Liqueurs

Pimm’s No. 1

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is a gin-based fruit cup flavoured with orange, herbs and spice, and Diageo’s own UK shop, TheBar.com, lists the 70cl bottle at 25% ABV and calls it a gin-based spirit; LWC, a UK wholesaler, lists it at 22%. The Oxford Companion says James Pimm opened an oyster bar near Billingsgate in 1823, and that only the cup’s 1912 trademark and release are confirmed; it is built to be lengthened, and one part to three of lemonade is our Pimm’s Cup.

Quick Facts

ABV25% ABVDiageo’s own UK shop lists 25%; LWC, a UK wholesaler, lists 22%. Check the label.

Legal categorySpirit drinkA gin-based fruit cup; Diageo’s own UK shop and LWC’s UK listing call it a gin-based spirit

OriginLondon, 1840s

Flavour Strengthlight medium

Our keeping timeUse within a year once opened; the aromatics fade before anything spoils.

Storage

Sealed and upright at room temperature: no fridge needed until it is poured.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Made on gin, often distilled from grain; distillation removes gluten, so it is not labelled as a gluten allergen. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Pimm’s No. 1

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Bitter orangeHerbal spiceCaramel

Tasting Notes

Bittersweet orange and quinine-edged herbs over a gin backbone: the taste of an English summer, engineered in Victorian London.

Gin, orange and spice, made to be lengthened

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is gin infused with botanicals, caramelised orange and warm spices, to a secret recipe, by LWC’s description. The liquid is reddish-brown and bitter-sweet, and at 25% it is meant to be poured long, not neat.

The Oxford Companion says Pimm opened his oyster bar in 1823, though only the cup’s 1912 trademark and release are confirmed. Five more cups on other spirits followed; Diageo now focuses on the No. 1 Cup, sometimes adding a Summer Cup and a Winter Cup.

A fruit cup, sold as a spirit drink

It is made on gin, but at 25% it falls well short of the 37.5% a gin must reach. Nor is it plainly a liqueur: LWC, a UK wholesaler, calls it a gin-based spirit, though it files it with liqueurs, and no readable source gives its sugar. Fruit cup, the trade name, is the accurate one.

One part to three of lemonade

Our Pimm’s Cup is 50ml of Pimm’s and 150ml of clear, sparkling lemonade over ice, with cucumber, strawberries, an orange slice and a slapped sprig of mint. The ratio sets the strength, and the fruit and cucumber flavour the jug as much as they dress it.

How the lemonade ratio sets the strength (our arithmetic for a 25% Pimm’s, as Diageo’s own UK shop lists it, or 22%, as LWC lists it, before ice melts)

1 to 2

Pimm’s: 50ml
Lemonade: 100ml
Strength in the glass: About 8%

1 to 3 (our serve)

Pimm’s: 50ml
Lemonade: 150ml
Strength in the glass: About 6%

1 to 4

Pimm’s: 50ml
Lemonade: 200ml
Strength in the glass: About 5%

1 to 3, with a 22% bottle

Pimm’s: 50ml
Lemonade: 150ml
Strength in the glass: About 5.5%

Pimm’s to lemonade	Pimm’s	Lemonade	Strength in the glass
1 to 2	50ml	100ml	About 8%
1 to 3 (our serve)	50ml	150ml	About 6%
1 to 4	50ml	200ml	About 5%
1 to 3, with a 22% bottle	50ml	150ml	About 5.5%

Melting ice brings each figure down further. In our experience an opened bottle stays good for about a year.

Using it

Using Pimm’s No. 1

Usage

50ml in our Pimm’s Cup, topped with 150ml of clear, sparkling lemonade over ice with cucumber, strawberries, an orange slice and a sprig of mint. One part to three of lemonade is our ratio. Neat, it is rarely drunk; it is made to be lengthened.

Pro Tip

For a jug, pour the Pimm’s over the ice and fruit first and the lemonade last, then stir once, gently. Stirring hard after the lemonade goes in knocks out the fizz that keeps the drink light.

