WHEN the dog days of summer finally arrive, we tend to look for something long and cool beyond beer, (well, occasionally), which might explain why we found ourselves tracking down a bottle of Pimm's no 1.
There used to be a time when you'd never be caught drinking what your parents might have sipped in "polite company" at a cocktail party. But thanks to mixology's ongoing resurgence, all that resistance toward things "old" has gone by the boards. Pimm's, (BCLS $24.29), the once hallowed sip of all things clubbish, is riding a small wave of popularity back onto any mildly respectable drinks list.
"Yup, we serve a classic Pimm's," advises l'Abattoir's Shaun Layton, who says it's really not that complicated: Measure 2 ounces of Pimm's no.1 into a Collins (tall) glass, dump in lots of ice and fill to the brim with ginger ale or ginger beer.
"Deck out the drink with whatever fruit you've got!," he suggests and adds, "Enjoy, and don't just have one ..."
In a similar way that Jägermeister started out as stomach bitters, Pimm's arrived around the same time, or just before, in London in 1823. Oyster Bar proprietor James Pimm devised his gin based tonic that contained quinine and a secret herb formula - and served it in a small tankard, referred to as a "No. 1 Cup."
Pimm's oyster business flourished-and so did the tipple that bears his name, spawning over 150 years a string of no less than six Pimm's in all. But it's the original, slightly citrus and spicy toned No. 1 Cup that still lends itself to some very flexible mixes, and also appeals to people looking for a more savoury than sweet, long summer sipper.
Real carbonated lemonade used to be de rigueur. Although, that's tough to come by today (unless you can track down Fever Tree bitter lemon, at specialty stores).
Cucumber slices also make for an intriguing and more unusual garnish, as does borage (include the flowers if you have some), although mint is probably the easiest to find, and equally refreshing. In short, as Layton suggests, you can pretty well add anything you like, making it more sweet, citrus or even vegetable-savoury.
Cocktail culture's star continues to rise, as evidenced by this fall's upcoming Art of the Cocktail, in Victoria, Oct 1-3: three days of seminars and special events, highlighted by a Grand Tasting in the Crystal Garden.
No slouch in the cocktail trenches, the capital city sports its own string of talented bartenders, some of whom (along with a few Vancouver mixers) will join a line-up of international luminaries, such as bitters aficionados Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck, Del Maguey Mezcal founder Ron Cooper, internationally renowned cocktail authority Philip Duff, and many, more. It's a packed schedule, with a range of intriguing topics designed to appeal to a broad cross section of tastes. Full details at www. artofthecocktail.ca.
