🥃 Pimm's

Pimm's is a British brand of gin-based drink; its best-known product, Pimm's No.1, is 25% ABV. It was created by James Pimm in an oyster bar in the City of London; the year is disputed: some sources give 1823, while the label says 1840. Since 1997 the brand has belonged to Diageo.

Mass production began in 1851. In 1865 Pimm sold the business; in 1880 (according to another source, 1875) it was bought by Horatio Davies. In 1970 Pimm's ended up in the Distillers Company, in 1986 in Guinness, and in 1997 in Diageo. In 2024 Diageo tried to sell the brand but in October 2024 withdrew from the sale.

On British shelves the drink is labelled a "gin-based spirit drink". The composition, according to retailers' descriptions: spirit, gin, sugar, liqueur, caramel, flavourings. Under EU Regulation 2019/787, 25% is above the 15% threshold, so Pimm's is a spirit drink. It is not gin: gin must be at least 37.5% ABV. Nor can it be called a liqueur, because the sugar content is unknown and a liqueur requires at least 100 grams of sugar per litre.

There were other versions too: No. 2 on whisky, No. 3 on brandy (Winter Cup), No. 4 on rum, No. 5 on rye whiskey, No. 6 on vodka. Today only No.1 and Winter are made. Pimm's Cup is a drink with lemonade, fruit, cucumber and mint; it has been linked to Wimbledon since 1971.

Why this matters to you. Pimm's is not a "light lemonade": the bottle is 25% ABV, and the strength of the cocktail depends heavily on how much lemonade and ice is added. Do not confuse it with gin or a liqueur: it is a separate category. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.