Drinking Pimm’s

Last Sunday, while scanning the brunch menu of New Orleans’ famed Cafe Atchafalaya I found a drink I had never heard of, Pimm’s Cup. After inquiring, the Eastern European waitress informed me in slightly broken English that it was a rum mixture. Subsequent research proved her wrong, but the drink stands alone on its unique and savory taste.

Wikipedia provides a little history on the man behind this infusion.

Pimm’s was invented in 1823, by James Pimm, a farmer’s son from Kent who became the owner of an oyster bar in the City of London, near the Bank of England. Pimm offered the tonic, (a gin-based drink containing quinine and a secret mixture of herbs) as an aid to digestion, serving it in a small tankard known as a ‘No.1 Cup’, hence its subsequent name. Pimm’s began large-scale production in 1851 to keep up with sales to other bars. The distillery began selling it commercially in 1859 using hawkers on bicycles. In 1865 Pimm sold the business and the right to use his name to Frederick Saywer. In 1880 the business was acquired by future Mayor of London Horatio Davies and a chain of Pimm’s Oyster Houses was franchised in 1887.

I’m not quite sure how readily available this stuff is, but rest assured, it’ll be poured on my official New Orleans debriefing session.