Pimm’s Cup
Classic Pimm's Cup with Pimm's No. 1, fresh strawberries, cucumber, lemon, and ginger beer. The most refreshing British summer cocktail, ready in just 5 minutes.
Servings: 2 drinks
Ingredients
- 1 lemon thinly sliced into wheels
- 1 Persian cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ cup strawberries thinly sliced or quartered
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
- 6 ounces Ginger Beer
- Fresh mint and thyme to garnish
Instructions
- Divide the sliced lemon, cucumber, and strawberries between two tall glasses.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with about 1 cup of ice. Add the lemon juice and Pimm's No. 1, secure the lid, and shake for 20 seconds until well chilled.
- Add a few fresh ice cubes to each glass, then strain the Pimm's mixture evenly over the ice and fruit. Top each glass with ginger beer, dividing evenly. Gently slap the fresh mint between your palms to release the oils and garnish each glass with mint and a small sprig of thyme. Serve immediately.
To Batch Pimm's
- Combine 3 cups Pimm's No. 1, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, and all the sliced fruit and herbs in a large pitcher. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, pour over ice in individual glasses and top each with 6 ounces of ginger beer. Never add the ginger beer to the pitcher ahead of time.
Notes
- Use Pimm's No. 1, not No. 6 or No. 7. The number on the bottle matters. No. 1 is the gin-based canonical version; No. 6 is vodka-based (lighter, less herbal); No. 3 is brandy-based (winter variant). For a classic Pimm's Cup, No. 1 is the only correct answer.
- Ginger beer, not ginger ale. Ginger beer is spicier, less sweet, and brewed with real ginger root. Ginger ale is essentially flavored soda. The difference is the difference between a Pimm's Cup and a glass of fruit punch.
- Build the drink in the glass, not a shaker. Pimm's Cup is a built drink; shaking destroys the fruit and bruises the herbs. Layer ingredients in the glass over ice; stir gently.
- Slap the mint, don't muddle. Press the mint between your palms with a quick clap to release the oils. Muddling shreds the leaves and adds chlorophyll bitterness. You want aroma, not green pulp.
- Slice fruit thin enough to fit the glass. Cucumber spears (not coins); strawberries sliced in ⅛-inch pieces; lemon in wheels not wedges. Chunks of fruit clog the glass and don't release flavor.
- The ratio is 1:2 (Pimm's to ginger beer). 3 ounces Pimm's to 6 ounces ginger beer is the canonical pour. Stronger is too boozy and stops being sessionable; weaker is grape juice with bubbles.
- Ice in the glass, not the pitcher. For pitcher service, mix the Pimm's, fruit, lemon juice, and herbs in the pitcher; pour over ice in individual glasses and top each with ginger beer. Ice in the pitcher dilutes everyone equally as it melts.
- For pitcher mode, hold the ginger beer until the moment of serve. The bubbles go flat within 30 minutes; adding ginger beer to a pitcher means everyone past glass two gets flat Pimm's. Top each glass individually right before handing it over.
- Add a splash of fresh lemon juice. Two teaspoons in the glass before the ginger beer brightens everything and balances the Pimm's sweetness. The recipe calls for it; do not skip.
- If you can find borage, use it. The traditional British garnish is borage flowers, small edible blue flowers with cucumber flavor. Hard to source in the U.S. but worth checking farmers markets in summer. A single flower floating on top is the most authentic finishing touch you can do.
Nutrition (estimated)
Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg