Pimm's original with blood oranges

The jet lag from our adventure lingers, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and whenever I feel like tucking into bed for a nanna nap, I remind myself of the 'KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON' message on a fridge magnet that we picked up in London. Sage advice to push through and get back to the land of the living asap, methinks. 

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But onto the original topic of this snippet...

Once upon a time in the 1960s, my father had a pile of Pimm's No. 1 Cup drink coasters in the cocktail cabinet. They were brightly coloured, soft plastic with frilly edges and throughout my childhood I used to play with them, never knowing what 'Pimm's' actually was. 

Not being much of a drinker, it has only taken me 55 years or so to try a Pimm's Classic. It happened in London recently. After hours of sightseeing, we happened across a quaint little pub not too far from The Tower. It was one of England's hottest days and it seemed as if we'd been walking for ages, climbing staircases, and waiting in endless queues. As such, I had a ravenous thirst. That's when I spotted a poster featuring a very refreshing-looking drink. So I ordered one. Then I had another. It was good. Darned good! Needless to say, these would be the first of many 'Pimm's Classics' that I enjoyed across the United Kingdom.

Research indicates that Pimm's is 'a gin-based drink containing a secret mixture of herbs, spices, caramelised oranges and various liqueurs' and was once served as a digestive aid. Interesting. Perhaps that's why I like it so.

Given my experiences with the product, I thought it was time to invest in a bottle. On the way home, we made a beeline for the duty free store at Dubai International Airport (as you do). 

I've been waiting for the jet lag to ease before drinking any alcohol, but with a box of blood oranges arriving on my doorstep this morning (thanks to my grower friend, Len Mancini, grower from Redbelly Citrus), I was inspired to create a Pimm's Original a la Lizzy to showcase this wonderful fruit and my new fancy, Pimm's. 

Cin cin ♥♥.

PIMM'S ORIGINAL WITH BLOOD ORANGES
100 mls Pimm's 
300 mls lemonade or ginger beer
1-2 blood oranges, halved, then sliced
strawberries, sliced
Lebanese cucumber, sliced
mint sprigs, to garnish
ice cubes or rocks, to chill

Pile the ice (or rocks) into two glasses. Fill each glass with slices of blood orange, strawberry and cucumber. Top each with 50 mls of Pimm's, and 150 mls of lemonade or ginger beer. Stir, garnish with mint, then serve. 

Note: You can use blueberries, apples and various other fruits. Make a jug of this refreshing drink if preferred. 

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A handful of postcards from London...

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Eeks! Crowds and stairs galore... 

Stay tuned to Good Things for more postcards and morsels from our travels. xxx

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Cheers...

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Tell me dear readers, do you 'keep calm and carry on' when you really don't feel like it? Do you enjoy Pimm's? And have you ever spent time in London?