Pimm's No. 1 Cup

The "classic" notes below refer to the drink used in a 1:3 ratio with sparkling lemonade and ice, but no garnishes. Appearance (neat): Bronzed orange-red. Something like the colour of oloroso sherry. Appearance (classic): Pale orange-amber, not unlike the colour of lager, but a little more orange. Aroma (neat): Citrus peel, berries, cherries, a waft of cinnamon. Aroma (classic): Very little. When chilled and diluted it loses presence, but you can still sense a mélange of citrus and faint spices on the nose. Flavour (neat): Citrus peel, a sweet and mild profile with very laid-back herbal and spice notes. There is a gentle bitter tang in the back of the palate that just suggests gin. Altogether it's very much like a diluted amaro. You *could* drink it neat, but it's meant to be the base for a "cup" [punch] and so is specifically designed for dilution. Drinking it neat would be like drinking orgeat or grenadine neat - you could do it, but ... why? Flavour (classico): Finally - the crux of the matter. Fruity and sweet with citrus and cherry flavours just detectable. Maybe a pineapple note? A flutter of its gin heritage is just faintly noticeable. Sweet, but not overly so, and palate-cleansing. Pimm's No.1 is a classic fruit punch base intended as the foundation for long refreshing low-alcohol drinks on a warm afternoon. Whatever mixer you choose (lemonade, ginger ale, soda water, ginger beer, etc.) will stand out, but in the background there always remains a foundation of citrus, delicate spices and herbs. From the starting point of the "classic" sparkling lemonade dilution, the only limitation on how to use Pimm's is you own imagination. It will combine well with almost anything except dairy products, and has a natural affinity for anything else that contains citrus or some other tart or sour notes. Ginger beer and a dash of grenadine works very well and you can go crazy with garnishes. I call my own preferred way to take it a "Pimm's Ricky" (although there is no bourbon). I use the classic 1:3 dilution ratio but employ Riccadonna instead of soft-drink. Riccadonna is an inexpensive, low-alcohol (7%) sweet Asti spumante and it works spectacularly well with Pimm's No. 1. Some folk say that the only way to take Pimm's is with champagne (a "Pimm's and Bolly") but I've always thought champagne is too dry to pair well with it. Spumante or a sweet prosecco works better. Great stuff, well worth the money. You will be amazed how quickly you will go through a bottle of this. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars) By the way, @Distiller - this product listing should be moved to the "Other" category, now that it exists. Pimm's is not a liqueur by any stretch of the imagination.

Rating: 12/23 N: Some ethanol and herbal bitterness going on here. P: Not the most syrupy, but there's sweet fruitiness as well as some herbal bitterness that could be driven by orange peel or bergamot (so maybe not technically all herbal). The bitter herbal flavor reminds me of jaegermeister, but far less assertive, less syrupy, and with fewer herbal layers stacked atop. F: Not the boldest or fullest, but there's lingering fruitiness and bitterness. - Conclusion - This seems like a decent mixer, though probably not a necessary staple. Honestly, Jaegermeister mixed with grenadine would probably substitute just fine. I'm not a big fan of a traditional Pimm's Cup cocktail, so what I'd do with this as a mixer is a bit of a mystery to me. Still, I found that this mixed with bourbon, overproof rum (Hamilton 151), lime juice, rich simple syrup, and (optional) home made grenadine made a pretty sweet cocktail. Rating this is hard. I'm just not that impressed overall. I'm thinking around a 12.

The nose of the liqueur is distinctly citrus based. Lemon comes immediately to the fore, with a hint of lime and other fruits behind it. There is also a very faint breath of spice. On the tongue the drink is sweet with a slow transition into mellow spice. One can distinctly taste the gin base without it overpowering the botanical mix unique to Pimm's. There is a subte spice in the finish that contains a hint of cinnamon (and perhaps anise) Very late in the finish there is an earthy quality to the liqueur that enhances the experience of the fruit and spice in the drink with every new sip. It is excellent poured over ice with lemonade, and I suspect it would be very good in a warm winter cocktail as well.

Tasting neat... which isn't its strength. Deep rose brown and coating legs in the glass. Nose is fruity, bubble gum, floral, sweet. On the palate, floral fruit and citrus, sweet with a hint of bitter in the back--not like an amaro bitter, but the suggestion of one. Light and thin flavors, no ethanol to speak of. Finish shows more bitter and then disappears quickly, leaving a bubblegum aftertaste. It's a flavoring in search of lemon lime soda and ice--a Pimm's Cup--that really shines on a hot day. The original spritz, but much softer than Aperol. That's where it belongs, and where I'm headed on this 95 degree evening.

Drinking straight is not recommended, as it has a consistency and aftertaste of cough medicine. Our family’s Pimm’s Cup includes ginger ale, cucumbers, lemon, mint, and strawberries and is a signature of the summer. Makes for a delicious, refreshing, and not-too-boozy midday drink on a hot day.

A bottle from the BC government liquor store on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. A 2 oz pour into a small snifter, refrigerated aforehand. Eh, sweeter than expected. Okay, maybe better than okay in some cocktails. Neat? It’s ok..just. Sweet, fruity, ever so slightly bitter, mildly pleasant.