Plump for a Pimms or Mash up a Mojito?
We all love a good cocktail, but did you know how easy some of them are to make at home? Find out how to prepare a glass of classic British Pimms and mash up a Cuban mojito. No fancy equipment needed for these recipes and they both make perfect drinks for summer sipping.
Cocktails are apparently on the up in the UK. This is a trend that I, for one, am happy to see. Ever since I had my first glass of Pimms as a teenager, I perk up when I hear the word cocktail. Mojitos are a rather more recent discovery for me, but now I’ve had the odd, ahem, one or two, I’m finding it hard to make a choice. Would you plump for a Pimms or make friends with a Mojito?
We All Love a Cocktail
According to Thebar.com, we Brits are a divided nation when it comes to cocktails, as you can see from the infographic below. Northerners go for a classic gin & tonic whilst Southerners prefer a Pimms no. 1 with lemonade. It’s mojitos all the way for the Welsh and the Scots are rather fond of them too; incredibly they come in slightly above a whisky and ginger.
As for the Midlanders, they are somewhere in between, with divided loyalties: some opt for a glass of G&T and others go for Pimms.
To be honest now summer has arrived, give me a comfy seat in a pretty garden with a few good friends and I’m happy with pretty much any cocktail you care to hand me – just let it be cool with plenty of ice.
However, it’s no use waiting for a cocktail to magically appear at my side, time to shake up one or two of my own. I’d just been sent the means to do so after all. A rather heavy wooden box, nailed down for extra security had found its way to my door, courtesy of Thebar.com.
Their Shake It Up page gives you pretty much all the information you need to create your own summer cocktails, whether they are to enliven a BBQ, a picnic, a party or any other kind of gathering. #LetsCocktail.
Pimms No 1
Pimms was the cocktail of choice at The Royal Show up at Stoneleigh when I used to work there, which is perhaps why my memories of the annual show are rather pleasant, if a little hazy. Anyway, that was the one I decided to make first. Lots of strawberries, cucumber, mint and ice are the secret to a good Pimms, although The Pimm Daddy recipe provided included slices of orange too.
Checking the freezer, I realised we had no ice and even worse, no ice-tray – agghh. I hotfooted it off to see if I could find an ice-cube tray and buy some local strawberries and lemonade whilst I was at it. Living in town can be very handy sometimes.
Never having added oranges to Pimms, I didn’t see why I should start now, so those were not included. But that’s the beauty of cocktails, they’re infinitely adaptable.
Cuban Mojito
Having thoroughly enjoyed our Pimms one rather hot afternoon, I decided there was nothing better.
However, a couple of days later, I mashed up a Mojito. Knowing very little about this cocktail – I know, where have I been hiding? – I still couldn’t quite follow the recipe and reduced the sugar by half. Oh my days, how good it was. Now I have a new dilemma, Pimms or Mojito?
Never mind, next up are the G&Ts!
Other Cocktail Recipes You Might Like
- Apple Mac cocktail
- Chocolate mint cocktail
- Pomegranate Choctail
- Rhubarbarella
- Salted caramel chocolate tea cocktail
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make either the pimms or the mojito, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making cocktails?
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Choclette x
Pimms No 1. PIN IT.
Pimms No 1 and Mojito Cocktails
Ingredients
Pimms
- 25 ml Pimm’s No. 1
- 100 ml lemonade
- 3 strawberries halved
- 3 slices cucumber
- 2 sprig mint
Mojito
- 50 ml Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold
- ½ lime cut into slices
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- 7 leaves mint + 1 sprig of mint for decoration
- 100 ml soda water
Instructions
Pimms
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Add the strawberries, cucumber and one sprig of mint.3 strawberries, 3 slices cucumber
- Pour in the Pimms, then top up with lemonade.25 ml Pimm’s No. 1, 100 ml lemonade
- Stir well and garnish with remaining sprig of mint.
Mojito
- Place the rum, lime slices, mint leaves and sugar into a lidded glass jar and shake it well until the sugar has dissolved and some of the lime juice has been released.50 ml Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold, ½ lime, 7 leaves mint, 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- Pour into a glass, add some ice cubes, then fill with soda water.100 ml soda water
- Give a good stir and top with the mint sprig.
Notes
- Pimms – 0.7 units of alcohol per serve. 123 calories per glass.
Mojito – 1.9 units of alcohol per serve. 143 calories per glass.
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
Where would a good summer BBQ be without a glass of Pimms or some other tasty cocktail? So with that in mind I’m sending my Pimms No 1 and Mojito cocktails to Janie at The Hedge Combers. They’ll make a fine accompaniment to all those Tea Time Treats. Karen over at Lavender and Lovage will surely take a glass.
