Gin's Many Faces: Pimm's

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IT'S BEST KNOWN as a refined summer sip served at Wimbledon, but lately, bartenders have been pairing Pimm's, a gin-based spirit whose recipe is known by only a handful of people, with more than the traditional lemonade and strawberries.

If you've never had Pimm's, start with a Pimm's Cup, which is topped with lemonade (in Britain) or Sprite/ginger ale/club soda (in the U.S.), and dressed with strawberries, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables. One place to go for a classic Pimm's Cup is Acadiana. The drink is popular at New Orleans' Napoleon House, and Scott Clime, wine and beverage director at Passion Food Hospitality, said he amended the Napoleon House cocktail for Acadiana's menu. Clime's version uses ginger ale instead of lemon-lime soda.

"Pimm's is a gin-based liquor, and has a bunch of herbs and spices in there, so it can be somewhat heavy," he said. "I thought that the spiciness of ginger ale made it more refreshing."

While Pimm's Cups are available at other restaurants around the area, including D.C.'s Bombay Club, and Commonwealth and Volt in Frederick, Md., you can also find a slew of variations. At Jackson 20, Marcus Garner offers a Pimm's Twenty, made with reposado tequila, mango puree, pineapple juice, cucumber and San Pellegrino Aranciata.

"I was at home making a salad and ended up with a mango and cucumber combination," Garner says. "It tasted really good, so I thought, 'Why not make a cocktail with that?'"

You can also find Pimm's and tequila at the Gibson, where Harvard on the Pike combines vanilla-infused tequila, Pimm's, lemon juice and ginger beer. Barman Derek Brown says you can really mix any spirit with Pimm's.

"Pimm's is already like a mixed cocktail, which makes it harder to work with," Brown says. "It's complete in itself, but it's fruity, it's herbal, it's got great qualities, and with imagination it's pair-able with any spirit."

Other bars offer variations on the Pimm's Cup. The Tabard Pimm's Cup at the Tabard Inn is a collaboration between head bartender Chantal Tseng and pastry chef Huw Griffiths. Griffiths makes cucumber syrup to add to a glass of Pimm's, ginger ale, soda, lemon juice and lime juice.

At Rasika, Jason Strich offers an Indian take on the drink by using kokum, an Indian fruit. The Kokum Cup is made with Pimm's, kokum and rose soda, lemon and cucumber.

"Pimm's is a pretty versatile spirit, though here it's the main ingredient," Strich says. "But you can also use it as a cordial to add hints of flavor to different spirits."

The most unique use of Pimm's can be found at PS7's, not in a glass, but on a plate. Chef/owner Peter Smith makes a Pimm's salad dressing with cucumber juice, white balsamic and shallots for Sarah's Salad, mixed field greens with fresh strawberries, toasted sunflower seeds and rosemary-black pepper croutons atop mascarpone and lemon.

"The vinaigrette is earthy, but there's a little sweetness that goes well with the strawberries and a pinch of white balsamic," Smith says.

MIX IT YOURSELF
The gin-based liquor isn't hard to find but it may not be easy to think outside the Pimm's Cup once you get the bottle home. Here's a recipe for the classic cocktail and some variations.

Harvard on the Pike
Ingredients
» 1 oz. vanilla-infused tequila
» 1 oz. Pimm's
» 1/4 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
» 4 oz. ginger beer

Making it
1. Build ingredients in collins glass, stir and add ginger beer.
2. Garnish with a lemon wheel. (Served at the Gibson, recipe by Derek Brown)

The Pimm's Twenty
Ingredients
» 1 oz. Pimm's
» 1/2 oz. Herradura Reposado Tequila
» 1 oz. mango puree
» 4 thin-cut cucumber "coins"
» 1 can/bottle San Pellegrino Aranciata
» 1/2 oz. pineapple juice

Making it
1. Muddle cucumber, pineapple juice and mango puree thoroughly until cucumber is completely broken up.
2. Add ice to shaker and add spirits. 3. Shake aggressively and pour into a collins glass over ice.
4. Finish with San Pellegrino and garnish with cucumber coins on a fruit pick. (Served at Jackson 20, recipe by Marcus Garner)

Pimm's Cup
Ingredients
» 1 1/2 oz. Pimm's
» Ginger ale
» cucumber garnish

Making it
1. Take a highball or old-fashioned glass, pack with ice.
2. Add 1 1/2 oz. Pimm's and top with ginger ale.
3. Garnish with cucumber. (Served at Acadiana, recipe by Scott Clime)

Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh