Simple "Hard" Pimm's Cup

When thinking of mixed drinks, few remind me of summer the way a Pimm's Cup does. The smooth iced tea-like flavor, the cool crispness of the cucumber. When I was a bartender, it was my favorite summer drink recommendation... well that and I was tired of making mojitos!

As if the ingredients for a traditional Pimm's Cup aren't simple enough, this recipe uses Mike's Hard Lemonade in place of the ginger ale, sugar and lemon. Not only does the Mike's Hard Lemonade provide the carbonation, sweetness and tart of the aforementioned ingredients, it also adds a little extra umph!

What you'll need:
- Collins glass 3/4 full of ice
- Spoon
- Knife and/or mandolin slicer
- Cutting board
- 2 oz. Pimm's No. 1
- Mike's Hard Lemonade
- English Cucumber

The trick to a well made Pimm's Cup, aside from the Pimm's of course, is the addition of thinly sliced cucumbers. Using a knife will suffice, but if you really want to do it right use a mandolin (think Pauli slicing garlic in Goodfellas). You'll need 3-4 cucumber slices. Oh, and like most fun things in life, don't forget to use protection. You don't want your hand looking like the third picture (don't worry it's only ketchup, but that did happen to me the first time I used it).

Now add the 2 oz. of Pimm's to the cucumber and ice, then top off with Mike's Hard Lemonade. Stir, then serve.

Now all that's left to do is relax. Oxymoronically, this "Hard" Pimm's Cup couldn't be any easier to make!

Many thanks again to my talented wife Sara for the photos and a bit of hammock modeling!