Cocktails with… Sloemotion No7 Fruit Cup

Summer is on the way and with it, the need for cool and refreshing drinks. Often, the mind moves automatically to summer fruit cups (rather fitting, given our site’s name) and the most commonly available of these is Pimm’s, but increasingly more varieties are being released by other companies.

Today, we are looking at SloeMotion No7 (so named as it is their seventh product), which is a blend of gin, hedgerow, orchard, and field fruits, as well as hedgerow blossom and herbs. The suggested ratio for the serve is 1 pt SloeMotion Cup to 4 parts lemonade. It is bottled at a respectable 25% ABV.

The Taste

With Lemonade (I used the Sainsbury’s own brand, as recommended by SloeMotion)
Bold, rich, and fruity flavours with plenty of luscious berry notes, as well as a touch of spice and crisp, leafy notes, which are emphasised by the cucumber garnish. Even with lemonade it’s not too sweet, which adds to the drink’s refreshment.

With Bitter Lemon
This produces a much tarter version of the drink, but, given how well bitter lemon mixes with sloe gin, it is not a surprise that it works well with the SloeMotion No7. There is an additional, delightfully earthy quinine bitterness on the finish.

With Ginger Ale
This is the sweetest of the drinks that I tried, but it is still rather good; I like the gentle warmth that the mixer provides and it works well with the herbal and fruit notes of the drink. It’s also slightly less fizzy than the lemonade version, which will appeal to some people. Another tasty version.

With Soda Water
For those who prefer less sugar in their drink, this is an excellent choice. The greater subtleties of the fruit cup come through well, including some oaky, tea leaf tannin notes, plus citrus and some more fresh, leafy notes. Exceptional refreshment.

In Conclusion

I think that SloeMotion No7 brings something a little different to the category of fruit cups, providing a greater complexity than many of the mainstream brands and embracing fruit flavours, especially when compared to the more herbal characteristics of other excellent cups such as Plymouth or Sipsmith.

I enjoyed it most with lemonade and plain sparkling water.

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Heston’s Fruit Cup – from Waitrose

*Important Note – Heston’s Fruit Cup from Waitrose is currently £12 for 70cl.

2014 looks to be another boom year for the fruit cup, with Bloom’s Strawberry Cup (to be reviewed later today) following on from the success of their sloe gin and the recent release of Heston for Waitrose’s Fruit Cup, released exclusively for Waitrose, as well as others in the pipeline.

2014 looks to be another boom year for the fruit cup, with many new releases in the pipeline. In particular, we have Bloom’s Strawberry Cup, which follows on from the success of their Sloe Gin, and Heston Blumenthal’s Fruit Cup, which has been released today, exclusively for Waitrose. The latter is what we’re looking at today.

The Fruit Cup is based on Heston’s Earl Grey & Lemon Gin, which received mixed reviews (you can read our review here). The gin is blended with a mixture of elderflower, blackcurrant, and raspberry liqueurs, before being infused with eight additional botanicals.

The cup is made using an apple spirit base and is bottled at 20% ABV, which is equivalent to Pimm’s, but lower than the likes of Plymouth Fruit Cup or Sipsmith’s Summer Cup.

The recipe on the back of the bottle calls for crushed raspberries, freshly-peeled ginger, and fresh rosemary, which I thought was a bit ostentatious. As the cup already contains a raspberry liqueur and I’m using a good quality ginger ale (FeverTree), I decided to just go with the lime and rosemary.

With Ginger Ale, Rosemary & Lime (2:1 mix [Cup:Mixer])
First off, the fresh rosemary provides a great visual contrast to the vibrant red of the cup and, as you go to sip, you’re immediately hit with the herbal aroma of the rosemary and the fruity botanicals of the cup. On the taste, it’s clean, crisp, and very refreshing. The citrusy elements of the Earl Grey work well with the lime, and the botanical intensity of the gin is relatively underplayed, as is the sweetness of the liqueurs. The use of ginger ale adds a slight warmth to the drink. Overall, this is a refreshing, well-balanced drink that is not too sweet.

After some conversation with a colleague, I was persuaded to try the full, recommended garnish, as outlined above. Luckily, the raspberries were on offer and fresh ginger is never too expensive. I was rather pleased with the results: the raspberries, especially if you give them a bit of a muddle with your straw, add an additional, berry-tartness, which I’m sure will appeal to many, and the fresh ginger does add that extra zing, despite the fieriness already present thanks to the FeverTree Ginger Ale.

These additional ingredients do significantly add to the ultimate cost of the drink, but, if you fancy the raspberries for pudding (or are simply looking to impress), then I’d say give it a shot.

With Lemonade, Strawberries & Mint (3:1 mix)
This is a slightly lighter alternative, at approximately 5.0% ABV. Once again, with these relatively simple ingredients, you get a drink that has immediate visual appeal. Being a gradual convert to the use of strawberries in fruit cups, Heston’s is an example where it works rather well. They work really well with the elderflower liqueur, which shines through, and gives the impression of a slightly alcoholic strawberry lemonade, which is delightful. The fresh mint adds crisp aromatics and flavour that stops the drink from becoming too sickly.

With Tonic Water (2:1 mix)
For those that like the bitter twang of quinine and a dryer mixed fruit cup, this is one worth trying. The berry liqueurs stand up to the dryness of the quinine well and, along with the botanicals, create a drink that is dry, yet fruity.

