I became a tennis fan by way of the NBC soaps my older sister and I used to watch during the summer. When Wimbledon pre-empted them, we just watched that instead. What else were we going to do? Enjoy the golden summer sun as we frolicked in the halcyon days of our youth?
(To be fair, we did a bit of that too – the eighties version, anyway – which included days at the pool, laying out in the backyard, and listening my sister’s Squeeze and Scritti Politti tapes on her enormous boom box.)
I stopped watching tennis for years, but one day, flipping through channels, there it was: Wimbledon. And I was right back there having a lazy summer with my sister, but with better TV definition. Over time, my rekindled love for tennis has grown such that I watch tournaments that aren’t majors and have even taken a stab at playing a few times. (I’m terrible, if you’re wondering.)
Though I’ve never travelled to England (unless you count an airport transfer by bus), I’d really like to get out there someday and sip a Pimm’s on Henman Hill. In the meantime, Brian and I made Pimm’s Cup cocktails at home. These aren’t busy affairs – no syrup or citrus squeezing – just cucumbers, lemon, and mint thrown in a glass, muddled, and topped with Pimm’s and spicy ginger beer. Simple and refreshing, summer in a glass.
A simple take on the classic Pimm's Cup cocktail that's perfect for watching Wimbledon or just enjoying a summer evening.
- 2 1/2- inch thick cucumber rounds
- 2 1/2- inch thick lemon rounds
- 2 sprigs mint
- 2 ounces Pimm's No. 1 Cup
- 4 ounces ginger ale or beer
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Add a slice each cucumber and lemon, and a sprig of mint to the bottom of a Collins glass. Use the back of a wooden spoon to muddle slightly. Fill glass with ice. Pour in the Pimm's, top off with ginger ale, adding more ice if needed. Garnish with remaining cucumber and lemon slices and a sprig of mint.
Looks delicious! I’ve gotten into tennis, too, by way of my husband and my mother-in-law. Did you watch the men’s French open final? Super fun match to watch!
This sounds lovely! I love all things Wimbledon (and the finals this year will be epic, with top dogs guaranteed in center court!) and I like entertaining the idea of going there for breakfast at Wimbledon myself. I recently made strawberries and cream pancakes on my blog to celebrate the same thing! Your Pimm’s cups sound delicious. In my head they are a way more complicated beverage, but this sounds so easy and refreshing! Maybe one day we’ll be cheers-ing in London for the finals!
xx Sydney
I can’t tell you how much I love the fact that you call it Henman Hill <3 I'm actually sitting here watching Wimbledon on the TV as I read this post and I could absolutely do with a glass of pimms right about now. It's the perfect summer drink for sure.
I flipping love a good pimms cup. This looks so incredible!
Just had to stop whatever else I was doing because these photos are so gorgeous!!! I’ve never had Pimms but sign me up for these.
And I’m a fellow tennis fan too. I might take breaks from watching it but I can go back and get sucked into those rallies like nobody’s business. Wimbledon was always a favourite especially since I couldn’t wait to see what were the latest in all-white tennis fashions. Have to thank the Williams’ sisters for their game (foremost) and the style they brought with that confidence. Love it.
Actually here in England, Pimm’s is made with fizzy lemonade together with mint, strawberries, orange, and cucumber (according to the recipe on the Pimm’s bottle. No gingerale or ginger beer comes close to Pimm’s in the classic recipe.
The bottle states that one needs to combine one part Pimm’s combined with 3 parts fizzy lemonade (the equivalent would be 7-Up or Sprite in Canada or the States).
Part of being at Wimbledon is indulging in strawberries at every opportunity which includes afternoon tea. So at Wimbledon and the RHS garden shows, Pimm’s is served with strawberries. The other point to note is that Pimm’s needs to be made up 2-3 hours ahead of time and refrigerated so that the flavours have time to meld before serving to guests. And because it is so potent, one large glass is normally enough because the alcohol level in Pimm’s puts one over the legal limit to drive in most of the UK and Canada!
All important lessons learned by this Canadian from others after moving to the UK. Hope you enjoyed the 2015 Wimbledon finals.
Hi Allison, Thanks for dropping by and sharing your experience.
As I stated in the post, this isn’t meant to be the traditional Pimm’s Cup recipe, rather a simplified take adapted to suit my own tastes and those of my readers. Here in the States, ginger ale is generally preferred over lemonade soda and is always included as an alternate in any Pimm’s recipe. I have to concur – it may not be traditionally British, but the bite of a strong ginger beer or ale is a wonderful counterpoint to the sweet, herbal notes in Pimm’s. Besides – what’s the point of sharing the exact recipe on the Pimm’s bottle? Both for ease and because they’re already out of season here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the States, we left the strawberries out.
Allison with a HUGE swing and a miss!