Pimms Cup
Pimm's No. 1 and lemonade over ice with cucumber, mint, strawberries and orange. The English summer in a jug — Wimbledon's drink, and a gin cup from an 1840s oyster bar.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a highball glass or a jug with ice and add the cucumber slices, orange slice and strawberries.
Pour in the Pimm's, and the gin if you want more backbone.
Top with cold lemonade and stir gently.
Garnish with a mint sprig and a cucumber ribbon.
A thoughtful finish
- One part Pimm's to two of lemonade is the standard; one to three is longer and lighter. Pimm's is only 25%, so the drink is gentle either way.
- Cucumber is the essential garnish — it is in the Pimm's recipe and the drink tastes wrong without it. The rest of the fruit is optional and nice.
- Ginger ale in place of lemonade is the older serve and drier; a split of the two is a good compromise.
Common mistakes
- American lemonade (lemon juice and sugar). British lemonade is a clear lemon-lime soda, and that is what the drink wants.
- No cucumber.
- Letting the fruit sit in a jug for an hour; it goes soggy and the cucumber turns the drink bitter. Build it fresh.
A few good questions.
What is Pimm's?
A gin-based liqueur of herbs, spices and quinine, 25% ABV, made in England since the 1840s. Pimm's No. 1 is the gin version; a brandy-based No. 3 is sold in winter.
What lemonade?
Clear, fizzy, lemon-lime soda — Sprite or 7-Up are the American equivalents of British lemonade. Not the cloudy still kind.
Can I add gin?
Yes; a half-ounce is common in bars and at Wimbledon's bar it is an option. It makes the drink a proper cocktail rather than a long drink.
What is the New Orleans Pimm's Cup?
Pimm's, lemonade and a cucumber spear, served at the Napoleon House since the 1940s — the same drink with less fruit.
Variations
- Tom Collins — Gin, lemon, sugar and soda.
- Elderflower Collins — Gin, elderflower, lemon and soda.
- Cucumber Gin Cooler — Gin, cucumber, lime and soda.
- Sangria — Wine, brandy and fruit — the other summer jug.
Where it comes from
c. 1840 · London · James Pimm · Pimm's Oyster Bar
James Pimm, a farmer’s son from Kent, ran an oyster bar in the City of London from the 1820s and served a house ‘cup’ — a gin-based tonic of herbs, quinine and spice, sold by the tankard as a digestive. By the 1840s it was bottled as Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, and numbered cups followed on other spirits: No. 2 on Scotch, No. 3 on brandy, No. 6 on vodka, of which only No. 1 and a winter No. 3 survive. Pimm’s and lemonade with fruit became the drink of the English summer season — Wimbledon alone sells hundreds of thousands of glasses — and the Pimm’s Cup as a cocktail with its own name is also a New Orleans fixture, served at the Napoleon House since the 1940s.
Sources
- Diageo, Pimm's brand history, 2010 (archive)
- David Wondrich, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl, 2010 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Pimm's Cup, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.2 US standard drinks at an estimated 7.4% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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