With Bitter Lemon (2:1 mix)
The bitter lemon overpowers the cup in this drink, so you can’t fully appreciate the subtleties of flavour. Having said this, it’s still quite suppable.

With Iced Tea (2:1 mix)
This is a good alternative for those who prefer un-carbonated drinks. Using a simple iced tea made from English Breakfast, the result when mixed with the fruit cup is a combination of a fruit tea and a more fragrant blend. For the optimum, I would suggest using Earl Grey tea, with the bergamot tea working well with the flavour of the gin and providing a flourish of floral citrus.

In Conclusion
I think Heston’s Fruit Cup is a welcome addition to the category, not least because it is one of the first fruit cups to use a non-grain spirit as its base; the use of apple spirit adds to the fruity liveliness of its drinks. On the downside, the cup lacks the boldness to stand up well to heavy mixing – anything beyond a 1:3 ratio and the flavour is lost, with a 1:2 ratio being optimum.

Cocktails with The new Pimm’s – Blackberry & Elderflower

Hot on the trails of two new releases from their established gin brands, with the resurrection of Tanqueray Malacca and innovation of Gordon’s Crisp Cucumber, Diageo have breathed new life into another one of their classic brands: Blackberry & Elderflower Pimm’s.

This is based on Pimm’s No:6 Vodka Cup with additional flavours of blackberry and elderflower. These flavours make it somewhat reminiscent of the limited edition Chase Fruit Cup, released last year.

Pimm’s is well-known for having a history of a variety of products made with different bases (No.’s 1 to 6), but innovation with additional flavours is somewhat new. That said, although Winter Pimm’s, like Pimm’s No. 3, is brandy-based, it also has additional orange and spice.

Enough of the chat, let’s get on with the taste!

Pimm’s Special Blackberry & Elderflower Edition is bottled at 20% ABV (lower than the 25%ABV of the No:1 and No:6 cups) and its suggested serve is with lemonade and a garnish of blackberries. Although almost nobody drinks Pimm’s on its own, I thought it might be useful for reference to see what characteristics it has on its own, before trying it mixed. For all of the long mixed drinks, I used a three to one ratio.

The Taste

Own

Nose: A deep red-purple in colour, there’s a nose of blackberry, orange and other citrus, some spice and some sweet elderflower. Almost reminiscent of Refreshers sweets.

Taste: The blackberry continues on the taste. I feared it would be too sweet, but it’s not. Again, the citrus and spice are both there, there’s a slightly confectionery quality to it, too. And although it’s blackberry, it isn’t too tart.

With Lemonade – the suggested serve

I am using Waitrose Essential Lemonade, which is one of my favourites. In addition to the suggested garnish of blackberry, I used some lemon peel, which adds some citrus notes and also adds to the contrast of colours in the glass. Ah, it’s lovely! Almost like an alcoholic blackcurrant and lemonade, plus a little elderflower. I find that mashing up the blackberries with a straw makes the drink a little tart, which I enjoy. I can see why this is the recommended serve, although I like my little addition of the lemon. In short, immensely quaffable.

With Tonic

I always include this in fruit cup reviews as this is one watch-loving reader’s mixer of choice (he knows who he is). It works quite nicely; although, as the flavour of the Pimm’s is a bit more delicate than usual, Schweppes tonic overpowers it slightly. As such, I think the use of Fevertree or Q would improve it. You get a little build in flavour of tart blackberry towards the end, although the elderflower is nearly all lost.

With Ginger Ale

Blackberry & ginger seems to be one of those natural partnerships, so I have high hopes for this drink. And I was right! It works really nicely: juicy and jammy, with a sweet, floral elderflower lift, followed by the bite of the ginger. Easy to drink and very refreshing. For some extra tartness, I

suggest muddling the blackberry slightly in the bottom of the glass with a straw, which really sets the drink off nicely.

(Accidental) Negroni

This drink works particularly well with intense, herbal fruit cups; especially the excellent Sipsmith Summer Cup. As such, I’m not sure how well it will work with this more delicate variation. However, in the interests of science, I thought I’d give it a go! Plus, a blackberry-garnished Negroni seemed rather an attractive proposition. In my haste to write this article, I actually substituted the Campari in the drink with the Pimm’s, rather than the red vermouth, as I had intended. However, the result was serendipitously lovely, with the gin and red vermouth providing a neat background on which the lighter flavours of the fruit cup sit. An appetite-raising cocktail and perfect for an aperitif.

Negroni II

This is the drink as I had intended, with Campari and no red vermouth.

The drink is good, as suspected the Campari is very powerful, although the fruit cup adds some sweeter and floral notes to the drink, which – as I appear to be losing my sweet-tooth – appeals to me less than it might have done a couple of years ago. Having said that, I’m sure some people will really like it. Once again, this makes a nice aperitif, vastly improved with a squeeze of fresh citrus.

With Bitter Lemon

What I really like about this drink initially is the colour: it’s a louched pink-purple, which is neatly offset by the darkness of the blackberry garnish. Bitter lemon is often an under-utilised mixer, but I think that it works sublimely here: the citrus offsets any sweetness from the elderflower and the

blackberry adds a good, jammy note. Fans of the Long Peddlar (sloe gin & bitter lemon) are sure to be fans of this. My favourite drink so far.

