A fruit or summer cup is essentially a bottled punch that is served by lengthening it with a mixer – typically sparkling lemonade or ginger ale – and garnishing it with various fruits, peels, and leaves. A fruit cup can be made using any alcohol as its base, but the most commonly used spirit is gin. This is often mixed with vermouth or other fortified wines and liqueurs such as ginger wine or orange curacao to add sweetness. Producers may also undertake additional distillations or macerations of botanicals to increase the complexity of the cup’s flavour profile. The Pimm’s fruit cup, known as Pimm’s No. 1, is a gin-based drink invented by James Pimm. Even though the recipe is top secret, the drink is typically a concoction of mint, chipped fruit, lemonade, and Pimm’s, which is a gin-based liqueur. The colour is deep red and just sings summer! It’s flavoured with unspecified botanicals, spices, and caramelised oranges (yum!).

The Three Drinkers How to serve the perfect Pimms — Spirits — The Three Drinkers

Introduced in 2006, produced by the same makers of Stone's Ginger wine it is based on a traditional recipe and retains a traditional ginger note. It is available in 70cL bottles with a strength of 13.5% ABV. Some say the pilgrim fathers spent their last night in England there in 1620, before setting sail on the Mayflower on their epic voyage to start a new life in America where they founded a new Plymouth. This is why the Mayflower ship forms Plymouth Gin’s trademark label today. The most common variety of fruit cup is Pimm’s No.1, which has been instrumental in popularising the drink. It was originally described as “The Original Gin Sling”, although the word “gin” no longer appears on the current Pimm’s label. Early bottles of Pimm’s called for a garnish of lemon and borage leaves or cucumber. Borage is an annual herb that is also known as the starflower due to its distinctive purple, star-shaped flowers. The leaves have a succulent flavour similar to cucumber and the flowers make a delightfully decorative garnish. Nowadays, it is common to see a whole host of fruits included in a jug or glass of fruit cup, including: orange, lime, mint, grapefruit, and even strawberries, but there is something to be said for the simplicity of the original garnish and it’s just as tasty. If you like strawberry ice lollies, the Oxford Originals Summer Cup is for you. Quite a lot sweeter than Pimms, it’s less bitter and spiced but also, lower in alcohol. Despite all this, it’s not unpleasant and is also half the price. Just don’t expect all the fancy flavours! Pour all the ingredients, except the soda water, into a shaker, shake well before fine straining (through a sieve to remove lumps of ice) into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with soda and garnish with a slice of lemon.Stone’s Summer Cup was launched in 2006 by the makers of Stone’s Ginger Wine based on a traditional recipe with a ginger note. Very much its own style this one, with plenty of table appeal and a lighter colour in the glass. Think cola cubes and wild strawberry sweets with a bite of bitter bark on the finish and decent weight from the higher alcohol level. If Pimm’s did a posh rosé, this would be it. A great one to gift someone this summer. Summer, as long as the weather holds out, is a time for picnics and barbecues; a time when many of us are looking for cooling drinks to share with friends. Many people’s go-to for a refreshing and social drink is a shared jug of fruit cup, of which the most famous and long-established brand is Pimm’s. It is a flavoursome fruit cup with a great combination of succulent fruitiness and earthy, herbal bitterness. The sweetness is balanced and the flavour profile is probably the closest to the fruit cups of old. For me, it’s a top choice for a Fruit Cup Royale – that is, a drink consisting of fruit cup added to a champagne flute and topped up with sparkling wine. A twist of orange peel really sets the drink off. Plymouth Fruit Cup & Ginger Ale is a quintessentially summery drink. (Image: Plymouth Gin Distillery)

Plymouth Fruit Cup — Spirits — The Three Drinkers Plymouth Fruit Cup — Spirits — The Three Drinkers

