Pimm’s Cup

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Pimm’s Cup is a classic cocktail that was created by James Pimm in the 1800s at his oyster bar in London, England. Based on another recipe called the Summer Cup, it’s traditionally made with lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters, soda water, and Pimm’s No. 1 Liqueur, a unique spirit invented by Pimm himself, and is adorned with cucumbers, fresh fruit, and mint. Over time, it became a staple at bars in the spring and summer and was eventually named the official cocktail of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soda Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with water and dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which gives it a fizzy, neutral flavor.

Pimm’s No. 1 Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in England with a blend of herbs, spices, citrus, and caramelized flavors, and dry gin, which are blended and infused to develop a slightly bitter, herbal flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Cucumber Ribbon: This is a strip of cucumber that has been thinly sliced lengthwise.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Lemon Slice: This is a slice of lemon that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Strawberry: This is a type of berry grown on low plants that has bright red skin speckled with yellow seeds and tart, sweet flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to cut the cucumber into strips. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tweezers: This is used to place the garnish on the drink. I used one from the Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Orange-brown color

• Aroma: Mint, citrus, and berry

• Taste: Sharp and light soda water flavor accented with cucumber, citrus, and spices

• Finish: Unique herbal notes

Kendall’s Take: “I can see why the Pimm’s Cup is considered to be the perfect garden party drink. It’s flavorful and very unique, almost with a slight bitterness, and it’s fairly low in alcohol content, so it’s great for daytime sipping. I really, really liked it and quickly added it to my list of favorite cocktails.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.