Drink of the Week: Castillan Cup - Imbibe Magazine Subscribe + Save

Drink of the Week: Castillan Cup

As we sit broiling in the summer sun, limply watching the mercury rise toward unsightly triple digits, all we can think about is drinking something cool and refreshing. Lucklily, Carlo Splendorini, bar manager at Gitane in San Francisco, is on top of things, crafting a perfect cocktail for beating the heat. Based on that old English standby, the Pimm’s Cup, Splendorini’s Castillan Cup has been modified to highlight Gitane’s Spanish influence (castillano is Spanish for, well, “Spanish”), creating a sangria-Pimm’s hybrid that’s guaranteed to lower your core temperature a few degrees (and make use of your summertime produce). Splendorini uses Bierzo Roble wine from Castilla y Leon, a solid and fruity wine made from the Tinto Mencia grape; for the ginger beer, he uses Bundaberg.

Castillan Cup
1 oz. red wine
1 oz. Pimm’s No. 1
5 slices fresh strawberry (cut lengthwise)
3 slices medium cucumber
2 mint leaves
Large ice cubes
Ginger beer
Tools: muddler, shaker, strainer
Glass: white wine
Garnish: 2 slices medium cucumber, 1 mint leaf

Muddle strawberry, 3 slices cucumber and 2 mint leaves in cocktail shaker with Pimm’s. Add ice and red wine, shake vigorously, and strain over fresh ice into glass. Top off with ginger beer and garnish with remaining cucumber and mint.

Carlo Splendorini, Gitane, San Francisco

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