[3] Here’s the recipe from Joy The Baker.

[4] Fans have turned Pimm’s Cups into ice pops and Jell-O shots. Here are recipes from Brit.co.

Pimm’s is a line of liqueurs, called fruit cups* in the U.K., first produced in 1823 by James Pimm (1798–1866).

A tenant farmer’s son from Kent, he studied theology in Edinburgh, but moved to London in his early 20s and became a shellfish monger. Not long after, he opened Pimm’s Oyster Bar in London, which grew to a chain of five restaurants.

He served oysters with a “house cup,” a gin sling with his proprietary mix of liqueurs and fruit extracts. (Slings were a category of drink that, at the time, combined a spirit with soda water or ginger ale).

The English gin of the time was not the smooth, botanical spirit we enjoy today, but a rough drink that had departed from its Dutch roots. It was often distilled into a crude, inferior but cheap spirit that was more likely to be flavored with turpentine than the juniper berries of the Dutch jenever from which it evolved.

So Pimm, ahead of the curve, doctored the rough gin with a “secret mixture” of liqueur, herbs, and fruits. He served it in a small tankard known as a No. 1 cup; hence, the name of the drink: Pimm’s No. 1 Cup.

Reddish-brown in color with subtle notes of spice and citrus fruit, the Cup was a big hit. He sold bottles to other establishments.

In 1851, he expanded the line† to include Pimm’s No. 2 Cup, made with a Scotch base; and Pimm’s No. 3 Cup, made with a brandy base. He initiated large-scale distillery production to supply his wholesale customers.

The history of Pimm’s Cup follows, as well as the original Pimm’s Cup recipe, how to set up a Pimm’s Cup Party Bar, and the different categories of cocktails.

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*A fruit cup, also known as a summer cup, is a traditional English long drink, most commonly based on gin, with the addition of a soft drink such as lemonade or ginger ale. The drink is a summer drink, garnished with fresh fruit (apple, cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, strawberry) and/or herbs (mint, borage). Other classic British drinks include Dubonnet Cocktail and Regent’s Punch.

†Over the years, under subsequent owners, Pimm’s created other cups, some using spirits other than gin. After World War II, Pimm’s No. 4 Cup, based on rum was invented; followed by Pimm’s No. 5 Cup, based on rye whiskey. Cups 2 and 5 were discontinued, and Pimm’s No. 6 Cup, based on vodka, debuted in the 1960s. There have been special editions, such as the Winter Cup and a Blackberry & Elderflower variant of No. 6 Cup. The first shot was the best: Pimm’s No. 1 cup remains the overwhelming favorite.
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PIMM’S CUP HISTORY: FROM FRUIT CUP TO DIGESTIF TO BRITISH STAPLE DRINK

In 1840, Pimm created what is today known as a Pimm’s Cocktail, as a digestif—a drink that purportedly helps with the digestion of food. It was conceived as a tonic to aid the digestion of customers who had eaten too much (which must have been a common problem among those who could afford it, given the proliferation of digestif liqueurs and wines).

He combined his No. 1 Cup with lemon juice and a topper of ginger ale or sparkling lemonade, served over ice with mint and fresh fruit—and thus an iconic British drink was born.

In 1865, the year before his death, Pimm sold the business and the right to use his name to a Frederick Sawyer, who sold it in 1880 to Horatio Davies, a future Lord Mayor of London. A chain of Pimm’s Oyster Houses was franchised in 1887. Today the brand is owned by spirits giant Diageo.

Sidebar: The Scoop On Digestifs

Taking a liqueur after a meal has long been thought to aid digestion due to its alcohol content. While it may seem to skeptics an opportunity for another drink, there’s some truth to the tradition (but note that heavy-alcohol drinks like brandy and whiskey have an adverse effect on digestion).

A smaller amount of alcohol stimulates the stomach’s production of the enzyme pepsin, the enzyme that helps digest proteins. It also increases secretions of the pancreas and gall bladder, which similarly break down food for use as energy.

In actuality, it’s the bitter herb- and spice-based digestifs that work best to help digestion. Ingredients such as caraway seed, fennel seed, and savory are thought to be especially beneficial to digestion. If you want an after-dinner drink with benefits, look to Chartreuse, Fernet Branca, Jägermeister, and Kümmel.

