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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian British Recipes

    May 17, 2020 · Modified: Jul 14, 2022 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 33 Comments

    How to Make Traditional British Pimm's

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    Total time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 3
    4.50 from 8 votes
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    This is exactly how we make our traditional British Pimm's in the UK! It's a super simple mixed drink with plenty of fruit - preferably served in the sunshine!

    A glass of Pimm's with oranges, strawberries and mint, served with a stripey straw.

    If you've ever been to the UK in the summertime, you've probably seen people drinking Pimm's. As soon as the sun comes out, we all flock outside with a big pitcher full of the stuff - and this traditional British Pimm's recipe shows you exactly how we make it!

    A large jug of Pimm's filled with oranges, strawberries and cucumber.

    What is Pimm's?

    I'm not sure anywhere else in the world drinks Pimm's - it's a very British drink (the bottle even displays an official seal of approval from the Queen!). So if you're not British, chances are you might not know what Pimm's is.

    Confusingly, we use the word 'Pimm's' to refer to two different things:

    1. The brand of liqueur, which was created in the 19th century by none other than Mr Pimm
    2. The long drink that we make with Pimm's and lemonade (a bit like an alcoholic fruit punch)

    But since I don't think I've ever seen anyone drinking Pimm's straight, it's never really an issue (you'd get a very funny look if you tried to serve someone a glass of unmixed Pimm's poured straight from the bottle).

    Collage showing a Pimm's bottle, the Queen's seal of approval, and a jug of Pimm's.

    What is Pimm's made of?

    To make Pimm's, you'll need a good glug of Pimm's No. 1 Cup (which is actually the only type of Pimm's I've ever seen in the shops!). Then you just top up your jug with lemonade.

    But there's one more vital element: fruit! Usually some combination of orange, strawberries, cucumber, apples, lemons, and fresh mint. I don't think I've ever seen a jug of Pimm's made without plenty of fresh fruit. It just wouldn't be the same.

    Half of the fun of drinking Pimm's is fishing the fizzy bits of fruit out of the bottom of your glass when you've finished drinking. Funnily enough, fruit tastes so much better when it's soaked in booze.

    Cucumber, oranges and strawberries in a large glass jug.

    What does Pimm's taste like?

    I've drunk Pimm's every summer for over a decade, but when I think about it, the flavour of Pimm's is really hard to describe.

    According to Wikipedia, Pimm's is a gin-based liqueur, but I don't actually think it tastes like gin at all (I don't even like gin!). It's just got a fruity, mildly spiced flavour - it tastes a bit like some strange hybrid of Jagermeister, apple juice, and iced tea.

    Pimm's has actually got a slightly bitter tang to it - it's not overly sweet - but the lemonade and fruit balance everything out perfectly. Those flavours play a part too - especially the fresh mint, which infuses its way into the Pimm's in a really beautiful way.

    Pimm's being poured over fresh fruit in a glass jug.

    How do you drink Pimm's?

    We Brits will pretty much drink Pimm's any time it's sunny - it's very much a summer drink. It's not the sort of thing we'd sit and sip in front of the TV in the evening (though no judgement if you do!) - we're more likely to make a jug of Pimm's in the middle of the afternoon on a gloriously sunny day, to drink in the garden with friends.

    It's thought of as a pretty sophisticated drink - so much so that it's one of the official drinks served at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Chelsea Flower Show, and various other very posh British events. Although it can give you a nice buzz, the aim of drinking Pimm's isn't usually to get drunk.

    A GIF showing sparkling lemonade being poured over Pimm's in a jug.

    What type of lemonade should you use to make Pimm's?

    Very important: to make Pimm's, you need to use British-style lemonade, not cloudy lemonade. I mean, I guess you could use cloudy lemonade and it would probably still taste great, but that's not what's usually used.

    British lemonade is clear and sparkling, and has probably never actually been within ten feet of a real lemon. I believe in some other countries, lemonade is slightly yellow, not sparkling, and is made with actual lemons - which sounds fab, but that's not what is generally used for traditional British Pimm's here in the UK.

    A glass of Pimm's with fresh fruit and a straw.

    Where can you buy Pimm's?

    Obviously Pimm's is widely available in the UK - any big supermarket, as well as plenty of smaller shops, will stock it.

    If you're in a country where Pimm's isn't commonly drunk, you might need to check larger liquor stores to find a bottle. But it'll be worth the search, I promise - you can laze around in the sunshine sipping a glass of traditional British Pimm's all afternoon. I won't even judge you if you put on a really bad fake English accent.

