How to Make the Perfect Pimm’s No 1, a favourite English Summer Drink

Pimm’s – the quintessential British summer drink, as synonymous with long summer evenings here as Wimbledon and strawberries and cream. To me, a glass of Pimm’s is a thing of beauty,

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Pimm's no. 1
Pimm’s, the quintessential British summer drink

liquid amber adorned with the colours of summer; all at once mysterious and seductive, yet a touch playful.

What is Pimm’s Made Out Of?

Created in 1823 by James Pimm, the original, Pimm’s No. 1, is a gin based liqueur made from a secret blend of fruit, herbs, spices and spirits. James Pimm first gave out these little fruit cups as an aid to digestion to his oyster bar customers in London. It proved so popular that over the years the following Pimm’s were also produced:

No. 2 – Scotch whisky based

No. 3 – brandy based

No. 4 – with rum

No. 5 – rye whisky

No. 6 – with vodka

All of them have been discontinued apart from No. 3 & 6, the former making seasonal cold weather appearance.

The perfect Pimm's
The perfect Pimm’s

How to Make the Perfect Pimm’s?

The secret to a good Pimm’s is to get the balance right: 1 part Pimm’s to 3 parts lemonade (this is what we call 7UP & Sprite in the UK) or for an interesting twist, ginger beer.

The basic Pimm’s No. 1 is made with a touch of mint, some strawberries, and a small amount of cucumber. Yes, cucumber! If you’ve never added cucumber to your Pimm’s, you don’t know what you’re missing, it adds a fresh aroma almost reminiscent of freshly cut grass. Then we add lots of ice, which is why we start off with a good amount of Pimm’s to lemonade!

Being a fruit drink, this British summer drink does have a natural affinity to fruit, so lemons, oranges, blueberries, apples, peaches and really, just about any fruit will only add to the complexity of the taste.

BUT a word of advice, go easy. Less is more. Remember, you want to enhance the original flavour, not obscure it with too many fruits. For that reason, I prefer to stick with just 2-3 different types of fruit; although the mint, the cucumber and the strawberries are a must for me.

Here’s the recipe, and as mentioned, feel free to experiment with the fruit but please, don’t skip the mint or the cucumber. I put it all together, minus the ice, an hour earlier, to let the flavours develop, then just before serving, in goes the ice.

Shall we get our aprons on?

If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Grazie!

And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood

Lin xx

Pimm's no. 1

Pimm’s No 1 Recipe, a favourite English Summertime Drink

Pimm’s No 1 Recipe – the quintessential English summer drink, as synonymous with long summer evenings here as Wimbledon and strawberries and cream.
5 from 29 votes
Print Pin Add to Collection
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: British
Keyword: british, drinks, summer
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 100kcal
Author: Azlin Bloor

Ingredients

  • 1 part Pimm’s
  • 3 parts lemonade 7UP/Sprite
  • lots of ice
  • some mint leaves crushed/bruised
  • strawberries quartered
  • cucumber in small slices

Additional fruit:

  • blueberries lightly crushed
  • apples in small pieces
  • lemons sliced
  • limes sliced
  • peaches in slices, along with any juices

Instructions

  • Place everything together, either in large measures in a large jug for a crowd or if for one or two, in smaller servings.
  • As mentioned above, make it an hour earlier if possible, adding the ice just before serving.

Notes

Nutritional information is based on 1 serving made with 30ml (about 1 fluid oz) and 125ml (1/2 cup) 7Up. Fruit hasn’t been taken into account.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Sodium: 4mg | Sugar: 7g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @azlinbloor and tag #linsfood!
Made it? Upload your photosMention @azlinbloor and tag #linsfood!

Share this with someone who'll love it!

11 thoughts on “How to Make the Perfect Pimm’s No 1, a favourite English Summer Drink”

  1. I’ve never had Pimms before but a couple of times, I’ve had drinks with mint, cucumber, ginger and even citrus fruits. I definitely loved that sour taste so I’m certain this drink from your recipe is as fantastic!

  2. I loved the presentation and have honestly never tried Pimm. But after checking this post would love to try it and surprice my family.

  3. For some reason I’m just not a huge fan of pimms and I’m not quite sure why I don’t like it. Although I seem to be in the minority as my parents love it x

  4. I liked the drink. I can say, this drink is really good. Sounds like Ice tea but fancy. I suggest you should use these and serve this in every event. You should copyright these, but my question is can you copyright a drink? You can earn more loyalty if there is an option for this.

  5. This is so funny, coming after my discovery of your Eurasian recipes! My grandmother was English. And she used to talk to us about Pimm’s and Wimbledon! I remember her making this to serve at Christmas in Malacca when we were kids! I must see if I can find a bottle here in the US. Thanks again!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating