Brunch Drinks: Pimm's and Cantaloupe

[Photograph: Heather Arndt Anderson]

In this wistful summer's end, I like to ponder the changing of seasons with a change of beverage. Out with the sprightly Sauvignon Blanc and in with the moodier Pinots Noirs. Out with the bright, tropical juices in my morning cocktails, and in with the late-season melons. In with Pimm's.

Pimm's No. 1 is a digestif made from gin and secrets. The traditional drink of Wimbledon, it is normally served with cucumber and sometimes cucumber-flavored borage flowers, in addition to various other fruits (apples, lemons, and oranges are common—Kenji likes to add strawberries). The Brits drink it with sparkling lemonade.

This brunch cocktail is drier than your standard Pimm's Cup, with just soda, ginger, and lemon slices instead of sweet sparkling lemonade, and wedges of heirloom cantaloupe instead of cucumbers (they're botanical cousins), and I left out all that fruit salad. It's a lovely, iced tea-colored sipper that really refreshes.

Get the Recipe

Pimm's and Cantaloupe »

More Pimm's Drinks

Perfect Pimm's Cup »
The Pimmlet »
The Rookie Highball »
The Spotted Pig Pimm's Cup »

About the Author: Portland, Oregon native Heather Arndt Anderson is the author of the food blog Voodoo & Sauce. She was recently published in the Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, for which she penned the Pacific Northwest chapter.

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