This refreshing Winter Pimm’s Cup is extremely easy to make and delicious to enjoy. Made with apple cider, sparkling cranberry, and garnished with sugared cranberries, it is perfect for all your winter holiday celebrations.
I’m not much of a drinker but when I feel like a cocktail, Pimm’s No. 1 is my liqueur of choice. I love the herbal notes in this liqueur, which is exceptionally complimentary to all the holiday spices, even though the classic Pimm’s Cup is a summer drink.
Mix it with apple cider and sparkling cranberry juice to make a delicious and easy winter cocktail. Then garnish your Winter Cranberry Pimm’s Cup with sugared cranberries and you’ve got yourself a festive and refreshing drink for all of your holiday gatherings.
A fun idea is to set up a self-serve bar with instructions and let your guest pour themselves a custom Pimm’s cup cocktail! Or just make a large pitcher of this Pimm’s punch for everyone to share.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Similar to a classic Pimm’s cup recipe, this winter version is super easy to make, no bartending skill needed!
- It’s a very light alcoholic punch, perfect for sipping all night.
- Homemade sugared cranberries add sparkle and make them party worthy.
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:
- Pimm’s No. 1 Cup – this is the main ingredient of this cocktail so there is no substitution.
- Sparkling cranberry – for this winter Pimm’s cup, I’m using sparkling cranberry juice to add bubbles and the winter flavor.
- Apple cider – if you’re making homemade apple cider for the holiday, it would be perfect for this recipe. Or simply use store bought apple cider from the bottle.
- Fruit garnishing – I’m using an orange slice to play off the caramelized orange flavor infused in the liqueur and sugared cranberries to complement the sparkling cranberry juice in the punch.
How to make cranberry winter 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.
First, add a slice of orange and ice cubes to a tall glass. Then pour in the Pimm’s No. 1. The orange slice serves as a garnish as well as adds flavor to the drink.
Then pour in the apple cider, and top the glass off with sparkling cranberry juice. Garnish with sugared cranberries on top. Stir with your straw and enjoy.
Tips
- For a stronger cocktail you can increase the amount of Pimm’s No. 1 to your liking.
- 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.
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 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.
Pimm’s No. 1 is 25% alcohol by volume, so this Pimm’s cup cocktail recipe made with sparkling cranberry juice and apple cider is just 6.25% alcohol by volume. It is not too sweet, not too strong – the perfect drink to gather around a table and sip on all night long.
If you’re serving a crowd, you could add the Pimm’s, apple cider and orange slices in a pitcher and keep refrigerated to let the flavor infuse with the Pimm’s. But add ice and sparkling cranberry juice to it just before serving to preserve the bubbles. Also set out a bowl of sugared cranberries for your guest to garnish their own glass.
More recipes for your holiday meal
Hungry for more?
Cranberry Pimm’s Cup
Ingredients
- 2 oz Pimm’s No. 1
- 2 oz apple cider
- 4 oz sparkling cranberry juice
- Orange slice
- Sugared Cranberries
Instructions
- Add an orange slice to a highball glass, fill it with ice cube, pour Pimm’s No. 1 in the glass, follow by apple cider and then top it off with sparkling cranberry. Garnish with sugared cranberries and enjoy.
Notes
- For a stronger cocktail you can increase the amount of Pimm’s No. 1 to your liking.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve never tried Pimms but I’ve been looking for refreshing cocktail to make for my Christmas lunch. This looks perfect