The Pimm’s Royale at Longway Tavern takes inspo from the season.
Lightly effervescent, slightly bitter, with great hints of lime and cucumber—it’s honestly hard to pin down just one thing that makes a Pimm’s Cup such an ideal summer refresher. A traditional Pimm’s Cup also has less alcohol than a normal cocktail, meaning you can sip them all day long.
Pimm’s creation starts way back with James Pimm—a London fishmonger fond of selling his unusual, herbal aperitif at oyster bars along the docks. Since those days in the mid 1800s, his Pimm’s No. 1—with its base of gin—became legendary around the world. A man named Horatio Davies would expand the brand creating the No. 2 and No. 3 liqueurs, using bases of Scotch whisky (No. 2) and brandy (No. 3), but the most reached-for bottle remains the original.
Pimm’s Cup on the lush patio at Copper Vine
Today, you’ll most commonly find Pimm’s No. 1 as the gold-standard for Pimm’s Cups and Pimm’s cup variations. The most famous city for a Pimm’s Cup in America without a doubt is New Orleans.
The best season for them? Summer.
Good thing it lasts nine full months down here, right?
If you can’t get farther than your back porch, we’ve got you covered, too, with three wonderful recipes sourced directly from some of New Orleans’ most illustrious bars and bartenders.
Ahhhh….cheers!