Homemade Christmas Pimm’s is a must this festive season. Making your own festive brew from scratch is rewarding. And by concocting your own homemade Christmas Pimm’s you can alter the ingredients to best suit your taste. Little more lemon? Little less gin? Experiment with the recipe below to see what suits you best.

If you’d rather not faff with bottles of spirit (although you’re sure to find most of the ingredients in your drinks cupboard) then think about merely steeping instead. The Field award-winning beetroot and horseradish vodka is unusual but simple, and a definite talking point. Or grab some toffees and melt them in a warm bottle of vodka and you have an instant ski slope favourite.

But for those intent on creating their own festive spirit, here is how to make homemade Christmas Pimm’s.

PIMM’S RECIPE

Makes a litre (13⁄4 pints)
■ 360ml (6⁄10 pint) gin
■ 180ml (61⁄3fl oz) sweet red vermouth, Martini Rosso will do
■ 60ml (2fl oz) Grand Marnier
■ 12 dashes Angostura Bitters
■ Sprig borage
■ 3 tbs light muscovado sugar
■ Zest and juice of 3 lemons
■ 1 litre (13⁄4 pints) traditional lemonade or ginger ale, chilled

First combine the gin, vermouth, Grand Marnier and Angostura Bitters together with the sprig of borage. Add the sugar and lemon zest and juice before topping up with the chilled lemonade or ginger ale. Should you wish to give this as a present, seal and label the mix without adding the lemonade or ginger ale.

Now, you have made your homemade Pimm’s it is simple to combine it to make the festive version.

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS PIMM’S

■ 500ml (171⁄2fl oz) home-made “Pimm’s”
■ 500ml (171⁄2fl oz) brandy
■ 11⁄2 litres apple juice
■ Ice
■ 2 cinnamon sticks
■ 1 apple, sliced
■ 1 orange, sliced

Combine the alcohol with the juice in a jug filled with ice, cinnamon, apple and orange. Drink with merriment and suitably jovial companions.