    A small glass of Pimm's with strawberries, cucumber and oranges.

    Traditional British Pimm's

    This is exactly how we make our traditional British Pimm's in the UK! It's a super simple mixed drink with plenty of fruit - preferably served in the sunshine!

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    4.50 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 163kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 250 ml (~ 1 cup) Pimm's No.1
    • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) sparkling lemonade - I used diet
    • ½ orange, cut into chunks
    • 5 fresh strawberries, cut into chunks
    • 4 inch piece of cucumber, cut into chunks
    • Small bunch fresh mint, roughly torn
    • 10 ice cubes

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to a large pitcher, and stir gently. Serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 glass - Calories: 163 kcal - Carbohydrates: 6.2 g - Protein: 0.8 g - Fat: 0.2 g - Saturated Fat: 0 g - Cholesterol: 0 mg - Sodium: 3 mg - Potassium: 139 mg - Fiber: 1.7 g - Sugar: 4.1 g - Calcium: 33 mg - Iron: 1 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Oh, and by the way, if you like to get your kids involved in the kitchen - I also make a fab kids' version of Pimm's for my little ones - just skip the alcohol (obviously!), and replace the fizzy lemonade with some sort of low sugar squash. They go crazy for it!

    Love a fruity summer punch? You might also enjoy my peach and basil white sangria:

    Peach and basil white sangria

    More Vegetarian British Recipes

    • Perfect Welsh Rarebit
    • Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
    • Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup
    • How to Make Perfect Roast Potatoes
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    Comments

    1. Jan Dering says

      May 08, 2020 at 6:19 am

      The thing (label) at the bottom of the Pimms bottle is a Royal Warrant. An official seal of approval issued by HM Queen. These Royal Warrants are few and far between and seen as a sign of prestige and quality. For more information please see https://www.royalwarrant.org/ I hope that this clears up your confusion. :)

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        May 13, 2020 at 4:04 pm

        Interesting, thanks!

        Reply
    2. Hugh Cumming says

      May 17, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      Are other Pimms Cups other than N0 1 still available or am I just showing my age?

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        May 18, 2018 at 8:55 am

        Haha I actually have no idea! I think I've only ever seen No.1.

        Reply
        • peter hardie says

          July 08, 2018 at 5:07 pm

          there was at least 4 or 5 pimms i.e bourbon,brandy, vodka, and of course Gin numbered
          1 2 3 4 only no1 and 3 are still available no3 being brandy or bourbon .5 stars

          Reply
          • peter hardie says

            July 08, 2018 at 5:13 pm

            dark and white rum goes down very well all year round5 stars

            Reply
          • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

            July 10, 2018 at 9:09 pm

            Interesting!

            Reply
    3. Elizabeth says

      August 03, 2015 at 7:49 am

      You know, I've never tried Pimms! My husband has a bottle in the cupboard I ought to give it a go. Sounds gorgeous and your photos make it look so thirst quenching!

      Reply
    4. Nazima says

      July 31, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      beautiful pics Becca - you even got that pouring shot just right! looks divine

      Reply
    5. Laura says

      July 29, 2015 at 11:42 pm

      Oh wow this looks divine, the perfect summer drink! Hoping to have a bit more sunshine and a few picnics and will be celebrating it with Pimms for sure

      Laura x

      Reply
    6. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      July 29, 2015 at 10:40 pm

      Sent his over to my bestie who was wanting a few different Pimm cocktail recipes.

      Reply
    7. Lauren @ A Nerd Cooks says

      July 29, 2015 at 6:28 pm

      Love love love Pimm's Cups. So refreshing!

      Reply
    8. pam (Grey is the New Black) says

      July 28, 2015 at 1:49 pm

      This sounds wonderful! I would love it if you would link it up to Tipsy Tuesday at Grey is the New Black - my weekly cocktail linkup!

      Reply
    9. swayam says

      July 27, 2015 at 8:11 pm

      This is so so good Becca!! Summer has been all about cocktails for me too ..and yes, will have to give that Pimm soaked cucumber a try :)

      Reply
    10. Helen Kennedy says

      July 23, 2015 at 10:55 pm

      I recently tried Pimm's made with ginger beer, as we didn't have any lemonade in the house. It was very good, although I didn't put any fruit in it. Or cucumber. Love cucumber soaked in Pimm's.

      I've also tried Pimm's diluted with water (picnic where we ran out of lemonade). It was interesting.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        July 24, 2015 at 11:29 am

        Haha 'interesting', that's a diplomatic way of putting it ;) Pimm's with ginger beer sounds great!

        Reply
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