With Ginger Beer

I used Old Jamaica Ginger Beer, which came out well in our 27 Ginger Beer Tasting. However, in this mix, for me, the combined sweetness of the ginger beer and the fruit cup just don’t work well together. The elderflower is lost completely, although there is a pleasant, jammy flavour that appears towards the end.

In Conclusion

It’s great to see the fruit cup category expanding with Blackberry & Elderflower. The elderflower certainly adds a spring or early summer-like feel to the drink, whilst the blackberry contributes a late-summer/autumnal aspect. For those looking for a pleasant afternoon summer’s drink for garden parties and wedding receptions, this will do wonderfully. If, however, you’re looking for a more intense, herbal kick, I suggest you stick to the original Pimm’s or add a dash of red vermouth – maybe even a splash of gin! – to this fruit cup. I really enjoyed the accidental Negroni, although, of the longer drinks, I would recommend either the bitter lemon or sparkling lemonade.

I like the idea of the blackberry garnish, but – alas! – as these are currently out of season in the UK, mine came from Guatemala; but, when my blackberry bush is full of fruit, some freshly-picked berries will be absolutely great in a drink like this.

Pimm’s Blackberry & Elderflower is available for around £16 for 70cl from Waitrose and Sainsburys.

I’m also intrigued as to how this will work in Whisky drinks – such as variation on the Canadian Blackberry Fix.

A New Fruit Cup in Town – Oxford Original

 

During the current spell of warm weather in the UK, which can only be described as “Scorchio”, one of the better ways to cool down is with an iced jug of fruit cup. We recently published an update on the new Sipsmith Summer Cup, but today’s subject is even newer, as it was only released in April 2012.

Oxford Original is a fruit cup made by Manchester Drinks, the same folks who make the Authentic Cocktail Company premixes, and is bottled at 15%ABV. It was designed to be a more economical alternative to the likes of Pimm’s.

We decided to try it with three different mixers. Each glass contained a wedge of lemon, a wedge of lime and a cucumber spiral. All were mixed at a 3:1 Mixer:Fruit Cup ratio.

Ginger Ale
This is quite a sweet mix with the berry notes, especially strawberry, of the fruit cup really coming through. As the drink has mulled with the fruit a little bit it becomes fresher and more succulent.

Lemonade
Not as sweet as the ginger ale, quite light and the cucumber compliments the drink well. Notes of strawberry, vanilla and berry. I find a squeeze of lemon makes the drink even more refreshing. This would be a good drink for those that find Pimm’s too bitter; if you prefer the a more fruit cup I’d suggest adding a splash of red vermouth.

Tonic Water
Dry and more bitter with the citrus notes of the fruit cup really coming through. This one of the better fruit cups to mix with tonic water.

In Conclusion
It’s always refreshing (no pun intended) to see a fruit cup with a slightly different flavour profile and Oxford Original is certainly less herbal and more fruity, in particular with more berry notes, such as red currant, raspberry and strawberry.

Cocktails with… Stroh Jagertee

Jagertee (“hunter’s tea”) is an Austrian drink made with inländer rum and tea, as well as a variety of other herbs, roots, spices and peels. Similarly to a Scottish toddy, it is often served hot with water as a winter warmer, although it also works well when partnered with warm apple juice.

Stroh Jagertee is bottled at two different strengths: 40% ABV and 60% ABV. As the flavours are heavily concentrated, it is typical to dilute the spirit. As I’ve mentioned, hot water is often used in the cooler months, with a typical ratio being 1 part Jagertee to 3 parts water; but what about drinking Jagertee in the summer as a cool beverage?

This was the question posed to me by one of the agents that represent Stroh in Britain. When the product was being described to me, its similarity to fruit cup was immediately apparent and, as such, some experimentation soon took place. But what were the best mixers to use to turn Jagertee from a Winter Warmer into a Summer Cooler?

1) Tonic
A 2:1 ratio was way, way too strong, whereas a 4:1 or 5:1 was much better, making a refreshing drink with a dry finish. The syrupy Jagertee needs some fruit to freshen it up; this was improved by a slice of lemon.
A sweet, syrupy, herbal start, followed by the dryness of the tonic; well-balanced, but still quite flavourful. The lemon added some freshness to the finish, lifting it. Lots of ice essential to ensure that it has a crispness – warm, the initial sweetness would be too much, but ice-cold, it was delicious.
5/10

2) Water
With no extra sweetness, this worked very well and was crisp & very refreshing; using plenty of ice and chilled water is the key.
8/10

3)  Ginger Ale
For this drink, I used a 5:1 ratio. I liked how the ginger worked alongside the herbal notes of the spirit and how the cinnamon came through more strongly. There was quite a nice balance to this drink, which means that it works well with a variety of garnishes/fruits, or even no garnish.
8/10

4) Lemonade
This also worked well at a 5:1 ratio; it was still possible to taste the herbal elements, but they were not too overpowering and the lemonade didn’t make the drink too sweet. Once more, a bit of citrus fruit livens up the drink.
This makes a wonderfully cooling drink with ice and I found that a squeeze of the fresh lemon before adding it as a garnish really improved it. The Stroh comes through more in this drink, making it more crisp, light, fresh and refreshing. There was a touch of sherbet to it. This might also work well with a couple of slices of cucumber, making more of a fruit cup kind of drink.
7/10

