Pimm’s No. 1, as it is now called, is a one of a kind liqueur that was first produced in 1823 England as a digestive aid and has been used ever since to make the easy drinking summer cocktail known as the Pimm’s Cup. Known as the official drink of Wimbledon, Pimm’s has been a bar shelf mainstay for decades overseas, but in today’s trendy cocktail-crazy Music City landscape, it has become one of the latest go-to ingredients guaranteed to keep the drinks flying out of the well. Nashville’s au courant crowd will recognize three places among countless others in the city taking advantage of Pimm’s swell of popularity in the South. If you aren’t in the know already, pay attention. It’s getting warm out there and you’re going to want to try these. The folks mentioned below are doing Pimm’s right, and in highly creative ways.
Pinewood Social
The Venus Rosewater, named after the women’s Wimbledon trophy, is a Pimm’s Cup variation created by mixologist Matt Tocco who was first introduced to Pimm’s while curating the cocktail list at The Patterson House in midtown. “We always had a variation of the Pimm’s Cup on the menu,” Tocco said. “And the drinks with Pimm’s in them are always right up there with the best sellers.” What makes Pinewood’s Venus Rosewater unique is its use of a locally sourced beer. Tennessee Brew Works, located just minutes away, provides Southern Wit, a wheat beer Tocco uses to top the drink.
“I wanted to do a Pimm’s Cup with Framboise (a Belgian-style brew with a fruity, cider-like dryness and slightly sour finish) but since we didn’t really find a Framboise we wanted to put on draft I used a roundabout way to approach the idea. Southern Wit isn’t a lambic, but it is a Belgian wheat beer, and it’s made with saison yeast so you get a peppery quality. We use that to top the beer.” The cocktail itself is refreshing and features gin, Pimm’s, fresh raspberries, Saigon cinnamon and lemon in addition to the local brew.