🥃 Pimm's No.1 Cup
Base line of Pimm's: a British gin-based drink at 25% ABV, with bittersweet orange and herbal notes, for long drinks with lemonade.
Pimm's No.1 Cup is the base line of the Pimm's brand: a British gin-based drink at 25% ABV. Difford's Guide describes it as bittersweet, orange and herbal, with a bitter finish, somewhat like an Italian amaro. It is traditionally mixed with lemonade or ginger ale and served with fruit.
According to the producer, it is a blend of gin with herbs and citrus, and the recipe is kept secret. Difford's Guide gives an energy value of 172 kcal per 100 ml and Cameronbridge as the place of production; the owner is Diageo. The sources disagree on the year the drink was created, so the founding date is marked as disputed in the facts.
Why this matters to you. No.1 is the starting point for comparing the lines of the brand: Winter has a different base, and Blackberry & Elderflower is lighter. It is neither a gin nor a liqueur, so it should not replace gin in a recipe, as its strength and composition differ. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | disputed: 1820s to 1840s, James Pimm, London |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787: spirit drink (from 15% ABV); not gin (from 37.5%) |
| EU category | spirit drink, not a liqueur or gin |
| Raw material | gin, herbs and citrus (per the producer) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 25% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Pimm's No.1 Cup → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍸 Gin
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Pimm's, 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Pimm's Blackberry & Elderflower, 🥃 Pimm's Blackberry & Elderflower, 🥃 Pimm's Winter Cup, 🥃 Pimm's Winter Cup, 🥃 Aperol
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Pimm's No.1 is a gin?
No. Its base is gin, but its strength is 25% ABV, while gin must be at least 37.5%; in the EU it is a spirit drink.
What is the strength of Pimm's No.1 Cup?
25% ABV, according to Difford's Guide.
What is Pimm's No.1 served with?
Lemonade or ginger ale, and fruit; the producer and Difford's Guide describe the classic Pimm's Cup this way.
What to read next
- 🥃 Pimm's Blackberry & Elderflower — Pimm's special edition of 2013: a drink based on No.6 Vodka Cup with blackberry and elderflower, 20% ABV.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍬 Sugar — Sucrose added to condensed milk, ice cream and sweet yogurts; WHO advises that free sugars supply less than 10% of daily energy.
- 🍸 Gin — A spirit flavoured with juniper berries: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., juniper must dominate, and “dry” means up to 0.1 g/l of sugar.
Similar
🥃 Pimm's Blackberry & Elderflower · 🥃 Pimm's Winter Cup · 🥃 Southern Comfort 100 Proof · 🥃 Southern Comfort Black · 🥃 Southern Comfort Original · 🥃 Aperol Spritz To Go
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Pimm's No.1 Cup (25 % ABV; fruit cup; Cameronbridge Gin Distillery, Diageo; 172 kcal per 100 ml; bittersweet, orangey, herbal)
- Diageo Bar Academy (thebar.com): Pimm's No.1 Cup (gin-based, herbs and citrus; created in 1840s London; serve with lemonade)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Art. 2 and Annex I
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)