The 2026 Wimbledon Championships began on June 29, and with it, the Pimm’s Cup ended. Last year, more than 300,000 Pimm’s Cup cocktails were served at Wimbledon. Think of it as the English answer to the US Open’s Honey Deuce or the Kentucky Derby’s Mint Julep. So if you’re planning to celebrate Wimbledon in true style—or if you’re looking for the most refreshing cocktail on a hot summer day—you’ll want to dive into Pimm’s.
While also a delicious drink tied to tennis, the Pimm’s Cup predates the Honey Deuce by more than 150 years. It started with James Pimm, a fishmonger who opened several oyster bars in London in the 19th century. Oyster bars were plentiful at the time, and Pimm’s needed a hook. He created an herbal liqueur he called Pimm’s No.
In 1859, a businessman named Samuel Moray bought the recipe for Pimm’s No. 1, and bottles of herbal liqueur soon entered the market. In 1870, Moray sold the company to future Lord Mayor Horatio Davies, who jumped on the marketing train and got Pimm’s on the menus of bars and restaurants around the world.
The drink proved to be an easy sell. Gin had already been popular in England for over a century, and Pimm’s No. 1 was like a low-alcohol version: gin-based and complex with botanicals, spices, and citrus peels. Over time, it shed its wellness-centric brand and was enjoyed for just the delicious drink it was, and the Pimm’s No. 1 Cup changed to include tonic and lemon juice—the wire would be loosened again to allow lemonade or lemon-lime soda—and garnishes of cucumber, mint and strawberry.
“The combination of fruit, herbs, cucumber and efficiency makes a Pimm’s Cup feel elegant yet approachable,” said Jacopo Rosito, beverage director and mixologist at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, he tells the Observer. “I think that’s why it’s endured for so long—it feels celebrated without taking things too seriously.”
Easy to make and easy to enjoy, the Pimm’s Cup became a staple in English pubs, bars, restaurants and eventually at events such as Wimbledon and Royal Ascot in the first half of the 20th century. The Wimbledon tennis tournament—the world’s oldest—began in 1877 and has grown into an annual display of British pride, which, in turn, celebrates British culture. There’s a special box for members of the royal family to watch the match (and be watched by the audience), and the tradition of eating strawberries and cream—not your average dog—while you play the game.
As Pimm’s Cups became popular orders in English pubs, the drink was adopted as the British drink of the tournament, too. Wimbledon’s strawberry snack proved a great garnish.
The Pimm’s brand capitalized on this brilliant connection by emphasizing tennis in the vodka’s advertisements. This further raised the cocktail’s profile, and the Pimm’s Cup became one of the most popular drinks at the Wimbledon tennis tournament during the 20th century. In 1971, the first official Pimm’s store set up shop at the tournament, and the drink became. i The de facto Wimbledon cocktail, which grows in demand each year.
“It’s popular because it has a low ABV, so people can drink it for hours,” says Mario Colasanti, bar manager at The American Bar at The Stafford London. That said, even a low ABV drink can do some damage if consumed without caution for hours on end. “Back in the 1990s, bar owners had to limit certain portions because the crowd was getting rowdy in Center Court,” added Colasanti.
Pimm’s No. 1 Cup soon surpassed the English tennis championships. Across the pond, it became so popular in New Orleans that the cocktail became a common order there, often mistaken for a Big Easy-born recipe.
The Pimm’s Cup came to New Orleans—and in doing so, made its United States debut—in the 1940s thanks to Joe Impastato, the original owner of the historic Napoleon House bar. “He became familiar with the drink after his trip to England,” explains Braithe Gill, beverage director at Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, which runs Napoleon’s house in NOLA today. The Southern town has put its own twist on the cocktail, using ginger ale or ginger beer as a mixer, a recipe option that still holds up.
Today, Napoleon House claims to serve more Pimm’s Cups than any other location in the US. The National Day Archives has given Napoleon House an official “Pimm’s Cup day” on July 1, so if you want to celebrate this cocktail and can’t make it to Wimbledon, head to New Orleans. There, Pimm’s concentrates its refreshing properties and proves why it remains a staple of summer tennis matches and a warm weather drink.
“Light, citrus-forward, effortlessly refreshing…it’s built in the style of a city where summer comes early and lasts long,” says Gill.
As can be done with cocktails featuring a simple recipe, Pimm’s served as a canvas for different variations. Although lemon and fizz is a common Wimbledon drink, Cups can be made with ginger ale or beer, or club soda with lemon juice and simple syrup or Prosecco. But spirits have been involved, too, at different points in the drink’s history: Pimm’s No. 2 Cup included Scotch, No. 3 brandy, 4 rum, 5 rye whiskey and 6 vodka.
“I think that other brands of Pimm’s should be studied because they show different expressions of the same idea, but in fact, number 1 remains the most popular and well-known version around the world,” said Rosito. “Some are rarely asked for today and curious cocktail enthusiasts.”
These days, you’re more likely to find new riffs on Pimm’s No. 1 Cup in the hands of talented bartenders in cocktail bars. Others joined the group, such as Aperol and Campari; sometimes vermouth, sometimes real gin or a lesser-used spirit like cachaça. Bartenders may add signature flavors such as cucumber to the mix in the form of syrup, and may play with the carbonated mixer element by using different beers or sodas.
“The way a bartender makes their Pimm’s can say a lot, but honestly, there’s no bad way to make them,” says Jacob Coombs, owner and head bartender. The Marquis Lounge in Portland, Maine, where Pimm’s Cups are handed out by a pitcher in the summer. “We make ours with strawberry rhubarb cordial, cucumber, mint and refreshing tonic, then add our secret ingredient: Swedish borage sous vide punsch.”
At Napoleon House, you can get a non-alcoholic Pimm’s Cup with Louie Louie Good Time Seltzer, a locally made THC and CBD tonic. They also make frozen Pimm’s Cups, and offer Pimm’s Cup flights with seasonal spins. Some bars, however, prefer to stick to the original text.
“For me, the perfect Pimm’s starts with moderation: fresh cucumber, seasonal fruit, mint and just enough dilution to keep it light and refreshing,” says Rosito. At the Four Seasons Miami, his summer riff keeps things basic but swaps ginger ale or lemonade for Champagne. “It gives the drink a great texture and makes us feel more happy while still maintaining the relaxed atmosphere that makes the Pimm’s Cup timeless.”
The simplicity of this popular cocktail makes it easy for even the novice home bartender to enjoy at home while watching Wimbledon. To make it true to tennis tournament form, mix yours with lemonade and fresh strawberries, cucumbers and plenty of mint. Grab a drink while you enjoy your favorites, and keep this in your collection all summer—or all year—long.
Pimm’s No. 1 recipe 1 Cup
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ginger ale or ginger beer on top, or 4 ounces lemonade or lemon-lime soda
- A slice of cucumber, strawberries and a mint sprig to garnish
Directions:
Fill a chilled highball glass with ice. Pour in a Pimm’s No. 1, then you can choose your own journey. Add lemon juice and top up with ginger ale, add lemon-lime soda, add lemonade and a splash of tonic to serve. Choose a citrusy wheat beer or a refined Champagne—keep trying combinations until you find your favorite. Skewer the cucumber and strawberry next to your mint, and feel free to wrap here, too. Add orange wedges and lemon wedges, basil or rosemary.