5) Orange Gin
This was really quite floral, but was probably a bit too sickly for my liking. It reminded Mrs. B of Galliano and orange juice.
5/10

6) Cola
This had a sweet start that quickly faded into more complex, herbal, and medicinal notes, all followed by a slightly bitter finish. All of the flavours go together very well, resulting in a smooth drink, and the lemon stops it from becoming too sweet. This was very enjoyable to drink and would be particularly good in summer, making a more interesting cola drink, where the medicinal notes of the Coke are highlighted; more old-school! You could also easily drink quite a lot of it, but not by gulping it down, as there’s substantial flavour there – it had a good balance overall.
7/10

7) Cranberry Juice
This was an odd one and we were split as to whether we like it or not. The dry, tart cranberry juice contrasts with the sweeter Jagertee. I think this will appeal to some but not others.
5/10

8) Bitter Lemon
This was pretty good; the flavour of the Jagertee is prominent, but there was also some lively lemon and a dry, bitter finish from the mixer. This lengthens the Jagertee in a crisp, refreshing way.
8/10

9) Iced Tea
Quite pleasant, but maybe a touch on the sweet side; using a homemade version of iced tea with less sugar would be better. As long as the iced tea is not too sweet, this works wonders. Quite smooth, too.
7/10

10) Dr Pepper
Pretty tasty; reminded me of an alcoholic, slightly more herbal, root beer. Very easy to drink, there was no need for a garnish, just lots of ice.
7/10

In Conclusion

I set out researching the article with two question in mind:
1) Can you make a summery drink using Stroh Jagertee as a base?
2) What is the best and the simplest way to do this?

I was pleased that many of the mixers that I tried worked well with Stroh Jagertee. The issues that some of the drinks had, for example being too sweet, can easily be resolved by a dash of lemon or lime juice.

The best mixers were Lemonade, Bitter Lemon and Chilled Water.

Stroh Jagertee is available for around £19 for 50cl from TheDrinkShop.com

Cocktails with… Gilpin’s Westmorland Extra Dry Gin

I first heard about Gilpin’s Extra Dry Gin when it won Silver at the IWSC in 2011, but further details were more of a mystery, so imagine my delight when I found a bottle in the Gin Collection of the modern Gin Palace, Graphic Bar, Golden Square. I then discovered Gilpin’s brand new website and found out that they were going to be at the Juniper Society on Monday 16th April 2012.

Gilpin’s Extra Dry Gin is made at Thames Distillers and is designed to be a gin that is extra dry in style. As a result, it doesn’t contain any of the more naturally sweet botanicals, such as liquorice or star anise, and uses bitter orange rather than the sweet variety. The botanical mix also includes two other citrus peels, sage and – uniquely – Borage (leaves). This last botanical is of particular interest to us at SummerFruitCup, as it is our logo and also an essential ingredient in a classic Fruit Cup.
The water for the gin come from Holy Well Spring in Cartmel in the English Lake District, Gilpin’s Dry Gin is bottled at 47%ABV.

Here is a full list of botanicals:

1) OWN
Nose: Sweet, with some warmth, spicy vanilla, cucumber peel and pine.
Taste: Very soft and smooth to start, with a slight, marmalade-like sweetness and a jammy pluminess. The end was dry, with lots of juniper and the finish was quite fresh and of moderate length. Very clean and easy to drink for a 47% spirit.

2) GIN & TONIC
This was a zingy and dry Gin & Tonic with a substantial burst of citrus and some more complex, fresh, herbal notes towards the end. I think that the likes of Fevertree or Schweppes will work better with this than Fentimans or 6 O’Clock, as, otherwise, you’re in danger of having too much citrus. Clean and refreshing and very quaffable for a 47% gin.

3) MARTINI
Dry, crisp and refreshing. Quite smooth, with a hint of oiliness, but plenty of flavour and a little alcoholic power. A very pleasant, dry cocktail with a touch of sage and a slightly bitter finish. A high-end Martini.

4) NEGRONI
A very dry and pretty bitter drink with a really depth of flavour. Sweet herbal to start and then a very intense dry dark bitterness. Memorable and one for the bitter fans.

5) FRUIT CUP
The gin really comes through, adding an extra layer of flavour to the drink in comparison to most pre-made fruit cups. There’s a good amount of sweetness, with a refreshing, yet full, flavour and a pleasant citrus chord.

6) SWEET MARTINI
Another very clean and smooth drink; the sweet vermouth contrasts well with the dryness of the gin, the result being a Sweet Martini that is dryer than many. There were some good herbal notes, citrus and a crisp, refreshing finish courtesy of the borage.

7) GIN COLLINS
Fresh and fizzy, this reminded me of a boozy lemonade. Surprisingly, the gin seems a little overwhelmed by the sugar and lemon. I found that the best way to improve this drink was to add an extra dose of gin (typically not something to complain about); this makes the drink more balanced, but still not spectacular.

Gilpin's Gin Tonica with willow Water Ice!

