Pimm's is an English
brand of gin-based
fruit cup but may also be considered a
liqueur or the basis of a
sling or
punch. It was first produced in 1823 by
James Pimm and has been owned by
Diageo since 1997. Its most popular product is Pimm's No. 1 Cup,
commonly used for the
Pimm's cup cocktail.
Serving

Pimm's is dark brown with a reddish tint, and a subtle taste of
spice and
citrus fruit. As a summer
long drink, it is normally served as a
Pimm's cup cocktail, a drink with "English-style" (clear and carbonated)
lemonade, as well as various chopped garnishes, particularly
apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
,
cucumber,
orange,
lemon,
strawberry and
mint or
borage, though mint is more common.
Ginger ale is used as a common substitute for lemonade.
Pimm's can also be mixed with
champagne (or other sparkling white wines), resulting in a drink known as a "Pimm's Royal Cup". Pimm's Winter Cup is generally mixed with warm apple juice. A "Glasgow Garden Party" is a drink made with Pimm's substituting lemonade with
Irn Bru excluding any fruit garnish. A "Pimmlet" is a
gimlet with Pimm's No.1 substituted for gin. A Pimm's
mojito substitutes lemon and lime soda with
muddled limes and
soda water.
History
Pimm, a farmer's son from
Kent, became the owner of an
oyster bar in the
City of London, near the
Bank of England. He offered the tonic (a gin-based drink containing a secret mixture of herbs and liqueurs) as an aid to digestion, serving it in a small
tankard known as a "No. 1 Cup", hence its subsequent name.
In 1851, Pimm's No. 2 Cup and Pimm's No. 3 Cup were introduced. Pimm's began large-scale production in 1851 to keep up with sales to other bars. The
distillery began selling it in 1859. In 1865, Pimm sold the business and the right to use his name to Frederick Sawyer. In 1880, the business was acquired by future
Lord Mayor of London Horatio Davies, and a chain of Pimm's Oyster Houses was franchised in 1887.
Over the years, Pimm's extended their range, using other spirits as bases for new "cups". After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Pimm's No. 4 Cup was invented, followed by Pimm's No. 5 Cup and Pimm's No. 6 Cup in the 1960s.
The brand fell on hard times in the 1970s and 1980s. The Oyster House chain was sold, and Pimm's Cup products Nos. 2 to 5 were phased out due to reduced demand in 1970, after new owners,
The Distillers Company,
took control of the brand. In 1986, The Distillers Company was purchased by
Guinness PLC, and Pimm's became part of Diageo when Guinness and
Grand Metropolitan merged in 1997. In 2004, Pimm's introduced Pimm's Winter Cup, which consists of Pimm's No. 3 Cup (the
brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...
-based variant) infused with spices and orange peel.
The discontinued No. 6 Vodka Cup variety was reinstated in 2015 following a successful campaign led by a group of enthusiastic Vodka Cup Pimm's drinkers. Despite a promise from the parent company and Pimm's owner
Diageo to keep No. 6 in production, it is no longer possible to buy Vodka Cup Pimm's.
Popularity and distribution
Pimm's is most popular in England, particularly
southern England. It is one of the two staple drinks at the
Wimbledon tennis tournament, the
Chelsea Flower Show, the
Henley Royal Regatta and the
Glyndebourne Festival Opera the other being champagne. The first Pimm's Bar opened at the Wimbledon tournament in 1971; every year, over 80,000 pints of Pimm's cocktail are sold to spectators.
Along with champagne, it has been declared one of two official drinks of Wimbledon, and it has also gained popularity among British universities. A Pimm's is also a standard cocktail at British and American
polo matches.
The brand experienced a revival in the early 2000s following a 2003 advertising campaign, which featured a humorous classic upper-class "
Hooray Henry" character called Harry Fitzgibbon-Sims (portrayed by
Alexander Armstrong) with the catchphrase "It's Pimm's o'clock!", somewhat mocking their own traditional advertising and appeal. Diageo's 2010 campaign featured a more diverse range of characters representing different elements of the Pimm's cocktail (Pimm's No.1 being an Englishman in red and white blazer, lemonade being three young women in yellow, ice represented by a mature man), coming together to the theme tune of 1970s British television show ''
The New Avengers''.
