In some ways, the Pimm’s Cup is Britain’s answer to America’s sherry cobbler, given its scant alcohol content and flashy garnish game. But the drink, named for the brownish-red, gin-derived liqueur it’s built around, also has plenty in common with the mint julep, as that drink’s association with the Kentucky Derby is comparable to the Pimm’s Cup’s ubiquity at Wimbledon. Both cup and cobbler are simple examples of session cocktails built around a single low-proof element.
— Drew Lazor
Recipe: Classic, adapted by Dan Greenbaum, Diamond Reef, Brooklyn, New York
Glass: COLLINS
Garnish: STRAWBERRY, MINT SPRIG
ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith talk to Drew about this classic cocktail.
Excerpted from Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion by Drew Lazor and the Editors of PUNCH. Copyright ©2018 by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Photos copyright ©2018 Lizzie Monro.
- 1 strawberry, halved
- 3 slices cucumber
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup (see recipe notes)
- 2 ounces Pimm's No. 1 liqueur
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice,
- soda water
- Combine the strawberry, cucumber, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and use a muddler to lightly crush them together. Add the remaining ingredients, along with ice, and shake until chilled. Fine strain into a collins glass filled with ice, then top with soda. Garnish with the strawberry and mint sprig.
SIMPLE SYRUP
MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Combine the sugar and water in a small pot over very low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a plastic glass container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