8) Matthew Gilpin’s Gin Tonica
I recently spoke to the driving and founding force behind Gilpin’s Gin, Matthew Gilpin, to ask him for his recommended serve for a Gin Tonica; here it is:

Fill a Balloon Glass Full of Ice
60% Gilpin’s Westmorland Gin
40% Fevertree Original Tonic
Slice of Lemon Garnish

I was lucky enough to be able to make my ice out of Willow water, which is sourced at the same place as the water used to make the gin.

This was certainly a strong drink, but the fruity, juicy elements of the gin really came through, as did some of the more earthy, herbal elements and the distinct freshness of the borage. The best way to describe it would be BURSTING; I think it is excellent and a rather pleasant way to round-off a Friday afternoon.

In Conclusion
Gilpin’s Gin is an excellent addition to the gin market and is a new favourite of mine. Its main asset is that it’s very dry, whilst retaining a fresh character with a crisp citrus element. My favourite drink was easily the Martini, although there was a host of other tasty drinks, too.

Chase Summer Fruit Punch (A Fruit Cup)

Since the hunt for Uganda Waragi, no spirit has alluded me more than the mysterious Chase Fruit Cup by William Chase. Last month saw the release of the excellent Sipsmith Summer Cup and so I was keen to see how the Chase one shaped up.

I was originally told about its existence and its exclusivity by a chap in a bar, but, at the same time, I was being told that it was exclusively for a particular client. After a series of false leads and disappointments, I received a tip-off yesterday as to where I could find some.

Luckily, I was in town that evening* and so yesterday we popped into Bistro du Vin, Dean St., Soho.

Chase’s Fruit Cup is vodka-based and is actually described as a “Summer Fruit Punch”. It was made exclusively for the Grand Opening of the Bistro in Soho, with the production run being limited to just 24 bottles. It is also unusual as it is bottled at 40%ABV; most Fruit Cups, including Pimm’s, are bottled between 20 and 25%ABV, with the premium likes of Plymouth and Sipsmith being bottled at 30% and 29% ABV, respectively. The colour of Chase Summer Punch is a rather vibrant deep crimson; a very berry-like shade.

It is bottled in their usual tall bottle, with their standard limited edition label (see Chase Smoked). Here is the text, in full, from the back of the label.

#1) Own
It is rare that people drink Fruit Cup on its own, but in order to get an idea of the spirit’s character, I thought I’d give it a bash.
Nose: Very strong; a fruity nose, with sharp berry notes such as sloe, damson and blackcurrant. There were also some bitter, leafy-green notes, like crushed mint.
Taste:Full of berry jamminess; sweet, but also quite tart. This does not feel like you are drinking a 40% spirit, but rather a 20% liqueur. As Chase suggests, this is unlike any other Fruit Cup and has some distinct Cassis-like qualities. Mrs B. also picked up a little salty savouriness too.

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#2) With Lemonade
The traditional mixer for a Fruit Cup, although not their serving suggestion. This drink had very strong, sharp, sweet berry notes and was also quite sweet and reminded me a lot of blackcurrant squash/cordial & lemonade or Cassis & soda water. The drink lacked any herbal complexity that you would expect from a Fruit Cup and, for me, was just too sweet. I think this is why lemonade is not the recommended serve.

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#3) With Ginger Ale
This is the suggested serve for Chase Summer Fruit Punch and mine was garnished with lemon, blackberry and mint. This was much better than the lemonade and the sweetness was far more balanced. Once more, there was a disappointing lack of herbal notes, although the drink does have a lot more depth when mixed this way. With the strong berry flavours and the ginger, this started to have rather an autumnal feel, which I quite liked. If it had some more fiery ginger notes it would be even better.

#4) With Ginger Beer
Inspired by the desire to mix the Punch/Cup with some more fiery ginger flavours, I decided to try it with ginger beer. The stronger ginger was certainly an improvement, but the downside was that the ginger beer was quite sweet and so the drink became a bit sickly. The bartender suggested adding a little lime to balance it out and I think that would work well. Alternatively, using a less sweet ginger beer, such as Breckland Orchard or Luscombe Fiery, would work. Once again, the underlying sweetness of the Cup/Punch makes it harder to mix with.

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In Conclusion

I’m really glad that I got a chance to try Chase’s Summer Fruit Punch and it certainly fulfills the label’s promise to be “a unique Fruit Punch like no other you have ever tasted”, making it a welcome innovation to the market.I’d like to see it have wider distribution, but, for me, it needs to be less sweet. I think that the high levels of sugary sweetness would turn a lot of consumers and bartenders off.In addition, some more herbal notes would add some depth and sophistication to the flavour and I think these could be incorporated without the loss of the unique berry profile of the product.

Finally, the 40%ABV that the spirit is bottled at seems an odd choice and I would suggest reducing it to something like 30%. This is assuming that the reduction in proof would not seriously adversely effect the flavour and I don’t think it would. Although the drink doesn’t taste very alcoholic, a few glasses of this drunk in quick succession could really creep up on you. Also, a 40% spirit will need to have a higher price point than a 30% one, if only for the higher duty that would need to be paid, making the product less competitive.

2011 has been an exciting time for the world of Fruit Cups and hopefully 2012 will see a larger production run of Sipsmith Summer Cup and a further offer from Chase, too.

Thanks to Caroline, Laura, Nick and Rob for their help with this article.

* It was the New Sheridan Club Night and we received an excellent talk on Mother of Pearl.

