A few Summers ago, I decided I would get very into Pimm’s Cups and bought a bottle of Pimm’s No.1. This is the equivalent to a buying a single-use kitchen gadget like a cherry pitter or potato ricer; you basically use it once a year and then it sits there collecting dust. It’s kind of Pimm’s Cups or bust when it comes to Pimm’s No.1; like what else are you going to do with it?

I made Classic Pimm’s Cups and Porch Swings and then abandoned the bottle (and moved on to Aperol, to be honest). Looking back, what deterred me was that I had to admit to myself that I just don’t love ginger beer/ale (in the Pimm’s Cup) and never have Sprite/7-Up around (in the Porch Swing), so neither of those became my SSC (that’s Signature Summer Cocktail; a concept introduced to me by Weedy many Summers ago).

Speaking of Weedy, she and her fiancée Heini stopped by a few weeks ago to bring me some yeast (Heini has been watching GBBO in quarantine and stocked up), and also some fresh mint from their garden! I knew right away that I would dust off my bottle of Pimm’s No. 1 (I mean this literally, it was covered with a fine layer of dust in my pantry) and make this cocktail.

The thing I like about this version of a Pimm’s Cup is that instead of ginger beer or Sprite, you use sparking rosé, so it’s not too sweet and is the cutest pink colour. Honestly though, the best part is all the extras! The glass gets packed with strawberry, cucumber, lemon and lime slices, torn mint, and lots of ice before you add a shot of Pimm’s and top it all off with sparkling rosé.

I sipped this on my balcony on a Sunday night as I got ready for the season finale of Insecure, and it was super refreshing. My only tip is to let it sit for a while so the flavours from the fruit and cucumber can really infuse the wine. If it’s a touch too bitter, you could also add a little bit of simple syrup (or the dreaded Sprite) to balance it out a bit.

Sparkling Rosé Pimm’s Cup

Source: How Sweet Eats

Yield: This makes 1 cocktail; easily multiplied

Ingredients

• a handful of fresh mint leaves
• a few slices of strawberry, cucumber, lemon and lime
• lots of ice
• 4 oz Pimm’s No. 1
• 4-6 oz sparkling rosé
• soda water / simple syrup / Sprite to taste

Directions

1. Tear the mint leaves and add them to a large glass. Add the strawberry, cucumber, lemon and lime slices. Use a spoon to bash everything around a bit, so it gets a little juicy.
2. Fill the glass with ice, then pour in the Pimm’s No. 1 and sparkling rosé. Stir and sip. Top off with soda water / simple syrup / Sprite to your taste if you want it less boozy / more sweet.
3. If you can wait, let it sit for a bit before drinking so all the flavours from the fruit, cucumber and mint infuse the cocktail. Top with extra mint and fruit if you want, and a squeeze of lime.