Pimm’s Cup: Transcontinental Cocktail

London and New Orleans may be almost 5,000 miles apart but the two cities share a few commonalities.

For starters, they rank as two of the world’s best food cities as well as two of our favorite places to visit. But more important, at least to cocktail connoisseurs and thirsty travelers, both cities share a passion for a certain cocktail…

And that cocktail is the Pimm’s Cup.

The Pimm’s Cup is a refreshing cocktail concocted with Pimm’s No. 1, a gin-based liqueur, that’s ideal for sipping either at Centre Court at Wimbledon or a New Orleans bar. It’s odd but true that the cocktail is equally popular in the two disparate cities separated by an ocean.

In fact, the quintessential British cocktail is so popular in New Orleans that some people assume that it was invented at a NOLA bar instead of a London pub. Since a savvy Napoleon House’s mixologist doctored the Pimm’s Cup recipe to include 7-Up plus a cucumber wheel in the 1940s, perhaps it’s a New Orleans drink after all.

It’s certainly a topic worth debating while drinking a Pimm’s Cup… or three.

The Pimm’s Cup is a cocktail with two distinct origin stories.

Its first origin story dates back to the 1840s when James Pimm first crafted the cocktail with a liqueur (Pimms No. 1) that featured gin and a secret roster of botanicals. The Pimm’s Cup is as popular today at spots like the Borough Market and Wimbledon as when Pimm invented it at a London oyster bar. Maybe even more so.

The second origin occurred a full century later when a doctored version of the Pimm’s Cup became the signature drink at the Napoleon House in New Orleans. It quickly achieved popularity due to its relatively low alcoholic content and refreshing citrus flavor.

Over the years, the Pimm’s Cup has retained its popularity both in London and New Orleans. Many food travelers, including us, like to pair Pimm’s Cup cocktails with Muffalettas, the New Orleans food favorite that’s also a staple at the Napoleon House.

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NOLA’s version of the Pimm’s Cup cocktail has just five ingredients. These are the items you need to craft the New Orleans cocktail at home:

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

While the Napoleon House uses 7-Up in its recipe, your favorite lemon-lime soda will work in our recipe. The same goes for lemonade. Although we prefer to make our own lemonade by combining freshly squeezed lemon juice with simple syrup, you can use your favorite blend.

Pimm’s Cup No. 1 liqueur is the only non-negotiable ingredient in the Pimm’s Cup cocktail. This should be no surprise based on the name drink’s name. The gin-based liqueur has a 25% ABV, an amber hue and an herbaceous flavor. It’s what transforms the Pimm’s Cup from a citrus soft drink to a cocktail legend.

The first step is to measure the Pimm’s No. 1 liqueur and lemonade, immediately pouring each into a highball glass. We use a Japanese jigger to ensure accurate measurements and avoid spillage.

Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.

Crafting a classic Pimm’s Cup couldn’t be much easier. Here are a few ideas if you want to get creative with the base recipe:

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Did you craft this cocktail? If so, please rate the recipe below.

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