Sipsmith Summer Cup – Updated for 2012

So it’s time for summer again and sadly the original bottles of Sipsmith Fruit Cup have long since ben consumed amongst the smiling face of refreshed drinkers.

But fear not!

Sipsmith’s Summer Cup offering for 2012 has arrived with some bright new packaging, wider availability and great quantities, if you missed out last time now is your chance.

The new Sipsmith Summer Cup packaging for 2012 – notice the rather attractive branded cap.

Despite the new packaging the contents is just as suppable, flavourful and refreshing as the first one with almost no discernible difference to the original bottling. If anything the 2012 balance is better and the drink even more refreshing.

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I met with Sam, last year, just after the release of Sipsmith Summer Cup, a cooling Fruit Cup from the Sipsmith Distillery.* A I mentioned in a previous post I have a great fondness for all sorts of fruit cups and so I was very excited to go to the Sipsmith Distillery and try the new product.

Sam and I with the original packaging for Sipsmith Summer cup. (notice Prudence, Sipsmith’s still in the background.)

I was met by Sam and we spoke a little about the origins of Sipsmith Summer Cup; Sam said that they have wanted to create a Fruit Cup for a while, because there was something about a Fruit Cup that was different to most other drinks. I agree; to me, Fruit Cups are a different animal; they lend themselves very well to social functions, they have less of an impact than many other spirits based-drinks, and are easy to drink without being a fast-track to drunkenness.

“We wanted to make something dry, fruity, complex and balanced,” said Sam; “The key word being balanced.”

Sipsmith Summer Cup is based on Sipsmith Gin** and is bottled at 29%ABV, which brings it in-line with the “Old Pimm’s bottlings” and the rare Plymouth Fruit Cup. To the gin, they add a variety of other fruits, herb and spices, including Earl Grey tea, fresh Lemon Verbena and macerated cucumber.

The Summer Cup bottle is taller and thinner than that of their gin and vodka, and Sam explained that this was to create a lighter, leaner image for the product, reflecting the spirit that was inside. The label is familiar, if slightly stylised, and the bottle still has the distinctive thick base of the other Sipsmith products.

Sipsmith & Lemonade

The Taste

Own
Slightly opaque, with a nose of citrus, cucumber rind and herbs (maybe rosemary).
It tastes of citrus and leafy herbs, and is dry, with a hint of bitterness. There’s definitely a lot of flavour and a long finish. There is some sweetness, which is of a similar style to that of red vermouth.

Sipsmith have designed their Summer Cup to be dryer than most and this is reflected in their choice of suggested mixer: Fevertree Lemonade; this is dryer and made with cane sugar, and so is less sweet than its contemporaries. Although Sipsmith suggest simply adding “Seasonal Summer Fruits” I added Lemon, Lime, Orange and Mint. A cucumber slice works well too.

With Lemonade
Dry, herbal & complex, with flavours of citrus and cucumber rind coming through. It works well with the fruit and, in particular, the mint. It’s less sweet and more dry than most Fruit Cups and is very refreshing.
Mrs. B described it as savoury and leafy, with a hint of basil. There are some subtle tannins from the tea (especially on the finish) and a hint of bergamot; this helps to keep the drink quite dry. She also thought that it was not sickly or cloying, making it easy to drink. We both really like it.

With Ginger Ale
This was a completely different animal to the lemonade version; this mixer brings out a completely different side to the drink. It is more herbal and intense, with bitter leafy notes at the end, as well as something like cucumber rind or borage leaves.
Mrs. B thought that the flavour had a longer finish than the lemonade and was more complex, too.
Ginger ale is a great way to enjoy a different side to the Sipsmith Cup and is one of the few fruit cups I have tried where it makes a really discernible difference.

With Ice Tea
Initially, I thought this would be a really good idea, with the two tea elements working well together. The result was interesting and pretty much tastes like it has no alcohol in it. It’s not as refreshing as I thought it might be. There is clash between the iced tea (we used Lipton Lemon) and the Sipsmith Summer Cup. It’s OK, but not great; although, on further reflection, it may be right up some people’s street, especially if they like very dry drinks. For us, we’d like it a bit sweeter.

Sipsmith Summer Royale – 25ml Sipsmith Summer cup, Top up with Champagne.
This was recommended to me by the Sipsmith Master Distiller. If you like ti a little sweeter add a small sugar cube.
I enjoyed this drink, it was dry an herbal and far more crisp and refreshing then many champagne cocktails, the lemon verbena comes through well give the drink a  floral citrus note a similar flavour comes from the Earl Grey too.

When tasting the product on it’s own, I did notice some similarities to a home-made red vermouth that I created for our Red Vermouth tasting, and this made me start to think about using the Fruit Cup as a substitute for vermouth. Sam seemed to be inspired by this idea when I mentioned it to him, and started searching for pen and paper so as not to forget it. Here are some of my experiments, once I got home:

Negroni – Equal parts Sipsmith Summer Cup, Sipsmith Gin and Campari
The nose was herbaceous, intense, and slightly bitter. It tasted soft, smooth and bitter-sweet; more floral and even more intense than a normal Negroni. There was also a little touch of cucumber and it was quite dry, with a good level of fresh bitterness. Mrs. B is not a Negroni fan, but she quite liked this and thought that it would make a “nice aperitif”.

