = a lime will likely be a lot more tart, so its a matter of personal taste at that point.

The first place I ever had a Pimm's Cup was at Napoleon House in the French Quarter, where the PC is kind of the signature drink. I swear at the time the bartender told us this particular concoction - the Pimms Cup, as opposed to Pimms the product, which also has "cup" in the name, just to make things confusing - was a house invention, though I could be misremembering or maybe the guys was just blowing smoke. Regardless, at Napoleon House, they do the cucumber (which is essential) as a slice and add no lime. Their recipe, which is the one I've always followed, is here:

http://napoleonhouse.com/pimmscup.html

Cheers,

Pimm's is the brand - Pimm's No. 1 Cup is the stuff in the bottle. There are actually six different cups Pimm's sells/sold at various times, but since #1 is the only one usually available, its commonly just referred to as "Pimm's". Pimm's (& Pimm's Cup/Pimm's #1) dates to the 1820s & James Pimm, who developed & sold the first product in London as a digestive tonic.

Thanks for clarifying what I didn't make plain. What I meant to convey is that it's confusing that the drink - which includes Pimms No. 1 Cup but isn't purely Pimms - is called a Pimms Cup. (Parenthetically, since I did my Pimms research following the discovery of the Pimms Cup at Napoleon House, I've always been curious to try some of the other Pimms offerings but I've never come across any except the No. 1.)

Just got a bottle of this as a gift from my Aussie relatives. Of course, it is summer there. Is there anything more, well, Chicago-seasonal that I can do with Pimm's this time of year?

Vitesse98 wrote:Just got a bottle of this as a gift from my Aussie relatives. Of course, it is summer there. Is there anything more, well, Chicago-seasonal that I can do with Pimm's this time of year?

Its good with Indian food as an alternative to beer.

As noted above. It's still awfully specific; as much as I love Indian food, I'm really not eating it often enough to make a dent in this bottle anytime soon! Hey, it doesn't go bad, though, so I'll focus instead on going through my vermouth this winter.

It seems to m e a nice refreshing drink is good at any time of of the year.

Try it with Ginger Beer and fresh lime juice, and a couple of blackberries muddled at the bottom.

You could make a gin Martini (2x1 gin-Pimms with a couple of extra shots of orange bitters) and use Pimm's in lieu of the dry vermouth.

Make sure there is some left for the summer.

Cheers,
Toby

Just had a sample of the Blackberry and Elderflower version of Pimms at Heathrow Duty-Free shop yesterday. Quite delicious, might pick some up if I can find it in the States.

Sounds interesting - is the Elderflower component just St. Germaine's?

Pimm's #1 is very easy to find, any decent liquor store will have it and many groceries as well (I've gotten it at Mariano's a few times).