Pimms No. 1

James Pimm was running an oyster bar in the City of London in the 1840s when he started serving a gin-based tonic in a small tankard — a "No. 1 Cup" — to help his customers' lunches go down. Nearly two centuries later, that same recipe is the sound of an English summer: the clink of ice, the smell of cucumber, the first jug of the season.

Pimm's No. 1 is a gin-based liqueur, dark amber and lightly bitter, flavoured with a secret blend of herbs, spices and citrus. On its own it's a curious, quinine-tinged thing, all orange peel and warm spice at a modest 25%. But nobody drinks it on its own, and that's rather the point.

Built into its proper serve, it becomes something greater than the sum of its parts — herbal and citrusy, gently bitter, refreshing without being sweet. The lemonade lifts it, the fruit and cucumber and mint turn it into a fruit salad you can drink. It tastes of Wimbledon fortnight, of Henley, of a garden in July whether or not the sun has bothered to show up.

This is the bottle you buy by the case in June and finish by August. Get a big jug, fill it with ice, and let the afternoon take care of itself.

How to Serve

One part Pimm's to three parts chilled lemonade over plenty of ice. Load it with cucumber, orange, strawberry and a good handful of mint. Serve in a tall glass or straight from the jug.

Where to Drink It

The Wolseley on Piccadilly for a civilised jug. Any Boisdale terrace when the weather turns. Or the members' lawn at Lord's, if you can wangle it.

Food Pairings

Made for picnic food — pour it alongside a plate of cold poached salmon and new potatoes and you've got summer sorted.