Products

Seven Pimm's products have been produced throughout the brand's history, all
fruit cups differing only in their alcoholic base. Only Nos. 1 and a 'Winter Cup' based on No. 3 remain in production. It was originally in imperial oz.
57-mlbottles, then made in standard metric 26.4 imperial oz.
50-mlbottles when it started being sold overseas in Europe, and now is in 700 ml and 1 litre bottles. The beverages were originally a standard 31.53%
ABV, then curbed to 28.90%
ABV in the 1960s, and are now only 25%
ABV.
* Pimm's No. 1 Cup
840–presentis the most popular Pimm's cup. Based on
gin, its base as bottled is 25 per cent alcohol by volume.
* Pimm's No. 2 Cup
930s–1970was based on
Scotch whisky, and was phased out by new brand owners
The Distillers Company in 1970.
* Pimm's No. 3 Cup
930s–1970; 2004–presentis based on
brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...
; it was phased out in 1970, and relaunched in 2004, now infused with spices and orange peel and called ''Pimm's Winter Cup''.
* Pimm's No. 4 Cup
935–1970was based on
dark rum.
* Pimm's No. 5 Cup
930s?–1970was based on
rye whisky. It was originally designed as an alternative to Pimm's No. 2 for the Canadian market. Its popularity there during the postwar period encouraged Pimm's to sell it in the British market and overseas to Europe and America as well.
* Pimm's No. 6 Cup
964–1970; 2004–2021was based on
vodka. It was reintroduced in 2004 as ''Pimm's Vodka Cup'', temporarily discontinued in 2014, but brought back in 2015 after an outcry from Pimm's customers, only to be discontinued again in 2021.
* Pimm's No. 7 Cup
ate 1960s? – 1970 based on
tequila. It was designed for the American market, as tequila was not very popular in Britain and Europe at the time. It was made in such small numbers before it was discontinued that it is one of the rarest variants. Websites including Difford's Guide say the liqueur was introduced sometime after World War II, while other sources claim No. 7 was never a real commercial product.
The Pimm's No. 2 and No. 5 Cups were introduced as a mixer for whisky cocktails. The Pimm's No. 3 and No. 4 Cups were introduced as heated cold-weather or winter versions of the summertime Pimm's No. 1.
The Pimm's Winter Cup and Pimm's Vodka Cup were reintroduced in 2004. ''Pimm's Winter Cup'' is a seasonally available version of Pimm's No.3 infused with spices and orange peel. ''Pimm's Vodka Cup''
is a reintroduction of Pimm's No.6, but is made in limited quantities.
Pimm's ''Original No.1 Cup'' (frequently mixed with lemonade) (or "Pimm's & Lemonade") is a pre-mixed fortified lemonade with a Pimm's No. 1 base with a strength of 5.4%
ABV. It is available in 12-packs of 250 ml cans or 1 litre bottles. Pimm's Lemonade & Ginger Ale is a pre-mixed fortified lemonade with a Pimm's No. 1 base and flavoured with ginger-ale that has a strength of 4%
ABV. It is available in 4-packs (or cases of six 4-packs) of 330 ml bottles.
There are also special edition versions that are 20%
ABV and come in standard European 700 ml bottles. Pimm's Blackberry and Elderflower
ade from 2013is based on Pimms No. 6 with
blackberry and
elderflower flavouring. Pimm's Strawberry (with a hint of mint)
ade from 2015is based on Pimm's No. 1 with additional
strawberry and
mint flavouring.
Imitators
Some retailers have marketed "Pimm's style" drinks under other names. In the UK, these have included
Aldi's "Austin's",
Lidl's "Jeeves", and
Sainsbury's "Pitchers".
See also
*
List of cocktails
*
List of liqueur brands
References
External links
*
Pimm'son thebar UK, owned by Diageo
{{Diageo plc
Diageo brands
English liqueurs
English brands
Mixed drinks
1823 introductions
1823 establishments in England