Pimm’s Cup Cocktail
Spring is teasing us.
It feels like the sun is juuuust about ready to creep out and stay. Well… it feels that way up until the time the rain pours down.
Despite Spring’s indecision, I happen to think it’s time for a Spring cocktail!
I ventured out into the French Quarter on a particularly sunny afternoon just after a rainstorm. It’s just a short walk from my front door to the Napoleon House, a building build 200 years ago. It’s first tenant, Nicholas Girod, was the mayor of New Orleans in the early 1800′s. In 1821, Girod offered his beautiful home up to Napoleon who was living in exile. Nice, right? Napoleon couldn’t make it… he died first.
Even though Napoleon never stepped foot in this house, the name stuck and now the Napoleon House is a restaurant and bar filled with history and old smarmy (I mean that in a good way) waiters.
The Napoleon House is known for their Pimm’s Cup Cocktails. Because I’m a girl who likes extra cucumber slices and a good dose of ginger ale, there’s no reason I can’t recreate these at home! And so it is.
One essential ingredients in a Pimm’s Cup Cocktail: Pimm’s No.1 .
Pimm’s is a gin-based alcohol. It’s a secret blend of herbs and liqueurs and as far as hard alcohols go… it’s on the light side. Pimm’s tastes like… well, it tastes like sweetened bitters with herbs and Spring. It is best simple mixed with lemonade or ginger ale. Cucumbers and lemons are lovely too so let’s get to it already!
Pour a few ounces of Pimm’s No. 1 over the ice.
Shove in a few lemon and cucumber slices. Smash them in there a bit.
Top the Pimm’s No.1 with ginger ale. Add lemonade if you’d like. Add a few dashes of bitters if you like things on the more hery side of life. Add lemon-lime soda if ginger isn’t your thing. It’s hard to go wrong.
Enjoy your weekend sips!
Pimm’s Cup
makes 2 cocktails
ice
8 thin slices English cucumber
4 thin slices lemon
4 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
8 ounces ginger ale
Fill two tall glasses with ice. Add a few cucumber slices and lemon slices to each glass. Pour 2 ounces of Pimm’s No. 1 into each glass. Top each glass with ginger ale and garnish with any remaining cucumber and lemon. Serve and enjoy!
