Pimm's

Pimm's and lemonade with mint sprigs and fruit

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 commercially 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, 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, as 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[2] took control of the brand. The Distillers Company was subsequently purchased by Guinness PLC in 1986[3] and Pimm's became part of Diageo when Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merged in 1997.[4] In 2004, Pimm's introduced Pimm's Winter Cup, which consists of Pimm's No. 3 Cup (the brandy-based variant) infused with spices and orange peel.

A Pimm's stand set up in a music festival using a converted bus as a bar area

Pimm's has a dark brown colour 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 cocktail, a drink with "English-style" (clear and carbonated) lemonade,[5] as well as various chopped garnishes, particularly apple, cucumber, orange, lemon, strawberry and mint or borage, though mint is more common.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] Along with champagne, it has been declared one of two official drinks of Wimbledon, and it has also gained popularity among British universities.[9] A Pimm's is also a standard cocktail at British and American polo matches.[10]

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[11] (portrayed by Alexander Armstrong) with the catchphrase "It's Pimm's o'clock!",[12] somewhat mocking their own traditional advertising and appeal. Diageo's 2010 campaign[13] 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.

Some less frequently seen Pimm's bottles

Seven Pimm's products have been produced throughout the brand's history, all fruit cups differing only in their alcoholic base.[14] Only Nos. 1, 6, and a 'Winter Cup' based on No. 3 remain in production. It was originally in 26​²⁄₃ imperial oz. [757-ml] bottles, then made in standard metric 26.4 imperial oz. [750-ml] bottles when it started being sold overseas in Europe, and now is in 700-ml and 1-liter bottles. The beverages were originally a standard 60 Proof (or 31.53% Alcohol by volume), then curbed to 55 Proof (28.90% ABV) in the 1960s, and are now only about 44 Proof (25% ABV).

• Pimm's No. 1 Cup [1840-Present] is the most popular Pimm's cup. Based on gin, its base as bottled is 25-percent alcohol by volume.
• Pimm's No. 2 Cup [1930s-1970] was based on Scotch whisky, and was phased out by new brand owners The Distillers Company in 1970.
• Pimm's No. 3 Cup [1930s-1970] is based on brandy, and was phased out at the same time as Nos. 2-7. A version infused with spices and orange peel was introduced in 2004 as Pimm's Winter Cup.
• Pimm's No. 4 Cup [1935-1970] was based on dark rum, and was phased out at the same time as Nos. 2-7.
• Pimm's No. 5 Cup [1930s?-1970] was based on rye whisky, and was phased out at the same time as Nos. 2-7. It was originally designed as an alternative to Pimm's No. 2 for the Canadian market.[15] 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 [1964-1970; 2004-Present] was based on vodka, and was phased out at the same time as Nos. 2-7. 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.
• Pimm's No. 7 Cup [late 1960s?-1970] was based on tequila and was phased out at the same time as Nos. 2-6. 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.

The Pimm's No. 2 and No. 5 Cups were introduced as a mixer for whiskey 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[2] is a reintroduction of Pimm's No.6, but is made in limited quantities.

Pimm's Original No.1 Cup (perfectly mixed with lemonade) (or "Pimm's & Lemonade") is a pre-mixed fortified lemonade with a Pimm's No. 1 base with a strength of 9.45 Proof (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 flavored with ginger-ale that has a strength of 7 Proof (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 35 proof (20% ABV) and come in standard European 700-ml bottles. Pimm's Blackberry and Elderflower [made from 2013] is based on Pimms No. 6 with blackberry and elderflower flavouring. Pimm's Strawberry (with a hint of mint) [made from 2015] is based on Pimm's No. 1 with additional strawberry and mint flavouring.

Some retailers have marketed "Pimms style" drinks under other names. In the UK, these have included Aldi's "Austin's", Lidl's "Jeeves", and Sainsbury's "Pitchers".[16]

• List of cocktails
• List of liqueurs

• anyoneforpimms.com, the company's official website
• Pimm's on thebar UK, owned by Diageo