I didn't either, so I looked it up. Does this help?
http://hotwired.wired.com/cocktail/99/13/index3a.html
Pimm's Cup
This peculiar spring quaff, with its brash-looking but subtle-tasting
cucumber garnish, gets as close to health food as anything we'd care to
recommend. A delicious whistle-wetter, the drink suggests at least a partial
mental leap from juniper to ginseng, with its hardy serving of Pimm's No.
1 - a tawny gin sling that first catered to the posh corners of the West End
and then court side at Wimbledon.
We request our Pimm's Cups topped with ginger ale and served over ice,
garnished with a squeeze of lemon and a sliver of cucumber. Those with a
penchant for hard-edged poisons may be disappointed by the drink's
refreshing fruit flavor, but the Pimm's Cup is not without zing. The blend
of citrus, cucumber, and gin smacks of the good earth - though, as most
Martini drinkers will point out, the taste can be reminiscent of dirt.
However, it's worth noting that the blue bloods of England, who typically
steer clear of muck, have rarely complained about this drink since its
inception in the late 19th century.
Most drink historians agree that the creation of the Pimm's Cup followed
closely on the heels of the invention of Pimm's No. 1 in 1840. First mixed
as a digestive tonic by James Pimm, this concoction - made with numerous
herbs and quinine - was initially served only at Mr. Pimm's oyster bar in
the financial district of London. Many establishments of the day mixed house
spirits to serve with cordials, brandies, and juices as "cups," in reference
to the tankards in which they were sold. However, few of these tonics became
as popular as that of Mr. Pimm. Within 20 years, Mr. Pimm began distributing
his drink. By the '20s, Pimm's was being sold throughout England. According
to Grossman's Guide to Wines, Spirits, and Beer, Pimm's was exported to
England's many colonies, making it as far as the officer's mess of General
Gordon in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. After World War II, the Pimm's
company expanded its product line, adding Pimm's Nos. 2 through 6. Each
version used a base other than gin: 2 through 5 were scotch, brandy, rum,
and rye, respectively. Other than the original Pimm's, only No. 6, mixed
with vodka, is still made. No. 1 boasts of being made to James Pimm's
original recipe, a secret known only to six people. However, we began to
doubt this upon discovering that the liquor now includes caramel coloring.
We enjoy Pimm's Cups while watching those three-day-long cricket matches,
which usually involve the English getting their cheeks thrashed by a former
colony. At a low proof, Pimm's has less kick than most spirits, so we can
drink it for the entire test series - the equivalent of watching a
double-header with extra innings and no hits. Only chess is better for crowd
excitement. If guests still accuse us of being anglophiles, we remind them
that though the English continue to sip Pimm's, former British colonies like
India have claimed this drink as their victory toast after cricket matches.
Based on game results from the last 20 years, these colonials have been
drinking Pimm's more often than anyone in England
Bob Kramer
rkramer3@austin.rr.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <WEmery7451@aol.com>
To: <jrherrera90@hotmail.com>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: FW: Racing in short sentences
> In a message dated 1/11/04 11:53:25 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> jrherrera90@hotmail.com writes:
>
> << As she, like us, was campaigning a TR3 (in Pink, of course) in all the
> Nationals, we got to know each other
> >rather well. Hence my short contribution to racing history-in a
sentence:
> >In 1965, At Stagecoach Hill, an inn just over the Massachusetts Line
> >from Lime Rock Park, during the mandatory Sunday break from the summer
> >National Races, I turned Donna Mae on to Pimm's #1 Cups. >>
>
> I can print your message and show it to her, though I do not understand it
> myself.
>
> <<you may pass it along to anyone you feel might be interested.>>
|