Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had a lifestyle blog, The Tig, which was a “hub for the discerning palate – those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion and beauty”.
She would regularly update her website with her latest adventures and recommendations, and it was where she shared recipes too.
Whilst the blog’s content is unavailable, lots of it has been archived, and Meghan’s Mirror (a dedicated website chronicling Meghan’s style) shared the Duchess of Sussex’s recipe for the “Signature Tig Cup” which is “a Tig take on a Pimm’s cup”.
In the archived blog post, Meghan spoke about her love of summer, recalling “sun-kissed afternoons” with a “cocktail in hand” where is “surrounded by nothing but the laughter of your closest mates”.
She mentioned enjoying “picnics and barbeques” and “laying out by the pool with friends” with a drink in her hand.
Usually, she would favour a “glass of rosé or crisp Sauvignon Blanc, sometimes the day calls for a cocktail” and that’s when she created her own version of a Pimm’s.
Meghan noted her “love of all things Brit” and wanted to create a “twist” on the signature drink. She used “cues from the season”, selected fresh farmers’ market ingredients, and said the drink will keep you hydrated “during those long summer days turned nights”, and is a “guaranteed crowd pleaser”.
Pimm’s is a gin-based spirit that is “infused with fruity notes of bittersweet caramelised orange, fresh citrus and herbal flavours and perfectly balanced when mixed with refreshing tasting lemonade”.
The brand recommends serving it “over lots of ice and garnish with fresh strawberries, oranges, cucumber and mint”.
The Tig’s version includes fresh mint, cucumber, grapefruit, radish, and celery, and makes two drinks.
Ingredients:
– Fresh mint
– Fresh ribbons of cucumber
– Grapefruit rind
– Shavings of radish
– Thin stalks of celery
– Ice
– Lime
– Your favourite gin
– Soda water
– Tonic water
– Maraschino cherry liquer
Method:
1. Stack cucumber, mint, celery, radish, and lime into the glasses, then add ice until full.
2. In a shaker filled with ice, add two shots of gin and a splash of maraschino cherry liqueur. Shake.
3. Pour tonic and soda water into the glasses.
4. Strain the gin and liqueur mixture into the two glasses and finish each drink with a twist of grapefruit over the top.
This drink can also be made as a pitcher to share with friends.
Notes:
Meghan’s instructions include “building your glass” with the ingredients – “any or all of the above are great, but the key pieces are citrus and herbs”. If you don’t have grapefruit, lemon works just as well, and the radish can be left out.
As for why tonic and soda water are both used, Meghan said she “doesn’t gravitate towards the taste of tonic”, but it can be “played around” to individual preferences and tastes.
In terms of the Maraschino cherry liqueur, the former actress admitted to “loathing syrupy sweet drinks”, but the cherry liqueur is a “back note in the drink”. She also said the liquor reminds her of “drinking Shirley Temples as a little girl”.