Fortified wines such as cream sherry, port, Madeira, and vermouth are traditional digestif wines; but these days, take a trip to the medicine cabinet for Alka-Seltzer, Pepto-Bismol, Tums, etc., the best cure(s) for what ails your digestive system.

In our opinion (since we’ve had the drink but don’t know the secret Pimm’s Cup formula), a Pimm’s Cocktail is more of a pleasant summer sipper than a digestif.
 

There are actually two approaches to Pimm’s Cup Cocktail.

 
Garnishes include as much sliced fruit as you like. The conventional fruits are apples, cucumber, oranges, lemons, and strawberries, plus herbs such as borage or mint (for a modern twist, try basil).

Ginger ale is a common substitute for carbonated lemonade or bitter lemon; but we very much like Sanpellegrino’s Limonata, which has less sugar than other carbonated lemon drinks.

The second approach was devised in New Orleans. It uses regular lemonade, a top-off of 7-Up or Sprite, and a cucumber garnish. If this sounds more appealing to you, here’s the recipe.

 
Ingredients For A Pitcher

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the Pimm’s, the apple, orange, and lemon slices, and mint in a large pitcher. Chill until ready to serve.

2. ASSEMBLE: Add the soft drink and stir gently. Pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with cucumber, strawberries, or as you wish.
 
 
RECIPE #2: PIMM’S CUP PARTY BAR

Pimm’s Cup is one of the two staple drinks (along with Champagne) at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Henley Royal Regatta, and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. It is the standard cocktail at British and American polo matches. It is also extremely popular at summer garden parties in the U.K…so why not enjoy one in your own garden?

You can make it by the pitcher, fully garnished. Or, just mix the liquid ingredients and the sliced apple, lemon, and orange, and let guests garnish their own with the other fruits and herbs.

You can find more Pimm’s cocktail recipes at AnyoneForPimms.com.
 

COCKTAIL CATEGORIES

If you like to understand what you consume, here’s a partial taxonomy of cocktails. The list of categories can be quite extensive—frozen drinks, mulled and other hot drinks, nogs and other egg- and dairy-based drinks, layered drinks, etc. But here are some basics, starting with this basic divider:

 
The differences between categories and sub-categories can be as minor as switching lemon juice for lime juice.

While this may seem like splitting hairs, remember that in the days before broadcast media, people had more time on their hands. One of our favorite examples of this is nouns of multitude.

1. Ancestral Cocktails. These are the original, early 19th century cocktails. These can sound generic, such as “whiskey cocktail” and “gin cocktail.”

The goal, back in the day, was to make spirits more palatable by sweetening them, with a teaspoon of sugar or a sweet liqueur. Often, aromatic bitters were included for complexity, and the drink was served either straight up or on the rocks. Two enduring examples are the Old Fashioned (without the muddled fruit and club soda found so often in today’s bars) and the Sazerac.

2. Champagne Cocktails. These are fizzy cocktails, made with champagne or sparkling wine. The champagne can be the principal ingredient, as in the Champagne Cocktail; or can be used to top off a sour or other drink, such as a French 75.

These drinks, originally served in coupes like champagne, are now largely served in flutes or other narrow glasses.

3. Highballs. Simple highballs combine a spirit and a carbonated mixer (club soda, cola, ginger ale) plus ice in a tall (highball or collins) glass. Pimm’s Cup and Rum and Coke are examples.

Replace the mixer with juice or liqueur to make a complex highball: a Dark and Stormy or Screwdriver, for example.

 
4. Juleps. A julep combines a base spirit with sugar, fresh mint, and ice. The Mint Julep, made with bourbon, is the best known today; but in earlier eras, juleps were also made with most other spirits.

 
5. Sours. Add lemon or lime juice (sometimes, grapefruit) and sugar to the spirit and you have a simple sour. They are usually shaken with ice and served straight up in a rocks glass.

In some sours, an egg white is added for body and a foamy top, as in the Daiquiri and Whiskey Sour.

Add another sweet ingredient—liqueur, fortified wine, or syrup—and you have a complex sour. Examples include the Cosmopolitan and the Margarita.

If you love details like this, check out our…

WHISKEY GLOSSARY: The different types of whiskey and related terms.

[6] From the Highball group, an Tom Collins (photo © Tanqueray).

