🥃 Pimm's
Pimm's is a British gin-based drink brand, 25% ABV (Pimm's No.1); the founding year is disputed (1823 or 1840); owned by Diageo since 1997. Famous as Pimm's Cup at Wimbledon.
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.
Facts
| Year founded | disputed: 1823 (some sources) or 1840 (label); James Pimm, London; mass production from 1851 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787: spirit drink (from 15% ABV); not gin (from 37.5%) |
| Raw material | spirit, gin, sugar, liqueur, caramel, flavourings (according to the retailer's description) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 25% ABV (No.1) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Pimm's → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Made from
- 🍸 Gin
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Aperol, 🥃 Aperol, 🥃 Southern Comfort, 🥃 Southern Comfort, 🥃 Galliano, 🥃 Galliano
Frequently asked questions
What does a UK Pimm's label call the drink?
A gin-based spirit drink, not gin and not a liqueur.
Where did James Pimm start?
In an oyster bar in the City of London.
Who owned Pimm's before Diageo?
Guinness from 1986, and before that the Distillers Company from 1970.
What is a Pimm's Cup?
Pimm's No.1 with lemonade, fruit, cucumber and mint, linked to Wimbledon since 1971.
Is Pimm's No.1 a gin?
No. Its strength is 25% ABV, and gin must be at least 37.5%.
What to read next
- 🍷 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.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
- 🍸 Gin — Gin is a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. In the EU it is at least 37.5% ABV and juniper must dominate; in the US it is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more. “Dry” means up to 0.1 g/l of sugar.
Similar
🥃 Drambuie · 🥃 Glayva · 🥃 Goldschläger · 🥃 Chambord · 🥃 Passoã · 🥃 Tuaca
⚠️ 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.
What it includes
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Art. 2 and Annex I
- Grace's Guide: Pimm's (label date 1840)
- Just Drinks: Diageo and Pimm's (2024 sale attempt)
- Food Business MEA: Diageo scraps Pimm's sale (October 2024)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)