Manhattan – 2 Parts Rye Whisky, 1 Part Sipsmith Summer Cup, Dash of Angostura – STIR
Rather soft and subtle, and quite tasty. Less herbal than the same cocktail made with standard vermouth. It was both sweet and bitter at the end.

The jury is out on whether this is our preference to using red vermouth – I think more experimentation is needed.

Martinez – 2 Parts Sipsmith Gin, 1 Part Sipsmith Summer Cup, Dash of Angostura – STIR
Very smooth and quite soft, but still with a lot flavour. I think it works well and there are long, rich herbal notes on the finish. There’s a pleasant citrus crispness, making it a very clean drink. Pretty good.

The Current Sipsmith Range: Summer cup, Damson Vodka, Sloe Gin, Vodka and Gin.

In Conclusion

I think that Sipsmith Summer Cup is an excellent addition to the Fruit Cup world and, without a doubt, brings something new to the market. It’s over-riding strength (although it has others) is the fact that it is dryer and not too sweet. Hopefully this will open up the category to folks who don’t have a sweet tooth. I also think this Summer Cup has potential versatility as a cocktail ingredient; something that is not often seen in a Fruit Cup. I highly recommend it.

Sipsmith Summer Cup is available from The Whisky Exchange at £18.95 for 50cl.

A Bottle of the New Sipsmith summer Cup

*Sipsmith call their product, “Summer Cup”; Hayman’s called theirs, “Summer Mixer”; and I usually refer to them all as Fruit Cups – they are all interchangeable terms.

**A vodka version was tried, but the complex gin flavours won over the creamy barley notes of the vodka.
*** There are a few other companies that have made damson vodka for a little while, so it’s obviously a combination that works.
**** Sloe Gin is released a year after production: if it’s made from the 2010 harvest, then it will be released in 2011, etc..

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Drinks from the Vault #1 – Hayman’s Fruit Cup

Occasionally I come across a discontinued or obscure product that is of such interest I feel compelled to write about it, these article will be part of a new series called “Drinks from The Vault”.

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Recently, there has been lots of interest in fruit cups, Pimm’s and its alternatives, whether it is from boutique gin brands bringing out their own brands, folks experimenting with different spirit bases, or folks wanting to make their own. But today we take a brief step back in time, to look at the – now discontinued – Hayman’s No. 1 Fruit Cup.

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The now discontinued Hayman's No1 (Vodka) Fruit Mixer (Cup)

There was only one variety of Hayman’s Fruit Cup made and, most interestingly, it was vodka-based rather than gin-based (as almost every other Pimm’s alternative is). The product was discontinued nearly a decade ago and so has less to do with the direction of the company these days but as a Fruit Cup curio it is rather fascinating.

I found these bottles in a shop recently and so was delighted to buy a couple of bottles of Fruit Cup and Hayman’s history. Hayman’s serving suggestion is one part Hayman’s to three parts lemonade, plus a garnish of orange, apple, lemon and cucumber. Rather traditional, with no strawberry to be seen here – something that will no doubt please the Pro-Borage, Anti-Strawberry Pressure Group.

How does it taste?

Rather sippable. lighter then many fruit cups (gin-based ones) but Hayman’s has a stronger flavour than Pimm’s Vodka Cup and is more like what I would have expected Vodka Pimm’s to have tasted like before I tried it. The cup was fruity with a hint of spice and very refreshing.

In Conclusion

I thought that the Hayman’s No1 Cup was rather good and I’m pleased I purchased two bottles. What was most interesting was the fact that it was Vodka-based, but still a strong fresh flavour. If the interest in Fruit Cups continues or increases in the near future, who know some-one else might bring one out too. personally I’d like to someone make a pre-bottled Rum Fruit Cup.

Recreating the Long Lost Pimm’s Cups – Scotch, Rum, Rye & Tequila.

To mark our Second birthday on Wednesday July 4th 2012 I shall be revealing details of Cups No: 8, 9, 10 and 11.

With a name like Summer Fruit Cup, it seems fitting that, on the site’s first birthday, we should be writing about this summer cooler. We have previously looked at garnishes, the different varieties available and even making your own, but, for many, Fruit Cup is synonymous with Pimm’s Cup.

The variety that is most popular today is the No.1 Cup, which is gin-based, but between 1851 and 1970 five additional varieties of Pimm’s were available, each with a different base alcohol.

No.1 – Gin
No.2 – Scotch Whisky
No.3 – Brandy
No.4 – Rum
No.5 – Rye Whiskey
No.6 – Vodka

L:R Gin, Scotch, Brandy, Rum, Rye Whisky, Vodka, Tequila

But with exception of No.6 (and a reformulated brandy version), these cups haven’t been available since 1970; some vintage bottles sell for upwards of £100. After some encouraging feedback on my Lemon & Orange Gin recreations from Erik & Brad, I decided to try my hand at making some recreations of these long lost cups, as a tribute to Pimm’s and the varieties that were once made.

I’ve had some experience making home-made fruit cup and so, armed with some vintage samples and following conversations with the Master Distiller of Plymouth Gin, I set to work.
My research had shown that Pimm’s (pre-1970) was 60 proof (31.53% ABV) this reduced to 55 proof (28.90% ABV) and, today, is only 25% ABV. I aimed to make my cups at 60 proof.