[7] From the Sour group, a Whiskey Sour (photo © The Mercury | Atlanta).

[8] From the Julep group, a Mint Julep (photo © Distilled | NY).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Whether you call it a hot dog, frankfurter or wiener (see the evolution below), if you like the toppings as much as the sausage itself, this tip’s for you.
 
 
TOP 10 HOT DOG TOPPINGS

JJ’s Red Hots of Charlotte, North Carolina, offers its toppings list in order of customer preference. At their establishment, the favorites are:
 
1. Mustard
2. Onions
3. Chili
4. Slaw
5. Pimento cheese
6. Relish/pickles
7. Bacon
8. Sauerkraut
9. Salsa
10. Caramelized onions
 
There are regional preferences, of course: Pimento cheese is popular spread in the South; and ketchup, which many Americans prefer to mustard on their dogs, is not on their Top 10 list.

Whatever your choices, how do you get the most of them on top of that dog? Most hot dogs rolls are made to envelop the entire dog, assuming that one might want only a squirt of ketchup or mustard on top.

The options for topping fans were to wedge it into the sides of the roll, or have it spill off the top. Until now. We received this infographic from Fix.com.

Our favorite solution: #1 plus #3. Slicing the hot dog in half is enlightening!

 
 
WHAT’S IN A NAME: WIENER VS. FRANKFURTER VS. HOT DOG

Hot dog is the most recent name, bestowed in the U.S. on German names.

 

Image courtesy Wonderwoof.com.

Today’s tip is to make flavored ice cubes. They’re the easiest way to add dazzle to everyday drinks, be they club soda, juice, soft drinks, mocktails or cocktails.

We have long made “party ice cubes” that deliver big impact with no effort beyond freezing a liquid in an ice cube tray.

The benefits of flavored ice cubes:

 
 
OUR FAVORITE WAYS TO USE FLAVORED ICE CUBES

 
 
WHAT ABOUT FREEZING FRUIT DIRECTLY?

You can freeze any high-moisture fruit, such as:

 
They’ll defrost more quickly than frozen liquid, so consider a combination of frozen fruit and flavored ice cubes.
 
 
MIX & MATCH CHECKLIST

Soft Drink Mixers

 
For Creamy Drinks

 
Juices: Sweet

 
Juices: Savory

 
MORE ICE CUBE IDEAS

[2] Coffee ice cubes for iced coffee, or any coffee cocktail (Black Russian, White Russian, Espresso-tini, anything with Kahlúa), from the Angelica Kitchen.

[3] Crushed strawberry and thyme ice cubes at Shari’s Berries.

[4] A cube of frozen pineapple at Hakkasan | NYC.

[5] A stack of flavors from from Mihoko’s 21 Grams.

[6] Mix different fruits in a single ice cube tray (photo © Zespri | Facebook).

When you’re not using them for ice, here are other things to freeze in your ice cube trays.

[2] If you don’t like to dip, you can buy these pretty grahams from Chocolat in Savannah.

[3] You can also use graham flour for breads and pie crusts (photo courtesy Bob’s Red Mill).

[4] If you don’t want to smash graham crackers for a pie crust, use graham flour; here’s a recipe. Here’s the recipe for the lovely pie crust in the photo, from Boston Girl Bakes.

[5] Are s’mores the greatest thing to happen to graham crackers? Check out these s’mores recipes (photo © Dandies).

July 5th is National Graham Cracker Day.

The history of graham crackers is ironic. They started out as a savory cracker to curb lust. They turned into a food we lust after, whether plain, dipped in chocolate, or made into S’mores and pie crusts.

The recipe for the sweet graham cracker was edited by Marion Cunningham, who updated the classic Fannie Farmer cookbooks starting in the 1980s.

These crackers are snappy and so much more flavorful than the perfectly-shaped factory graham crackers. The thinner you roll the dough, the crisper they will be.

> The history of the graham cracker is below.

> National S’mores Day is August 10th.

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CINNAMON GRAHAM CRACKERS

Ingredients For About 2 Dozen Crackers

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a large rimmed baking sheet.

2. BEAT the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy; beat in the egg, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours and baking soda. Lower the mixer speed and add half the flour mixture. Pour in the milk and stir for a few seconds to incorporate before adding the rest of the flour on slow speed, mixing until the dough just comes together.