Top Tips

Hold the ratio at one to three. Stronger, the drink loses its length and tastes of sugar and orange.
British lemonade is the clear, fizzy sort; use that rather than a cloudy still one.
Look at the strength: some bottles are 25% and some 22%, and a jug made with the weaker one is lighter.
Add the fruit and cucumber to the glass with the ice, before the Pimm’s, so they sit through the drink.

Possible Substitutions

Sweet Vermouth: With a splash of gin and orange bitters: the emergency rebuild

Production Method

Gin infused with botanicals, caramelised orange and warm spices, to a secret recipe, by LWC’s description.

History & Context

The Oxford Companion says James Pimm (1798 to 1866), who married into a Kent fishmongering family, opened his first oyster bar near Old Billingsgate Market in 1823 and moved to the Poultry by 1835. The Companion adds that at some point he, an employee or a successor blended gin, fruit extracts, liqueurs, bitter herbs, spices and sugar into a bottled cup, but that only the trademark date of 1912 and the cup’s commercial release that year are confirmed. The No. 1 Cup, a gin cup, was joined by a Scotch-based No. 2 and a brandy-based No. 3, then by Nos 4 (rum), 5 (rye) and 6 (vodka); Diageo bought the brand in 1997 and has focused on the No. 1 Cup, sometimes adding a Summer Cup and a Winter Cup.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Pimm’s No. 1?

A fruit cup made on gin, with botanicals, caramelised orange and warm spices, at 25% ABV on Diageo’s own UK shop, though LWC lists UK bottles at 22%. The Oxford Companion says Pimm’s oyster bar dates to 1823, but only the cup’s 1912 trademark is confirmed. It is meant to be lengthened, usually one part to three of lemonade.

Is Pimm’s a gin or a liqueur?

Neither, plainly. Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 sets gin at 37.5% or more, and Pimm’s is 22 or 25%. Diageo’s own UK shop calls it a gin-based spirit, as LWC, a UK wholesaler, does, though LWC files it with liqueurs. No readable source gives its sugar, so in practice the accurate name is the trade one: a gin-based fruit cup.

How strong is Pimm’s?

Diageo’s own UK shop lists 25% ABV, and LWC, a UK wholesaler, lists 22%, so check the label. Mixed one to three with lemonade, as in our Pimm’s Cup, the drink comes out at about 6% before the ice melts, close to a strong beer. Our recipe units use the 25% figure.

What do you mix with Pimm’s?

Clear, sparkling lemonade, one part Pimm’s to three. Ginger ale is a common alternative. Add cucumber, strawberries, orange and mint, which flavour the drink as much as they decorate it. Some bars top it with sparkling wine instead, which makes a much stronger drink.

Who invented Pimm’s?

The name is James Pimm’s, a London oyster seller who opened his bar in 1823, says the Oxford Companion, which adds that no documentary evidence shows he compounded the cup and that only the 1912 trademark and release are confirmed. Cups numbered two to six followed; Diageo focuses on No. 1, with seasonal Summer and Winter Cups.

Does Pimm’s go off once opened?

It does not spoil, but in our experience it is better within a year of opening, while the orange and herbs are fresh. A cupboard suits it. It does not need the fridge, though a cold bottle makes a colder jug with less melted ice.

Sources.

Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.

The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Anistatia R. Miller and Jared M. Brown), “Pimm’s Cup” (secondary source: James Pimm’s oyster bar of 1823; only the 1912 trademark and release of the cup confirmed; Nos 2 to 6; Diageo bought it in 1997).
LWC, “Pimm’s Original No. 1 Cup 70cl” (UK wholesaler’s listing (22%; gin-based spirit)).
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)”.
Diageo (TheBar.com, UK), “Pimm’s No.1 Cup, 70cl” (Diageo’s own UK shop).

Make something

Made with Pimm’s No. 1

Featured In These Cocktails

Pimm’s Cup

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 19 October 2026

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