Lemon
"Pimm’s" Crown From Rob Brouse
- Prep time 13 hours 2 minutes
- Cook time 5 minutes
- Serves 1
Author Notes
No one really knows exactly what Pimm’s No. 1 is made of. The recipe for the gin-based liquor was developed centuries ago, and it’s still a secret. What we do know is that it’s delicious and worthy of replication. Rob Brouse’s nonalcoholic version takes some work, but the pleasantly bitter, refreshing product is everything that’s good about a Pimm’s Cup. You could use all rooibos or all black tea, but I like the combination. The nonnegotiable: Whatever tea you use, it must be loose-leaf. A powder or the finer leaves in a sachet will make your drink too bitter. —Julia Bainbridge
Test Kitchen Notes
Reprinted with permission from Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason by Julia Bainbridge, copyright © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. —The Editors
Ingredients
- "Pimm’s" Crown
-
3 ounces
“Pimm’s” (recipe follows)
-
1/4 ounce
freshly squeezed lime juice
-
3 dashes
of rhubarb bitters, such as Fee Brothers
-
3 ounces
good-quality ginger ale, such as Goslings
-
1 sprig
of mint, for garnish
- “Pimm’s”
-
2
oranges
-
2
lemons
-
2
limes
-
3/4 cup
granulated sugar
-
3/4 cup
loose-leaf rooibos tea
-
1/3 cup
loose-leaf black tea, such as Assam or English Breakfast
-
4
dried juniper berries
-
1 teaspoon
gentian root
-
1 1/4 ounces
raspberry vinegar
-
5 dashes
orange bitters
-
2 pinches
fine sea salt
Directions
- "Pimm’s" Crown
- Combine the “Pimm’s,” lime juice, and bitters in a cock- tail shaker. Fill with ice, seal the shaker, and shake for 10 to 15 seconds, until well chilled. Double-strain into a footed glass and top with ginger ale. Garnish with the mint sprig
- “Pimm’s”
- Remove the peels from the oranges, lemons, and limes, leaving the white pith behind. Reserve the meat of the fruit for another use.
- In a medium pot, combine the citrus peels with the sugar, teas, juniper berries, gentian root, vinegar, bitters, salt, and 3 cups water. Bring the mixture just to a simmer over medium- high heat. Remove the pot from the heat and let the ingredients steep for 1 hour. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, or up to 24.
- The next day, fine-strain the mixture and discard the solids. Store the “Pimm’s” in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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