A SANGRIA ALTERNATIVE

So the summer is almost over, and my roommate and I finally had our first BBQ. After having gone to many a BBQ this year, I wanted to offer something original in the way of a spiked beverage. Sangria is normally the go-to, but I wanted something more refreshing, and that didn't end up in a nasty hangover the next day from the cheap red wine. What I wanted was the punch sized version on a Pimm's Cup!

Pimm's No. 1, for those of you who don't know, is a gin based liqueur that is popular in England. Ask for a Pimm's cup in a bar, and they'll add to it some ginger ale, lemon, cucumber, mint, and maybe a splash of club soda. It's super yummy and refreshing.

So after perusing the internet for some official Pimm's Cup recipies, this is concoction I came up with for my Pimm's Punch:

1 part (4 cups) Pimm's No. 1
1 part (4 cups) Chamagne (because everything is better with champagne)
2 parts (8 cups) Ginger Ale
1 1/2 Sliced Lemons
2 Sliced Persian Cucumbers (tend to be more flavorful than regular cucumbers) - to taste
5 Sliced Strawberries
Mint - to taste

It's as easy as throwing all the ingredients into a bowl or pitcher, and adding ice. If you want to taste more of the mint, muddling the mint could help. I just sliced it and tossed it in.

The Punch was a HUGE success, and we ended up running out! Two bottles of Pimm's worth of punch! (say that 5 times fast.) It doesn't taste like there's a lot of alcohol in it, but you feel it pretty quickly. And the best part........no headache in the morning! So try it out while the weather is still warm.

Enjoy!