BBC Good Food (13 April 2023). "20 of the best gins to buy as gifts". BBC Good Food . Retrieved 11 July 2023. For the price tag, this is an ‘ok’ copy and it tastes exactly how the bottle looks: a bit simple and thin. This summer cup is more like a sweet, orange cordial and feels like it’s missing something, though it leaves a lot of froth. The simplicity is reflected in the lower price, at least. Plymouth Fruit Cup was a concentrated Fruit Cup mixer, discontinued sometime around the start of 2008. The Langham’s bars and restaurants include the award-winning Palm Court, Artesian Bar, Landau restaurant and The Wigmore, all overseen by culinary icons Michel Roux Jr. Chuan Spa Body + Soul provides a pampering haven and is London’s first luxury hotel spa to incorporate the ancient principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine into its signature treatments and ambience. Launched in 2003 and produced by the makers of Plymouth Gin, it is one of the strongest fruit cups at 30% ABV, which Plymouth says gives it a fuller flavour. [ citation needed] It is the result of the base of Plymouth Gin being mixed with fruit liqueurs, vermouths, aromatic bitters and citrus extracts.This product is a mixture of spirits and vermouth, with the addition of botanical distillates of strawberry, cucumber, orange, and mint. Staff (30 May 2011). "Vodka Pimm's – The Mystery of Pimm's No. 6 Vodka Cup". Summer Fruit Cup (blog) . Retrieved 20 June 2012. Never Never Fancy Fruit Cup is from South Australia, made in a collaboration between Never Never Distilling Co. and Marionette Liqueurs. It uses gin as a base, to which is added Marionette’s aged orange Curacao; Earl Grey tea completes the recipe. Made by the Plymouth Gin Company, it was based on Plymouth Gin, and flavoured with fruit extracts, bitters, Bols Dry Orange Curaçao, Cherry Heering cherry liqueur, Punt e Mes bitters, and vermouth.

Austin’s Summer Punch Aldi — Spirits — The Three Drinkers

The original Pimm’s summer punch should be mahogany in colour with aromas of baked strawberry, orange rind, cooking spice and a medicinal herb-like note that finishes with a bitter bite. This is the benchmark bevvy. Now let’s see how the others compare. We no longer recommend using a search bar, newsletter form or category drop-down menu in the sidebar. See the Modern Sidebar post for details. This cup starts out as a botanical distillate of Taylor’s of Harrogate’s Yorkshire Gold Tea, which is then blended with freshly-brewed Yorkshire Gold Tea and sugar. With the lowest ABV (alcohol by volume, or alcoholic strength) of the fruit cups tried here, this is a first-rate choice for afternoon tea, perhaps served alongside finger sandwiches and a slice of Battenburg.The Plymouth Gin Garden at The Wigmore will also be hosting Botanical Lab masterclasses throughout the summer. Taking place on the first Wednesdayof each month, the classes will take guests on an interactive journey where they will learn about the history and botanicals of Plymouth Gin and be able to blend their very own gin using the seven botanicals that Plymouth Gin has been known for since 1793 – No one can quite trace how it came to New Orleans and Napoleon House but it has been so popular there that they’ve claimed the drink as their own! New Orleans, surprisingly, has claimed another famous tradition: Mardis Gras. That tradition originated in 1711 in Mobile, Alabama, an even older city three hours east of N’awlins (as the locals call it) and they didn’t have their first parade until fifteen years later! The Langham, London is part of Langham Hotels & Resorts, with over 20 distinctive hotels and more than 30 projects in development from Asia, Europe and North America to the Middle East. About Plymouth Gin Plymouth Fruit Cup was launched in 2003 by Plymouth Gin and is the strongest of the fruit cups and is often mixed with fruit liqueurs, vermouths, aromatic bitters, and citrus extracts. Originally released over a decade ago, for a long time this much sought-after fruit cup was only available at the Plymouth Gin Distillery. Made with a mix of spirits, vermouth and liqueurs, the result is an intense and complex fruit cup that is full of rich fruity notes, dry herbaceousness, and a gentle hint of sweet spice. Deliciously moreish, it has the sheer power of flavour required to make it perfect for producing pitchers of fruit cup and lemonade or ginger ale; a convenient, but flavourful serve on warm, sunny evenings with friends.

Cup Drink? — Spirits — The Three Drinkers What is a Summer Cup Drink? — Spirits — The Three Drinkers

This summer, The Wigmore, a modern British tavern on Regent Street by The Langham, London, has partnered with Plymouth Gin to transform its courtyard into a botanical gin garden featuring climbing plants, self-garnish pots on tables and interactive masterclasses. Other popular fruit cups include the Plymouth Fruit Cup, the Stone’s Summer Cup, Ableforth’s Summer Fruit Cup, Players, Jeeves from Lidl, Austin’s from Aldi, Pitchers, Chase, Heston from Waitrose, Fortnum & Mason’s Summer Cup (made by The London Distillery Company), Sipsmith and Tappers’ Hydropathic Pudding. There are lots to choose from!Having a secret recipe has not stopped others from having a go at making their own versions, however. Sometimes, they nail it. Sometimes, it’s a mess and in some cases, it’s even better than the original. Here’s my verdict on the latest Pimm’s-like plonk for all budgets because you know, someone has to do it!