Once the cups had been created, using various herbs, spices and citrus fruits, they were ready to taste. I decided to try each fruit cup with standard lemonade (lemon-soda – R White’s is our favourite) and ginger ale. It is worth noting that, as the No.1 and No.6 cups are in their original formula, these were excluded from the tasting notes.*

No.2 – Scotch

This cup was unusual in the sense that I have actually tried the Original No.2 Pimm’s Cup and so could perform a comparative tasting and tweak the recipe accordingly. I used a blended scotch, White and Mackay, as my base; I thought that this was a pretty standard scotch (and I happened to have a bottle). If you used an Islay that was very peaty, for example, the result would be very different and the recipe would need to tweaked for sure.

Lemonade
Of all the fruit cups that we tried, this was the most similar to the No.1 Gin Cup; it had a very similar consistency and mouthfeel. The whisky certainly came through: woody and oaky, with a touch of smoke. There were some fruit and ginger notes and quite a long finish. It had a slight, sweet viscosity, but this didn’t upset the drink balance.

When fruit was added, it opened up the flavour a bit and made it more refreshing. Overall, this was a little warmer than the No.1 and may work well served hot.

Ginger Ale
Sweeter than the lemonade version, and the flavours of scotch are more subtle. With ice and fruit it was very refreshing but, for us, just a bit too sweet.

No.3 – Brandy

The jury is till out on whether or not Pimm’s Winter is the same as, or just similar to, the original Pimms No.3 Brandy Cup. The modern bottle does state that it now has added orange zest and spice, but, as almost all fruit cups are blended with spices and citrus, I’m not sure that means much. If I find out, I will let you know.

Lemonade
When mixed with lemonade, the brandy cup had flavours of dark sugar, brandy and sugar/brandy snaps, along with warmth from the brandy. The flavour of the spirit come through more than the others, and was somewhat reminiscent of fruit cake. The flavours seemed quite rounded and there was a long finish. It improved when the garnish was added.

Ginger Ale
Notes of brandy at the beginning were followed by some vanilla and ginger, making this combination rather wintery. This is less complex than the same cup mixed with lemonade and so is a little bit easier to drink.

No:4 – Rum

I also have a sample of the original Pimm’s No.4 Rum cup and it is evident that it is made using dark rum. Given my fondness for the “English-style” of rums – Lamb’s, Skipper and Goslings – that is the style of rum that I used. Like scotch, the type of rum you use would make a lot of difference to your resultant fruit cup.

Lemonade
Packed with flavour, the rum came through well. There was also a little sherbet, molasses, spice and citrus; it was rich and complex, and had a very long finish. We thought that this worked well with lots of ice, but maybe an alternative garnish needs to be found, as we prefered this version without one.

Ginger Ale
Dark sugar comes through again, along with a more bitter-herbal twang. Intense, complex and rather delicious, this had a flavour of a similar intensity to the lemonade, but the finish was much shorter.

All in all, we both preferred the rum cup with lemonade (just).

No.5 – Rye

Before being introduced in the UK, this was sold in Canada and, for that reason, it seemed logical to use Canadian Rye in the recreation.

Lemonade
Mrs B. found this fruity, refreshing and easy to drink. There was a sweetness of some sort of old-fashioned boiled sweet (but she couldn’t quite put her finger on which) and it had a long, growing flavour, like Pimm’s No.1.
Although I liked it and agreed that it was light and refreshing, moving towards the style of the old Stone’s Fruit Cup, after the full flavours of the others, this one, for me, was a little disappointing.

Ginger Ale
A bit syrupy with sweet ginger notes, but still quite nice. I preferred this to the lemonade, as it seemed to have more flavour, but it was still quite light, in a similar way to the No.6 Vodka Cup.

No.6 – Vodka

As this variety still exists, there was no recreation.

No.7 – Tequila

As with most of the fruit cups, a decision had to made about the base spirit for tequila: Blanco vs. Gold? I opted for Blanco, as I thought it would make a lighter product.

Lemonade
This had a strong nose of tequila, with lime and a little vanilla. We both found this somewhat of a departure from the usual Pimm’s flavours, but, regardless of this, a common thread still seemed to run between them all; this was certainly still a fruit cup.
The tequila flavour is prevalent, but not over-powering and this is very refreshing drink, with both sweet and savoury notes. We found that it improved with a fruit garnish, which took off any harsh edge that the alcohol had had. Unusual, but lovely.

Ginger Ale
Sweet ginger notes, akin to gingerbread. Tequila still prominent along with some citrus fruits. Full of flavour and a close contender to the lemonade version but it is the lemonade that just has the edge.

Unlike with lemonade, with ginger ale, we found that the fruit garnish (cucumber, at least) detracted from the drink a bit. Still, a pretty nice cooler.

In Conclusion

We were delighted at how well the different spirits worked and it’s certainly a shame that they were discontinued, but, with the resurgence of Fruit Cups (I know of two well-known gin distillers that have just created Fruit Cups; one for general sale and the other as an exclusive to a bar chain), maybe we’ll see some more experimentation.

My favourites were the Rum & the Tequila Cups.
Mrs B’s were the Rye & the Scotch.

The Future

I have some plans to look at other fruit cups in the future and I have already made a sample of a “No.8” cup; watch this space…

*For more details on these click here and here respectively.

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