Strawberries and cream and a jug of Pimm’s are the essentials when planning a picnic in the UK during summertime.
But it turns out it’s not just Brits who love making a Pimm’s cocktail, apparently the English gin-based drink is also incredibly popular in New Orleans in the US.
Although down in the southeast of Louisiana, they make up the beverage rather differently than we do here.
Typically we like to mix the digestif with lemonade and garnish with slices of strawberry, orange, and cucumber. But in the ‘Big Easy’ they like to swap lemonade for ginger ale, and add some lemon juice.
A few people also opt to mix lemonade and Seven Up together with the Pimm’s and garnish with cucumber.
Carlos Vezterro, the head bartender at Louie London, told Metro.co.uk how they like to spice up the drink at the New Orleans-inspired restaurant near Covent Garden, and the recipe puts a fun twist on the classic.
‘I love a good Pimm’s during summer,’ he said. ‘It’s a lovely fruit forward cocktail that deserves more credit in my opinion, however, I won’t lie, it’s losing popularity against the Spritz!
‘At Louie we like to serve it a bit more spiced by swapping the Lemonade for some ginger ale.
‘We also add some house made seasonal berry cordial (blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, etc.) in this case, wild strawberry cordial and toss everything together with the fruits, oranges, mint, and cucumber.’
We might have to give this version a go for Euro Final and Wimbledon Final watch parties this weekend, as it sounds like it could be the perfect treat!
Pimm’s No, 1 Cup was first created in 1823, being produced by James Pimm, the owner of an oyster bar near the Bank of England.
James originally created the drink, containing herbs and liqueurs, as a tonic to aid digestion, and it was served in a small tankkard known as a Number 1 Cup — hence the name.
According to New Orleans Tourism, Pimm’s Cup made its way over to New Orleans in the 1940s, 100 years after it was first created in London.
It’s a summer staple there now, just as it is here, and you can find it served in restaurants and bars across the city.
Napoleon House in the French Quarter is thought to have been the first place to sell the cocktail, made with lemonade, Seven, Up and cucumber.
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