It’s been an unsettling period for all of us. Just six months ago, we were on what became our last tour in New Orleans; eating, drinking, listening to great music and meeting incredible people from the region and all over the world. So much has changed…

Without much explanation, I’d like to share a recipe to provide a moment of distraction. These drinks were served during our food tour of the Irish Channel. The recipe: jotted down by the bartender. Instructions: Muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of a tall glass; add the diced cucumber, fill with ice, add Pimms and fresh lemon juice, top with ginger beer and garnish with sliced cucumber and mint leaves. The Cocktail stirrers were left over from Mardi Gras – be creative. All ingredients available at BevMo.

Origins / History – according to Wikipedia:

“Pimm, a farmer’s son from Kent, became the owner of an oyster bar in the City of London, near the Bank of England. He offered the tonic (a gin-based drink containing a secret mixture of herbs and liqueurs) as an aid to digestion, serving it in a small tankard known as a “No. 1 Cup”, hence its subsequent name.

It has a dark-brown colour with a reddish tint, and tastes subtly of spice and citrus fruit. As a summer long drink, it is also commonly served as Pimm’s cocktail, a drink with “English-style” (clear and carbonated) lemonade, as well as various chopped garnishes, particularly apples, cucumber, oranges, lemons, strawberry, and mint or borage, though nowadays most substitute mint.[5] Ginger ale is a common substitute for lemonade. Pimm’s can also be mixed with Champagne (or a sparkling white wine), called a “Pimm’s Royal Cup”.

Pimm’s is most popular in England, particularly southern England. It is one of the two staple drinks at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Henley Royal Regatta and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera – the other being champagne. The first Pimm’s Bar opened at the Wimbledon tournament in 1971 and every year, over 80,000 pints of Pimm’s cocktail are sold to spectators.”

Why is this drink popular in New Orleans? “According to the Napolean House, and New Orleans lore, the popular drink made its mark at the Napoleon House bar in the late 1940’s amongst the bon viveur set. Unique to its maker, it is a gin based aperitif mixed with fresh lemonade, 7 up, and a sliver of cucumber that would be a refreshing cocktail that cools you off during heated summer days in New Orleans.” Leave it to the residents of New Orleans to find yet another reason to celebrate and enjoy a drink together: because it’s HOT!

Now you are a little smarter, and prepared to enjoy a Pimm’s cup whenever you are ready – hot or not!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

– Chef Charlie