How to make your own Pimm's using these simple ingredient swaps

There's nothing more quintessentially British as a perfectly chilled, fruity jug of Pimm's on a hot summer's day. Firing up the barbecue and basking in the much-needed sunshine, glass in hand, is undoubtedly how most of us will be spending our bank holidays this year.

As supermarket shelves continue to be sparsely stocked, we've found a simple way to replicate the refreshing taste of Pimm's, if you can't find any in the shops. 

It all comes down to what alcohol components are mixed together to achieve that unique blend of flavours; Pimm's is essentially a gin-based liqueur with a bold red colour, flavoured with various botanicals, spices and and caramelised orange. All very complicated sounding, but you can whip up your own DIY batch quite easily using simple ingredient swaps that you probably already have in the house. 

Here's how: Use whatever gin is around, as long as it's 40% strength alcohol, then add red vermouth (Martini Rosso is a common brand), and orange or clear curaçao (an orange liqueur), to retain the signature colouring. If you only have blue curaçao in the house, that's fine too. It'll have the same orange flavour but a different colouring. 

If you don't have any curaçao in the house, this can also be substituted with a similar orange liqueur like Grand Marnier, which is made of triple sec and cognac, and at a pinch, that could be made up using brandy and a triple sec like Cointreau.

Of course, each substitution will lessen the comparison to the real deal slightly, but would do in an emergency!