The traditional flavors and familiar redcoat-bold color of Pimm’s No. 1 lie at the heart of the Pimm’s Cup. But the Slanted Door’s Erik Adkins wantonly tosses all that tradition to the wind in his Royal Pimm’s Cup, which is built upon a boozy Pimm’s Mix of his own making. It’s all topped lavishly with sparkling wine—because you can “add Champagne to anything and call it ‘royal'”—and many a garish garnish, creating a new tradition all its own.
Royal Pimm’s Cup
Erik Adkins, The Slanted Door | San Francisco
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 1/2 ounces Pimm's Mix (recipe below)
- 3 ounces sparkling wine
- 1 1/2 ounces ginger ale (preferably Fever Tree)
- 1/4 ounce lemon juice
Garnish: cucumber, lemon peel, mint sprig, seasonal berries
Directions
- In 14-ounce glass, combine Pimm's Mix, sparkling wine, ginger ale, and lemon juice.
- Add ice and gently stir.
- Use mandoline or sharp knife to thinly cut a long, broad slice of cucumber and wrap around the inside of the top of the glass.
- Use a channel knife to cut a slice of lemon peel and add to glass along with bruised mint.
- Decorate garishly with seasonal berries.
Editor's Note
For "Pimm's Mix": Combine in a pitcher 6 ounces gin, 6 ounces Campari, 6 ounces sweet vermouth, 6 ounces dry vermouth, 6 ounces Dubonnet and 3 ounces Punt e Mes. Stir well. Recipe makes 1 quart; store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 month.