3. GENEROUSLY FLOUR a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a work surface. Scrape the dough onto the paper and sprinkle the top with a little more flour. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment or plastic and roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Check if you need to sprinkle the dough with a bit more flour while rolling (you should be able to peel back the paper without any sticking).

4. REMOVE the top sheet of parchment and transfer the dough by gently peeling it off the bottom piece of parchment, wrapping it around a rolling pin and unrolling it onto the baking sheet. Trim off the edges of the dough with a sharp knife to make a neat rectangle, and without cutting all the way through, lightly score the dough into approximately 2½-inch squares.

5. PRICK each square with the tines of a fork to make a pattern of holes. Sprinkle the top of the dough with sugar. Bake 15 minutes, or until the dough is slightly firm to the touch and the edges are beginning to turn golden. Cool the pan on a rack until completely cool, then break or cut the crackers on the scored lines.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF GRAHAM CRACKERS
 
Graham crackers were actually invented to control lust. The creation of the flour was inspired by The Reverend Sylvester Graham (1794-1851), who focused his ministry on health.
 
One of 17 children, this eccentric Presbyterian minister from Connecticut (we would replace that adjective with “repressed”), Graham believed that physical lust was the cause of maladies, from major illnesses like consumption, spinal disease, epilepsy and insanity, to everyday indispositions such as headaches and indigestion.

His “cure” was to suppress carnal urges, for which he prescribed a strict vegetarian diet and the avoidance of alcohol, tobacco and refined white flour. Toward this latter end, a miller created the eponymous graham flour, from which came graham bread and the graham cracker.

Graham flour is a special type of whole wheat flour in which finely milled white flour is mixed with coarsely milled bran and wheat germ, reuniting the three parts of the wheat kernel (the parts of a kernel).

The result was a coarse, brown flour with a nutty and slightly sweet flavor that baked and kept well (Grape Nuts cereal is made from graham flour).

But over time, someone added sugar and cinnamon and created a tasty cookie that appeared in Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook, first published in 1896.

Unfortunately, today’s large commercial graham cracker brands are a bland derivative, with little graham flavor. A good comparison is Wonder Bread and the best artisan loaf you can find.

Seek artisan brands from bakers and confectioners, or make your own.

Fun and beauty combine in this blueberry-blackberry pie, from Kindred Restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina.

Just looking at the cuisine at Kindred makes us want to head to the charming lakeside college town for a week’s vacation of dining and enjoying the view.

For now, we’ll have to content ourself with copying the pie, which is pretty easy to follow:

 
You don’t need piping skills: The whole idea is different sizes of meringues.

We’ll try a light garnish, too: a bit of lemon zest or a chiffonade of basil.
 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MERINGUE

There are three basic types of meringue: French, Italian and Swiss. A sub-tip of the day is to try them all, and decide which you prefer.

Here are meringue details.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF MERINGUE TOPPING & COOKIES

Some sources say that that meringue (muh-RANG) was invented in the Swiss village of Meiringen in the 18th century, and subsequently improved by an Italian chef named Gasparini.

Not all experts agree: The Oxford English Dictionary, for example, states that the French word is of unknown* origin. Meringue wasn’t invented in France.

Even Larousse Gastronomique, The New American Edition of the World’s Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, acknowledges the Swiss possibility along with:

[2] One of the benefits of dots of meringue (photo #1) is that you don’t need the skill to pipe evenly (photo by Hannah Kaminsky, Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Meringues can be baked into hard cookies or pavlovas, or cooked or torched briefly as a soft topping (here’s the recipe from Raw Spice Bar).

No one can find a historical derivation of the word “meringue*,” but the latest suggestion is that it comes from Middle Dutch meringue, meaning light evening meal—possibly from the Latin merenda, “light evening meal.”

Our personal favorite is the Middle Low German “meringe,” from mern, “to dip bread in wine.” Who wouldn’t like to dip a meringue in a glass of wine?
 
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*Contenders from include 1700 on include, from the Walloon dialect, maringue, shepherd’s loaf; marinde, food for the town of Meiringen (Bern canton, Switzerland). While they have a few letters in common with meringue, evidence for both is completely lacking. A source that makes more sense is the Latin merenda, the feminine gerund of merere, to merit. Who doesn’t merit a delicious confection? But as our mother often said: “Who cares; let’s eat!”