Pimm's
An English gin-based fruit cup brand best known as the base of the Pimm's Cup cocktail.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Pimm's is an English fruit cup and liqueur brand whose best-known expression is Pimm's No. 1 Cup, a dark, reddish-brown gin-based drink with notes of spice and citrus. It is generally served as a long drink with clear carbonated lemonade, ice, fruit and herbs, especially apple, cucumber, orange, lemon, strawberry and mint or borage. Ginger ale is also used as a mixer, while sparkling wine and warm apple juice support alternative serves such as the Pimm's Royal Cup and Pimm's Winter Cup. The brand originated in London through James Pimm, the proprietor of an oyster bar near the Bank of England. Pimm offered a spiced gin drink as a digestive aid, serving it in a small tankard known as a No. 1 Cup. Although the drink was initially positioned as a tonic or digestif, customers increasingly consumed it as a mixed alcoholic drink. The recipe remains commercially confidential, although the product is commonly described as a gin-based fruit cup with herbal, citrus and spice characteristics. Pimm's expanded during the nineteenth century. Additional numbered cups were introduced, large-scale production began in 1851, and the product entered distillery production in 1859. James Pimm sold the business and rights to his name in 1865. The company was later acquired by Horatio Davies, and Pimm's Oyster Houses were developed as a franchised chain from 1887. The numbered range eventually used different alcoholic bases, including whisky, brandy, rum, rye whisky, vodka and possibly tequila, but most variants were withdrawn after demand weakened. The brand's modern identity is centered on Pimm's No. 1 Cup and its role in British summer culture. Pimm's is strongly associated with the Wimbledon Championships, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Henley Royal Regatta and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, where it is traditionally paired with champagne as a signature refreshment. It is also served at British universities, polo events and garden-party settings. The first Pimm's Bar at Wimbledon opened in 1971, helping establish the drink as a large-scale event serve. Ownership passed to The Distillers Company, then to Guinness, and ultimately to Diageo following the 1997 Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merger. Diageo has maintained Pimm's as a mainstream premium spirits brand while using seasonal products, pre-mixed formats and advertising to broaden its appeal. The early-2000s revival campaign used the comic character Harry Fitzgibbon-Sims and the phrase “It's Pimm's o'clock!”, while a later campaign represented the ingredients of a Pimm's serve as a diverse group of characters. Pimm's remains particularly prominent in England and southern England, but its cocktail format gives it wider international recognition.
History
James Pimm, a farmer's son from Kent, operated an oyster bar in the City of London near the Bank of England. In 1823 he began serving a house drink made with gin, herbs and liqueurs, presenting it as a digestive aid. The beverage was served in a small tankard called a No. 1 Cup, which supplied the name later used for the brand. Some historical accounts attribute the development of the serving concept to Samuel Morley, a successor in the business. The drink appeared at a time when bitters and tonic-style beverages were becoming fashionable in Britain, but its principal commercial use became social drinking rather than medicinal consumption. Pimm's expanded beyond its original premises as demand grew. No. 2 and No. 3 Cups were introduced in the nineteenth century, large-scale production was established in 1851, and the product entered distillery production in 1859. James Pimm sold the business and the right to use his name in 1865 to Frederick Sawyer. In 1880 the company was acquired by Horatio Davies, who later became Lord Mayor of London. A network of Pimm's Oyster Houses was franchised from 1887, linking the drink to a distinctive restaurant and hospitality format. The company subsequently developed numbered cups based on different alcoholic spirits. No. 1 used gin and became the enduring core product. Other variants were based on Scotch whisky, brandy, dark rum, rye whisky, vodka and, according to some accounts, tequila. No. 2 and No. 5 were associated with whisky mixing, while No. 3 and No. 4 were positioned as colder-weather alternatives. The range was substantially reduced after the Second World War and especially during the 1970s, when demand for several numbered expressions declined. The Pimm's Oyster House chain was also sold, and products numbered 2 through 5 were phased out after The Distillers Company took control. The brand's ownership changed again when The Distillers Company was acquired by Guinness in 1986. Pimm's became part of Diageo in 1997 after the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan. Under Diageo, the brand remained focused on No. 1 while developing seasonal and ready-to-serve formats. Pimm's Winter Cup, based on the former brandy-style No. 3 and infused with spices and orange peel, was introduced in 2004. The vodka-based No. 6 was also revived as Pimm's Vodka Cup, returned after a consumer-led campaign in 2015, and later disappeared from the market again. Pimm's became especially associated with British summer events. Its first Wimbledon bar opened in 1971, and the drink became one of the tournament's two official signature refreshments alongside champagne. The brand is similarly linked with the Chelsea Flower Show, Henley Royal Regatta and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. These associations helped define Pimm's as a convivial, seasonal drink served in large jugs or cups with lemonade, ice, fruit and herbs. It is also used at university gatherings, polo matches and garden events. Advertising in the early twenty-first century sought to refresh the brand's traditional upper-class image. A 2003 campaign introduced the comic character Harry Fitzgibbon-Sims, played by Alexander Armstrong, and used the phrase “It's Pimm's o'clock!”. A 2010 campaign presented the cocktail's components through a more varied cast of characters, including figures representing Pimm's No. 1, lemonade and ice. These campaigns retained the brand's British heritage while presenting it as accessible and socially inclusive. Pimm's is now principally known as an English heritage spirits brand with a strong summer and event-based identity.
- 2021
Pimm's Vodka Cup is discontinued
[1]The revived vodka-based variant is no longer available.
- 2015
Pimm's Vodka Cup returns
[1]The vodka-based No. 6 variant is reinstated following consumer advocacy.
