Pimm's is an English

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

of gin-based

fruit cup A fruit cup, also known as a summer cup, is traditionally an English speciality drink designed to be made into a long drink with addition of a soft drink such as lemonade or ginger ale. Most commonly, these are gin-based, although there are ...

but may also be considered a

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyon ...

or the basis of a

sling sling may refer to: Places * Sling, Anglesey, Wales * Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media ...

punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pu ...

. It was first produced in 1823 by

James Pimm James Pimm (1798–1866) was a British food proprietor who created the gin-based liqueur known as Pimm's. Pimm was born and raised in Newnham, Kent as the son of James Norris Pimm, a tenant farmer, and his wife Susannah. He was classical ...

and has been owned by

Diageo Diageo plc () is a multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweichow Moutai of China in 201 ...

since 1997. Its most popular product is Pimm's No. 1 Cup, commonly used for the

Pimm's cup The Pimm's cup is a cocktail that is popular in England, in the United Kingdom. It is one of numerous fruit cups, a type of cocktail with gin, a soft drink, and fruit. Its primary spirit is Pimm's No. 1 Cup, a gin-based beverage flavored with fru ...

cocktail.

Serving

Pimm's has a dark brown colour with a reddish tint, and a subtle taste of

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

and

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

fruit. As a summer long drink, it is normally served as a

cocktail, a drink with "English-style" (clear and carbonated) lemonade, as well as various chopped garnishes, particularly

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.orange, lemon,

strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

and

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAE ...

or borage, though mint is more common. 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.

History

Pimm, a farmer's son from

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, became the owner of an oyster bar in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

, near the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government o ...

. 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 Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the hea ...

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 The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional pow ...

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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, 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. 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, took control of the brand. In 1986, The Distillers Company was purchased by

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ov ...

PLC, and Pimm's became part of Diageo when Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merged in 1997. In 2004, Pimm's introduced Pimm's Winter Cup, which consists of Pimm's No. 3 Cup (the

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

-based variant) infused with spices and orange peel. The discontinued No. 6 Vodka Cup variety was reinstated in 2015 following a successful campaign led by a group of enthusiastic Vodka Cup Pimm's drinkers. However, despite a promise from the parent company and Pimm's owner

to keep No. 6 in production, it is no longer possible to buy Vodka Cup Pimm's.

Popularity and distribution in recent years

Pimm's is most popular in England, particularly

southern England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes ...

. It is one of the two staple drinks at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the

Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the ''Great Spring Show'',Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural ...

, the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

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

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small ha ...

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

Products

Seven Pimm's products have been produced throughout the brand's history, all fruit cups differing only in their alcoholic base. Only Nos. 1, 6, and a 'Winter Cup' based on No. 3 remain in production. It was originally in 26 imperial oz. 57-mlbottles, then made in standard metric 26.4 imperial oz. 50-mlbottles when it started being sold overseas in Europe, and now is in 700-ml and 1-litre 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 840–presentis the most popular Pimm's cup. Based on gin, its base as bottled is 25-per cent alcohol by volume. * Pimm's No. 2 Cup 930s–1970was based on

Scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial disti ...

, and was phased out by new brand owners The Distillers Company in 1970. * Pimm's No. 3 Cup 930s–1970; 2004–presentis based on

; it was phased out in 1970, and relaunched in 2004, now infused with spices and orange peel and called ''Pimm's Winter Cup''. * Pimm's No. 4 Cup 935–1970was based on dark rum. * Pimm's No. 5 Cup 930s?–1970was based on rye whisky. It was originally designed as an alternative to Pimm's No. 2 for the Canadian market. 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 964–1970; 2004–presentwas based on

vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...

. 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 ate 1960s? – 1970 based on tequila. 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. Websites including Difford's Guide say the liqueur was introduced sometime after World War II, while other sources claim No. 7 was never a real commercial product. 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'' is a reintroduction of Pimm's No.6, but is made in limited quantities. Pimm's ''Original No.1 Cup'' (frequently 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 flavoured 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 ade from 2013is based on Pimms No. 6 with

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...

and elderflower flavouring. Pimm's Strawberry (with a hint of mint) ade from 2015is based on Pimm's No. 1 with additional

and

flavouring.

Imitators

Some retailers have marketed "Pimms style" drinks under other names. In the UK, these have included

Aldi Aldi (stylised as ALDI) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 10,000 stores in 20 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when ...

's "Austin's", Lidl's "Jeeves", and

Sainsbury's J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company ...

"Pitchers".

References

External links

*
Pimm's
on thebar UK, owned by Diageo {{Diageo plc 1823 establishments in England 1823 introductions Diageo brands English brands English liqueurs Mixed drinks