This classic Pimm’s cup cocktail is a refreshing summer cocktail, not too sweet, not too strong, perfect for sipping by the pool while soaking up the sun, waiting for the BBQ to be served.
Packed to the brim with fresh fruits and fizzing with herbaceous and botanical flavors of Pimm’s No. 1, an English brand gin-based liqueur, this classic Pimm’s cup is the quintessential drink of the summer.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This Pimm’s cup recipe is super easy to make, no bartending skill needed!
- It can be customized to your taste.
- Fruits are added for a refreshing taste and a colorful party-worthy drink.
Ingredients and Substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips for each ingredient:
- Pimm’s No. 1 Cup – this is the main ingredient of this cocktail so there is no substitution.
- Sparkling lemonade – the very first Pimm’s cocktail I had was made with ginger beer but sparkling lemonade is more my speed as it makes a much lighter cocktail that’s easy to drink. You can use ginger beer, ginger ale or lemon-lime soda (like Sprite and 7-up) as well.
- Fruit garnishing – My preferred garnishes are cucumbers for its freshness, strawberry for its sweetness, and orange to play off the caramelized orange flavor infused in the liqueur. Others, such as mint and lemon, are also great in the original Pimm’s cup.
How to make Pimm’s cup
The following instructions, step by step photos and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Fill a tall glass with ice, cucumber, strawberry and orange slices. You could muddle them to infuse more fruit flavor into your drink. I prefer to keep the drink clear so I don’t muddle them.
- Pour in the Pimm’s No. 1.
- Top it off with sparkling lemonade (ginger beer, ginger ale or lemon-lime soda). Regular lemonade will work here as well but I prefer a little more bubbles.
Tips
- For a stronger cocktail stick with ginger beer. But if you’re a lightweight like me, choose one of the fizzy non-alcoholic beverage substitutions.
- Scale up the recipe to serve a crowd – the recipe is written for 1 serving, but you can easily scale it up and mix it in a large pitcher to serve a crowd.
- Serve immediately to preserve the bubbles.
Variations
There are many ways to customize your Pimm’s drink. Not only are there a number of ways to do so with the original Pimm’s recipe as noted under the ingredient section, you can make fun variations to fit the season and special occasions too.
- For Autumn and Thanksgiving get together, serve up this Autumn Pimm’s Cup made with sparkling apple cider and garnished with fresh apples and cinnamon sticks.
- For Winter and Christmas parties, try this Cranberry Pimm’s Cup made with apple cider, sparkling cranberry juice and garnished with orange slices and sugared cranberries.
- For New Year and special celebrations, make a Pimm’s Royal by mixing Pimm’s and champagne.
FAQs
Pimm’s No. 1 is a gin-based liqueur infused with herbs, spices, fruits and botanicals, originally invented by James Pimm in the early to mid 1800s. Mr. Pimm created the Pimm’s drink to serve at his Oyster Bar. They quickly became famous and ended up being bottled and sold outside the bar eventually. Its most popular product is Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, The others, Pimm’s No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are based on Scotch, Brandy, Rum, Rye Whiskey and Vodka. Many of these have been phased out.
Pimm’s Cup is an English specialty cocktail, traditionally made with Pimm’s No. 1 liqueur and sparkling lemonade, meant to be served in a tall glass, usually during summer. It is the official unofficial drink of Wimbledon. Though nowadays, you can find versions made with ginger beer, ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, or lemon juice and soda water.
Pimm’s No. 1 has a very unique taste from the infused herbs, spices, fruits and botanicals. I don’t know if there is a gin with similar taste that can be used as a substitution in this recipe. However, upon further research, I found a recipe for DIY Pimm’s made with London dry gin, sweet vermouth, navel orange and bitter orange peel. Give it a try if you don’t have Pimm’s No. 1 stocked in your liquor cabinet.
The traditional English Pimm’s Cup calls for sparkling lemonade and loads of fruits and herbs garnishing while the New Orleans version, made popular by Napoleon House restaurant in the 1940s, calls for lemonade, 7-up and just cucumber. They are not the same but very similar. Either one would make a delicious refreshing summer drink. If you like your drinks fruitier, stick with the traditional recipe.
Pimm’s No. 1 is 25% alcohol by volume, so the Pimm’s cup cocktail recipe made with sparkling lemonade and other non-alcoholic beverages is just 6.25% alcohol by volume based on this recipe. It is the perfect light summer drink. But if you’re making it with ginger beer, it could be stronger depending on the brand of ginger beer you’re using, so just watch out or this drink could sneak up on you!
If you’re serving a crowd, you could add the Pimm’s and fruits in a pitcher and keep refrigerated to let the flavor of the fruits infuse with the Pimm’s. But add ice and sparkling lemonade to it just before serving to preserve the bubbles.
Desserts to pair with Pimm’s cup
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📖 Recipe card
Pimm’s cup cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz Pimm’s No. 1 (59 ml)
- 6 oz sparkling lemonade (ginger beer, ginger ale, or lemon-lime soda, 177 ml)
- Sliced cucumber
- Halved strawberries
- Orange slices
- Mint leaves
Instructions
- Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
- Add sliced cucumber, strawberry, and orange.
- Pour in 2 oz of Pimm’s No. 1, top off with sparkling lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale or lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish with more fresh fruits and mint if desired.
Notes
- For a stronger cocktail stick with ginger beer. But if you’re a lightweight like me, choose one of the fizzy non-alcoholic beverage substitutes.
- The recipe is written for 1 serving, but you can easily scale it up and mix it in a large pitcher to serve a crowd.
- Serve immediately to preserve the bubbles.
- Regular lemonade can be used instead of sparkling but the bubbles are fun.
Nutrition
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Janie
Ginger beer is non-alcoholic
Trang Doan
Hi Janie, you are right that most ginger beers are non-alcoholic but you can get alcoholic ginger beer at Bevmo and Total Wine.
Marissa
So yummy. And the fruit marinated in Pimms at the bottom was the best.
Trang
Thank you! Gotta love the boozy fruits 😉
Marie
This looks fantastic. I’ve never tried Pimms but this is such a great relaxed summer drink with all that fruit too
Julia Lozano
Looking forward to drinks on the patio and a Mason jar filled to the brim of Pimm’s. It’s delicious and refreshing. Thanks again for the yummy for endeavors!