- 2010
Ingredient-character advertising campaign
[1]A campaign personifies the drink's components and uses music associated with The New Avengers television series.
- 2004
Pimm's Winter Cup launches
[1]A seasonal No. 3-based product infused with spices and orange peel is introduced.
- 2003
It's Pimm's o'clock campaign
[1]A humorous advertising campaign introduces Harry Fitzgibbon-Sims and refreshes the brand's traditional image.
- 1997
Pimm's joins Diageo
[1]The brand becomes part of Diageo following the Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merger.
- 1986
The Distillers Company becomes part of Guinness
[1]Guinness acquires The Distillers Company, bringing Pimm's into its corporate portfolio.
- 1971
First Wimbledon Pimm's Bar opens
[1]The first Pimm's Bar opens at Wimbledon, reinforcing the brand's association with British summer sport.
- 1887
Pimm's Oyster Houses are franchised
[1]A franchised chain of Pimm's Oyster Houses links the brand to hospitality venues.
- 1865
James Pimm sells the business
[1]James Pimm sells the business and the rights to use his name to Frederick Sawyer.
Products and positioning
Premium, heritage English summer drinks brand
Gin-based fruit cup · 1823
Pimm's No. 1 Cup
The brand's core and most widely recognized product. It is a dark, reddish-brown gin-based fruit cup with citrus, spice and herbal notes. It is commonly mixed with clear carbonated lemonade and served over ice with chopped fruit and mint or borage. Its bottled strength varies by market and retailer, commonly around 22% to 25% ABV.
Seasonal brandy-based fruit cup · 2004
Pimm's Winter Cup
A seasonal cold-weather expression based on the former No. 3 Cup formulation. It uses a brandy base and is infused with spices and orange peel. It is generally served with warm apple juice or other winter-style mixers rather than the conventional lemonade serve.
Vodka-based fruit cup · 2004
Pimm's Vodka Cup
A vodka-based expression corresponding to the former No. 6 Cup. It was revived after consumer demand but was later discontinued again. The product is therefore historically significant to the range but is not generally available as a current core product.
Ready-to-drink mixed beverage
Pimm's Original No. 1 Cup and Lemonade
A pre-mixed format combining the No. 1 base with fortified lemonade. It is sold in packaged formats such as cans and bottles and offers a convenient alternative to preparing a Pimm's Cup from the spirit and a separate mixer.
Ready-to-drink mixed beverage
Pimm's Lemonade and Ginger Ale
A ready-to-serve product using a No. 1 base with lemonade and ginger-ale flavor. It adapts the traditional long-drink serve into a packaged beverage format.
Flavored fruit cup · 2013
Pimm's Blackberry and Elderflower
A flavored limited or special-edition expression combining Pimm's with blackberry and elderflower character. It extends the brand beyond the conventional No. 1 profile while retaining its fruit-cup positioning.
Flavored fruit cup · 2015
Pimm's Strawberry with a Hint of Mint
A strawberry-forward flavored expression with mint notes, drawing on the ingredients traditionally used to garnish a Pimm's Cup.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Vodka Cup consumer campaign
United Kingdom
A group of enthusiastic drinkers advocated for the return of the discontinued vodka-based Pimm's expression.
Outcome. Diageo reinstated Pimm's Vodka Cup, although the product was later discontinued again.
- 2010Ingredient-character campaign
United Kingdom
The campaign represented Pimm's No. 1, lemonade and ice as distinct characters who come together to create the finished drink, using a soundtrack associated with The New Avengers.
Outcome. Reframed the cocktail as a more inclusive social occasion while retaining British cultural references.
- 2003It's Pimm's o'clock
United Kingdom
The campaign used the comic upper-class character Harry Fitzgibbon-Sims, played by Alexander Armstrong, to parody and modernize the brand's traditional social image.
Outcome. Helped contribute to a broader early-2000s revival of the brand.
Brand decisions
2015
Reinstatement of Pimm's Vodka CupProduct launchBackground
Consumers campaigned for the return of the discontinued vodka-based No. 6 variant.
Action taken
The owner brought the product back in response to the campaign.
Aftermath
The expression was later discontinued again in 2021.
2004
Launch of Pimm's Winter CupProduct launchBackground
The brand sought to extend a drink strongly associated with summer into colder-weather occasions.
Action taken
Diageo introduced a spiced and orange-peel-infused expression based on the brandy-style No. 3 Cup.
Aftermath
The product created a seasonal winter extension to the primarily summer-focused portfolio.
1970
Narrowing of the numbered Cup rangeStrategyBackground
Demand for several variants had weakened after The Distillers Company took control of the brand.
Action taken
Pimm's phased out Cups numbered 2 through 5 and concentrated the range more heavily on No. 1.
Aftermath
No. 1 became the enduring flagship while most alternative spirit-base variants disappeared.
Recent events
- 2021
Pimm's Vodka Cup is discontinued again[1]
Product generation
The vodka-based Pimm's expression was no longer available after its later production run.
- 2015
Pimm's Vodka Cup returns after consumer campaign[1]
Product launch · Campaign
The vodka-based No. 6 expression was brought back after advocacy from consumers who wanted the discontinued variant restored.
- 2004
Pimm's Winter Cup is introduced[1]
Product launch · Product generation
A seasonal winter expression based on the brand's brandy-based No. 3 formulation was introduced with spice and orange-peel character.
- 1997
Pimm's becomes part of Diageo[1]
M&A
Pimm's entered the Diageo portfolio after Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merged. The brand had previously been associated with The Distillers Company and Guinness.
Sources2 sources
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