FOOD & DRINK Anyone for PIMM’s? A Pimm’s and lemonade is one of the When it comes to gin tangents, variations from Kent, is thought to have invented the most ubiquitous summer cocktails around. and subcategories there are now many. recipe in the 1820’s. In that time, he be - Just as soon as that big yellow ball in the The gin boom has brought in a wave of came the owner of an oyster bar in the sky starts to make an appearance, the new and revived categories, from Old City of London, going on to own a chain plastic pitchers in the back of the cup - Tom and Navy Strength to Cask Aged and of them in the decades that followed. It is board come to life as if they’re straight everything in between. However, one of thought that his establishment near the out of a Disney film. They wriggle their gin’s most famous and uniquely British, off - Bank of England is where the drink was way to kitchen centrepiece and before shoots has yet to properly break the sin - popularised, alongside other infusions, or you know it, you’ve shaken off the dust gle brand monopoly, let alone be ‘cups’, that he created. and loaded them up with ice and fruit. recognised globally. In fairness, there’s a Allegedly, he offered this gin-based drink Few people realise however, that Pimm’s reason for Pimm’s dominance as a prod - containing a secret mixture of herbs and No.1 is in fact a type of infusion known as uct: it tastes great. But it seems a shame liqueurs, as a tonic and an aid to digestion, a ‘fruit cup,’ sometimes known as the for there not to be a wider understanding serving it in a small tankard. The gin-based Summer Cup or if you’re feeling wordy, that there are more fruit cups out there. infusion became known as a ‘No. 1 Cup’ the Summer Fruit Cup. And that it is It’s even got to the stage where last sum - (as opposed to No. 2, 3, 4 or 5 which made from a gin base. Sweet and satisfy - mer several newspapers started referring were different and made using a different ing, with a low booze content and a high to the whole category as Pimm’s, instead base spirit), hence its subsequent name complexity, enjoying a good old Pimm’s is of Summer Cup, when describing com - today. Pimm’s as a bottled brand only re - one of the most quintessentially British petitor products and the race for super - ally began large-scale production in 1851 pastimes around. Fruity and herbal, with a market presence – much like when to keep up with sales to other bars. By spice depth that renders it both surprising people described all vacuum cleaners as a then, demand for the liqueur in other bars and delicious, it is a universally adored Hoover… and restaurants meant that Pimm’s was cocktail, traversing all genders, classes, ages So what’s the history of Pimm’s? The origi - moved to a large-scale bottling produc - and races. nal inventor James Pimm, a farmer’s son tion, becoming a brand somewhere along the way. James Pimm sold the business in Here’s a recipe for you to try your hand at to get started. It will be a touch more bitter in comparison to Pimm’s, so if you like a sweeter profile, add 1865 and it went through many hands be - sugar once the infusion is done. Also, if you have a recipe that you’d care fore landing in the lap of Diageo in 1997, to share or tell everyone about, tweet @GinFoundry with an image and we’ll whose stewardship has furthered it into be sure to continue spreading the love. an iconic British tipple. Add all of these ingredients into a jar, which can be sealed and stored in the fridge. Although it has gone through its ups and Let it infuse for a least a day, taste, then let it continue infusing to suit your prefer - downs in the past 50 years, so ubiquitous ence. Once ready, fine strain and store in a fridge. Use as you would Pimm’s and serve with lemonade or ginger ale. and inexpensive is Pimm’s today, that it’s Half a bottle of juniper forward gin, half a bottle of sweet vermouth, half a considered a basic staple of British super - sweet orange, cut into wheels . a tiny amount of (dried) bitter orange peel, markets. Pimm’s shows up at many events, a dozen strawberries cut into quarters, a dozen cherries with the stones from festivals to picnics to Wimbledon. removed, a sprig of lemon thyme, a couple of sprigs of lemon verbena The latter is probably one of the longest standing associations – when you think of 22 FOCUS The Magazine July/August 2018 www.focus-info.org FOOD & DRINK Wimbledon, you think of Pimm’s. During So ubiquitous and inexpensive the two weeks of Wimbledon last year, is Pimm’s today, that it’s 177,135 glasses of Pimm’s were sold within the grounds alone. considered a basic staple of There have been other Fruit Cups avail - British supermarkets. able throughout history of course. 1972 promotional poster Plymouth Gin have had their own Fruit Cup for decades, although it is only now version is also a good indicator that there available from the distillery itself. Chase, might be some wider interest from the Master of Malt and Fortnum & Mason all supermarkets themselves to challenge the have a version of the ‘Summer Cup’ too. status quo. Ironically, as Sipsmith tried to Sipsmith’s valiant attempt to launch their break the monopoly and turn tides of Summer Fruit Cup (recently rebranded as branded deckchairs from Pimm’s red to London Cup) has helped greatly to show - Sipmsith yellow in festival sites and foodie case that Pimm’s is not a just drink on its shows, Pimm’s have revived sister editions own but merely the last remainder of to make a product that can be sold out - what has become, until recently, an almost side of summer. Out of this explosion of 1950s promotional poster defunct category. ideas will emerge the next generation of Their offering was, and arguably still is, the brands and even if none make the transi - James Pimm catalyst for the new-found interest in the tion from amateur concoction to serious category. With their impressive and con - brand status, this groundswell of geekery tinued growth, give it a few years and we will help elevate the wares of the current predict that Pimm’s will no longer be the pretenders to the throne to a much wider only one in that ‘summer picnic special’ audience. shelf of every supermarket in the UK. We’ve always enjoyed infusing gins, making Another sign that things are changing is our fruit syrups and making our own ver - Brooke’s, (typically a brand reserved ex - sion of the summer classic. We encourage clusively for export markets), which is you to do the same. After all, Pimm’s No.1 now available nation-wide in Majestic. A Cup itself began as just one of many ‘cups’ quick look at the effort that M&S have in their own bar, let alone as one of many placed on their supermarket home brand bars making their own in the UK. Olivier Ward is Editor and co-founder of Gin Foundry. He is shortlisted as IWSC’s Communicator of the Year 2017 and has been named by USA Today as one of the foremost specialist authorities on gin. Outside of his work on Gin Foundry’s platforms, Olivier is Channel 4’s resident Gin Expert on Sunday Brunch , has presented sections on gin cocktails for ITV This Morning and features regularly talking about the category on BBC radio. He can be reached at [email protected] www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 23.