COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK

 PIMM'S COCKTAIL

 (by Valentina Bartender at the Venetia Bar)

A cool and refreshing cocktail. We offer you the basic recipe with Pimm's 1 but there are many variations:

 Traditional Pimms No.1

PIMM'S NR 1

Cucumber, Apple (or strawberry, peach ...)

Mint

Ginger Ale

Preparation

Take a large, tall glass, ice cubes, you can now pick any fruit (apple, peach, strawberry, ...) just remember one rule: NON-ACID FRUIT! (so no citrus fruits) and then remember that you must add the grated cucumber and fresh mint ... what did pour 1/3 of Pimm's and fill the rest with Ginger Ale.
Fill the glass with a straw and a stirrer to mix (plastic stick to mix the drink) and garnish with a cherry or a slice of cucumber or orange...

A bit of history

Pimm's was first produced in 1823 by James Pimm, a farmer's son from Kent who became the owner of an oyster bar in the City of London, near the Bank of England. Pimm offered the tonic (a gin-based drink containing quinine and a secret mixture of herbs) as an aid to digestion, serving it in a small tankard known as a "No. 1 Cup", hence its subsequent name.

Pimm's is most popular in Britain, particularly southern England

There are seven Pimm's products, all of which are fruit cups, only Cups #1, #3 and #6 are still available at present. The essential difference among them is the base alcohol used to produce them:

• Pimm's No. 1 Cup is based on gin and can be served both on ice or in cocktails. It has a dark tea colour with a reddish tint, and tastes subtly of spice and citrus fruit. It is often taken with "English-style" (clear and carbonated) lemonade, as well as various chopped fresh ingredients, particularly apples, cucumber, oranges, lemons, strawberry, and borage, though nowadays most substitute mint. Ginger aleis a common substitute for lemonade. Pimm's can also be mixed with champagne (or a sparkling white wine), called a "Pimm's Royal Cup". Its base as bottled is 25% alcohol by volume.
• can also be purchased as a pre-mixed fortified lemonade (Pimm's & Lemonade) in 250 ml cans or 1-litre bottles, at 5.4%.
• Pimm's No. 2 Cup was based on Scotch whisky.
• Pimm's No. 3 Cup is based on brandy. Phased out, but a version infused with spices and orange peel marketed as Pimm's Winter Cup is now seasonally available.
• Pimm's No. 4 Cup was based on rum. Currently phased out.
• Pimm's No. 5 Cup was based on rye whiskey. Currently phased out.
• Pimm's No. 6 Cup is based on vodka. It is still produced, but in small quantities.
• Pimm's No. 7 Cup is based on Tequila although Cups based on Bourbon, Absinthe and Islay Whisky also exist