The North Fork Fizz: Attempting Pal's Cocktail Recipe from HBO's Girls

Hannah and friends got way too honest with each other on Sunday’s North Fork-based episode of HBO’s Girls (Season 3, Episode 7), thanks in large part to lots of local wine and pitchers of Pal’s impromptu “North Fork Fizz” cocktail. Sounds good, right? Too bad it doesn’t really exist — until now.

Taking some cues from the show, DansPapers.com has created our version of his recipe. But before revealing all the ingredients, let’s look at why we’re using them.

First, notice Pal peeling cucumbers and ginger while he chats with Shoshanna about his drink and notes that he’s making it up as he goes. In the foreground we see cans of 7Up, the lemon-lime flavored soft drink that clearly adds the “fizz” in his North Fork Fizz. (See the Girls screengrab below.)

A few moments later, when Pal presents the finished pitcher (as pictured at top), we see the cucumber and (assumedly) ginger floating in a slightly rose- or golden-colored mix. Given the cocktail’s name, our best guess is that it’s a version of the slow gin fizz, which traditionally includes a simple and refreshing combination of sloe gin, lemon, sugar and club soda. Of course 7Up provides the lemon, sugar and club soda in one convenient package, and the typically reddish sloe gin would give the drink its pale blush color. Sloe gin is also the kind of booze you’d find untouched in an older person’s liquor cabinet, such as that of Marnie’s mother’s friend.

For our purposes, and some added refinement, we’re going to use Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, a 25 percent alcohol, gin-based liquor with a reddish, tea color with subtle flavors of citrus and spice. Pimm’s is one of the official drinks of Wimbledon.

So, without further ado, we present…

The DansPapers.com North Fork Fizz (based on evidence from HBO’s Girls)…

Ingredients
2 part Pimm’s No. 1 Cup (or sloe gin)
1 part regular white gin
3 parts 7Up
2 slices cucumber
2 long strip of ginger
1 shaker with ice

Muddle one slice of cucumber and one strip ginger in small amount of gin, add remaining Pimm’s, gin and 7Up; shake with ice to chill, then strain into glass and garnish with remaining slice of cucumber and ginger.

Serve immediately, then get drunk and tell your friends what you really think about them!