Pimm’s has seen various iterations throughout the brand’s history: up to seven ‘cups’ have been released, each with a different alcohol base i.e. No.2 is whisky, No.3 is brandy, No.4 is rum, and so on. However, it’s the treasured gin-based No.1 which has become a true British stalwart, served throughout the summer in ice-filled jugs at BBQs, English garden parties and prestigious British sporting and social events.
Pimm’s No.1 Cup is arguably most synonymous with Wimbledon. The sweet libation has been served at the tennis tournament since 1971, when the brand opened its own bar at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. It’s since become Wimbledon’s signature drink: up to 338,000 glasses of Pimm’s Cup were consumed at the 2019 tournament. The thirst-quencher is also popular at major British sporting and social events, such as the Henley Royal Regatta, the Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Ascot horse race.
But what exactly is it about Pimm’s No.1 that us Brits love so much? Is it the refreshing balance of sweet, citrus and herbal notes? The simplicity of the method? The permission to go full-on fruit salad with the garnish? Becca Swann from London-based cocktail bar Bar Swift believes it’s the drink which signals the start of the British summer: “Us Brits, we’re so summer deprived – whenever we have a nice day people have this sort of feeling of celebration, and they want to have a Pimm’s,” she says. “It’s quintessentially English – it was always what my mum was drinking when I was growing up. It’s also lower ABV, so I think a lot of us get introduced to it younger.”
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It may be a cult classic and summertime staple here in the UK, but how is the beloved liqueur drunk around the world? Rather surprisingly, you’ll find Pimm’s on the menu in bars and restaurants across the pond in New Orleans. Popularised in the 1940s by the owner of one of the city’s landmarks, Napoleon House, the classic New Orleans-style Pimm’s Cup substitutes sparkling lemonade for ginger ale, or a citrus-flavoured soda such as Seven-Up, finished with a cucumber garnish (ditching the berries and mint).
In Paris, bar owner Hyacinthe Lescoë serves Pimm’s as an aperitif in his British-inspired cocktail bar-cum-pub The Cambridge. Named ‘Pimm’s 6.0’, the cocktail blends Pimm’s with Cocchi Americano (a bitter aperitif wine), rosé wine, Hendrick’s Gin and Scrappy’s Bitters. And although Pimm’s is a mainstay on the cocktail bar’s menu, Hyacinthe tells me most of his customers don’t know what Pimm’s is.
Hyacinthe goes as far as to label Pimm’s as the ‘English sangria’: “It is different of course, but it’s a community drink that’s hard to make wrong. Plus everybody loves it, you can never go wrong with putting a jug on the table.”
Back on UK soil, you’ll find bartenders creating their own unique riffs on the Pimm’s Cup, showcasing interesting flavour combinations to elevate the drink to a whole new level. At Kensington-based K-Bar, you’ll find the ‘Stravaganza’, a very British-tasting cocktail mixing Pimm’s with Cornwall-based Aval Dor Cornish Vodka, earl grey cordial and Perrier Jouët Grand Brut. Over at The Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair, the bar’s interesting twist combines Pimms, Plymouth Gin infused with earl grey tea, lemon, raspberry syrup and egg white, a concoction they’ve simply named ‘England’.
While there are endless ways of using up a bottle of Pimm’s, it’s generally accepted amongst Brits that the traditional method – served with lemonade, fruit and mint – is superior. One of the reasons why this is the case is because it’s incredibly easy and quick to make at home – it’ll take roughly five minutes of your time. The ingredient list is also kept super-short: Pimm’s, lemonade and fruit. Plus, it’s a delicious way of consuming a favourite seasonal British garden fruit: strawberries.
Michele Mariotti, head of the beverage programme at luxury Scottish hotel Gleneagles, shares a helpful tip for making your own Pimm’s jug at home: “Including the mint in the jug means it usually turns black quite quickly, which is unappealing. I like to add sliced fruit inside the jug, and add mint to the glasses on the side. Basically the mint is the last element – you get the aromatic element from the glass, but without the floating black mint from the jug.”
And what about that leftover bottle in your bar cart? “What I really like to do is make an interpretation of an Americano cocktail,” he says. “Americano is a lighter version of negroni – it’s vermouth, Campari and soda. I like to use Pimm’s instead of Campari for a much lighter version, with much less bitterness. With a slice of orange and cucumber to garnish.”
How to make a classic jug of Pimms
Prep: 5 mins
Easy
Serves: 3 – 4
Ingredients
- 200ml Pimm’s No. 1
- 600ml lemonade
- Sliced cucumber, orange, and strawberries and mint sprigs to serve
Method
STEP 1
Fill a jug with ice and pour over the Pimm’s and lemonade. Give it a good stir then add the cucumber, fruit and mint sprigs.
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