Thanks to Thebar.com for the ingredients to make these cocktails. I was not required to give a positive review and as always, all opinions are my own. Thanks also to my readers for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
I must be a mixed up Midlander as I’ll opt for a G&T or a Pimms, hehe! I remember the days of the Royal Show at Stoneleigh, I lived about 20 minutes away so we always used to go. It was most probably where I had my first Pimms!
Oh, how funny. We might have passed each other whilst sipping Pimms.
Not keen on Pimms, but could sink oen (or more) Mojito’s quite happily 🙂 Thanks for sharing with Tea Time Treats Choccy, they’re the perfect BBQ tipple!
Janie x
Thanks Janie, that’s very big of you to say so given you’re not partial to Pimms, though how that is possible I’ll never understand 😉
Mr CC and I occasionally go out for cocktails and thoroughly enjoy it! He likes a classic Sidecar, whereas I can be swayed by anything with rum!
As CC, so you come down on the side of mojito. No idea what a Sidecar is, but I’m just going off to find out.
I love the map! I’m in the midlands and do love a G&T so I guess I am part of that statistic. I also love a mojito but then I also love pimms… hmmmm 🙂 not sure what that says about me! Teeheee..
I think you’re with me and just like a good cocktail. Nothing wrong with that, is there? 😉
Now you have me crave pimms!
Haha, that’s the general idea Angie 😉
I do love cocktails, I really need to make them more often!
I rarely think to make they either Kavey; this was just the push I needed.
I love cool cocktails – they are so refreshing!
Absolutely Heidi, especially when we actually get a bit of sunshine 😉
Personally I don’t like Pimms, never have! I prefer mojitos! I used to love a good coktail back in the old ‘partying’ days
Laura x x x
Excellent, I like someone decisive. Know what you mean, cocktails bring my student days right back 🙂
I like a cocktail too Choclette. I am rather partial to a magarita, but I’d be happy to try yours too 🙂
Thanks for linking to me.
All this talk of cocktails is giving me a thirst Jac – off to investigate margaritas now 😉
Oh if I was still allowed to have a drink I would be all over that pimms!!!! Love it – great blog btw, added you to my reading list 🙂
Oh no, hope this is choice rather than necessity. Thanks for commenting and liking my blog too – always happy to hear that 😉
That’s so funny….. a North-South cocktail divide! Frankly, I am happy with any and all of them….. One after another if necessary. Although given a choice (and despite being a southerner) my favourite will remain a Mojito! I was lucky enough to drink them freshly made in the Haciendas of the Cuban mountains many years ago and they have remained top of my list ever since!
Ah Kate, if you are going to have a Mojito, it sounds as if you were in the best place to have one. Would love to go to Cuba. Pimms is starting to be outvoted now.
I absolutely love Mojitos, in fact I just shared my Mojito Mocktail recipe over on my blog if you want to have a read. I also love Pimms too, such refreshing drinks for Summer evenings!
L x
Ah good to hear someone coming down on the side of Mojitos Laura.
I’m not much of a cocktail fan to be honest. I’m a rum and coke or whiskey and coke kinda gal 🙂
I think they might count as cocktails Kristina – not that I’m an expert.
It’s got to be the Pimms for me! Though I really don’t like the cucumber in it so I leave that out 🙂
Haha, really Felicity? It’s not Pimms for me unless it has cucumber in.
My taste in cocktails tends towards the Scottish! That’s unexpected. I like a Pimms, but generally I prefer it made with ginger ale.
Whisky and ginger for you then Alicia? I do very much like your suggestion of Pimms with ginger and will now have to try it.
Ooh I’m very fond of both Pimms and a Mojito. If I’m out in the sun they’d both be very welcome. GG
Now that, GG, is called sitting on the fence – or did I mean the garden chair 😉
What a great drink for summer!
It really is one of the best Crystal 🙂
Mmm I would love a Pimms right now! I’m surprised my gin intake isn’t increasing that Midlands stat 🙂 Thanks for including my recipe xx
Haha Emily. I don’t think I’ve had a G&T for several years. That’s all ab out to change now though 😉
I love both – I do find the mojitos served in bars rather sweet, so I guess the solution is to make my own!
I agree Fiona, I don’t like my drinks too sweet, so halving the sugar worked well for me.
Aw…I wonder what NI’s preferred cocktail is? I love a glass of Pimms, this sounds like the perfect drink for summer! 🙂
Pimms is a hard one to beat I reckon. I’ve never known anyone turn down a glass.
Lovely, I only discovered Pimms last year when we moved to Brighton and love it, especially on hot, summer evenings… But never knew how to make it, thanks for sharing the recipe!
I have also bottle of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold rum so I may be trying this mojito recipe, never made it from scratch, used to use lime & mint syrups.
It sounds as though you are set for a happy weekend Margot 🙂
What a fascinating map, and two of my favourite cocktails. I think you’ve inspired me to mix up some of these this evening – thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Kate, they are both so good. the question is, which one will you go for?