A true Edwardian dream drink, this Champagne Cobbler has sloe gin, raspberry cordial and dry sparkling wine, garnished with little scoops of raspberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream and raspberries and/or currants! It’s named after the fancy hotel where Anne gives a reading of The Highwayman (published in 1906, and included in the 1985 CBC film, not the book!).

This is a drink to honor dear Matthew Cuthbert, the sweetest man in the history of Canadian literature! Though the Cuthberts don’t drink much (they’re not completely teetotal, Marilla makes currant wine), I picture this kind of drink being a special treat for Matthew after a long day. Anachronistically inspired by the Snakebite and Black and given a smoky note to reference Matthew’s fondness for smoking a pipe, I layered raspberry cordial, sloe gin, and peaty Scotch, then added cider and floated Guinness on top! Candied ginger and blackberries seem a charming garnish-treat for this one. 

I wanted to demonstrate a fancy application for our Club Pimm’s, and I immediately thought of doing a Pimm’s Cup Royale, i.e. topped with Champagne. I also wanted to integrate some of the traditional fruit and mint that are used in Pimm’s Cups and decided a Cobbler format would be the perfect vehicle. Served over crushed or pebble ice, our Pimm’s Royale is, naturally, garnished with abandon.

Here’s a fun serving suggestion for our homemade Club Pimm’s and our cucumber-lemon shrub: a do-it-yourself Pimm’s bar for your next gathering! I’m happy to say that this concept caters to drinkers and non-drinkers alike, so everyone will feel taken care of at your spring (or summer!) soirée.

I see our Club Pimm’s as a pre-batched cocktail, apéritif, and digestif all in one. It occurred to me that, served in the style of amaro caldo, it would make an excellent, warming beverage for a chilly evening or a rainy Sunday afternoon–both common in April where I live. Adjust the recipe below to suit the size of your serving vessel.

I’ve long dreamt of creating my own homemade Pimm’s. The original Pimm’s No.1 is great, but I wanted to come up with something with pronounced bitterness, more body and oomph. I’m really excited about what I came up with–it is both a complete standalone cocktail and an excellent ingredient in mixed drinks.

Many nineteenth-century recipes for Irish whiskey punch skip the lemon juice and get its citrus notes solely from an oleo saccharum made from the fruit’s peel. In our recipe, lime oils are bolstered by citric acid, and sloe gin contributes additional tartness. Crème de banane, green tea, and the classic garnish of nutmeg complete this semi-tropical take on a Celtic punch.

There are several pre-Prohibition era drinks that bear the name “Blackthorn,” “Black Thorn” or “Blackthorne,” hence the numeral after the title. This version takes some of the ingredients from the English (gin and/or sloe gin) and Irish (Irish whiskey) versions and applies an equal parts structure. An optional barspoon of peaty Scotch makes this Manhattan cousin slightly smoky, if that’s your thing.