Fruit cups
Encyclopedia
A fruit cup, also known as a summer cup, is traditionally an English
speciality drink
designed to be made into a long drink
with addition of a soft drink
such as lemonade
or ginger ale
. Most commonly gin
based although there are some varieties based on other spirits such as vodka
. The base gin is flavoured with various herb
s, spice
s, fruit
, and botanicals as well as its strength reduced. Fruit cups are typically marketed for the summer months although many are now available all year round. Fruit cup producers suggest adding fruit
as a garnish to the drink and to improve the flavour; recommendations include: apple
, orange
, strawberry
, lemon
, lime
, cucumber
, mint, and borage
leaves.
, available in 70cL bottles at 21.9% ABV
, it is a blend of wine
, grain spirit, and fruit flavour and is packed and distributed by Aldi
. Austen's logo features a chap in a bow tie
, top hat
, and monocle
.
is a gin
-based drink invented by James Pimm
, at 25% ABV
. Pimm's numbers 2-6 were based on Scotch Whisky
, Brandy
, Rum
, Rye whiskey, and Vodka
, respectively. As of 2007, only No. 1, No.6, and a variant of No. 3 still survive.
, it is one of the strongest fruit cups at 30% ABV
, which Plymouth says gives it a fuller flavour. It is the result of the base of Plymouth Gin
being mixed with fruit liqueurs, vermouth
s, aromatic bitters
and citrus extract
s.
it is based on a traditional recipe and retains a traditional ginger
note. It is vailable in 70cL bottles with a strength of 13.5% ABV
.
Other varieties of fruit cup include Players, Sipsmith
, Jeeves, and Pitchers.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
speciality drink
Drink
A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to fulfilling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society.-Water:...
designed to be made into a long drink
Long drink
A long drink or tall drink is an alcoholic mixed drink with a relatively large volume . In Finland, the term refers to a type of premixed, ready to drink alcoholic beverage....
with addition of a soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
such as lemonade
Lemonade
Lemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
or ginger ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
. Most commonly gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
based although there are some varieties based on other spirits such as vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
. The base gin is flavoured with various herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
s, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, and botanicals as well as its strength reduced. Fruit cups are typically marketed for the summer months although many are now available all year round. Fruit cup producers suggest adding fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
as a garnish to the drink and to improve the flavour; recommendations include: apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
, lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
, lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
, cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, mint, and borage
Borage
Borage, , also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...
leaves.
Varieties
Below is a list of summer or fruit cups available in stores:Austin's Fruit Cup
A fruit flavour aromatised wineWine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, available in 70cL bottles at 21.9% ABV
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, it is a blend of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, grain spirit, and fruit flavour and is packed and distributed by Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
. Austen's logo features a chap in a bow tie
Bow tie
The bow tie is a type of men's necktie. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip....
, top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
, and monocle
Monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the vision in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string. The other end of the string is then connected to the wearer's clothing to avoid losing...
.
Pimm's Fruit Cup
Pimm's No. 1Pimm's
Pimm's is a brand of fruit cups, but may also be considered a liqueur. It was first produced in 1823 by James Pimm and owned by Diageo since 2006. Its most popular product is Pimm's No. 1 Cup.-History:...
is a gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
-based drink invented by James Pimm
James Pimm
James Pimm was the son of tenant farmers who created the gin-based cocktail known as Pimm's.Pimm was born and raised in Newnham, Kent. In his early 20s he moved to London where he set up as a shellfish monger, the first step to embarking on a career in catering...
, at 25% ABV
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
. Pimm's numbers 2-6 were based on Scotch Whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
, Brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, Rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, Rye whiskey, and Vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, respectively. As of 2007, only No. 1, No.6, and a variant of No. 3 still survive.
Plymouth Fruit Cup
Launched in 2003 and produced by the makers of Plymouth GinPlymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin is a style of gin that by law can only be produced in Plymouth, England, it being a Protected Geographical Indication within the European Union. The Plymouth Gin Distillery is the only gin distillery located in Plymouth in what was once a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431 and...
, it is one of the strongest fruit cups at 30% ABV
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, which Plymouth says gives it a fuller flavour. It is the result of the base of Plymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin is a style of gin that by law can only be produced in Plymouth, England, it being a Protected Geographical Indication within the European Union. The Plymouth Gin Distillery is the only gin distillery located in Plymouth in what was once a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431 and...
being mixed with fruit liqueurs, vermouth
Vermouth
Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with various dry ingredients. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced around the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Italy and France...
s, aromatic bitters
Bitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...
and citrus extract
Extract
An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or in powder form....
s.
Stone's Summer Cup
Introduced in 2006, produced by the same makers of Stone's Ginger wineGinger wine
Ginger Wine is a fortified wine made from a fermented blend of ground ginger and raisins that was first produced in England.-History:The first documented appearance of Ginger Wine occurred with the foundation of 'The Finsbury Distilling Company' based in the City of London in 1740...
it is based on a traditional recipe and retains a traditional ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
note. It is vailable in 70cL bottles with a strength of 13.5% ABV
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
.
Other varieties of fruit cup include Players, Sipsmith
Sipsmith
Sipsmith is a microdistillery located in London. It is the first copper-pot distillery to open within London's city limits in nearly two centuries.- History :...
, Jeeves, and Pitchers.