AS summer arrives, sandwich-board signs hawking warm-weather drinks sprout on city sidewalks: sangria, margaritas, daiquiris, mojitos and other coolers born of hot-weather countries. Lately, a fancy standard from less-than-balmy Britain has joined them.

That would be the Pimm’s Cup, a refreshing highball that uses the spicy-sweet British liqueur Pimm’s No. 1 as its bedrock. A decade ago, its inclusion on a summer drinks menu would have been an oddity. But drinkers and bartenders are better schooled today, and more welcoming. As a result, the tea-colored spirit has become almost as common as, well, tea.

At the Anvil Bar & Refuge, a three-year-old cocktail bar in Houston, the Pimm’s Cup is one of the most popular items on the menu.

“It’s a drink that’s turned into an obsession in Houston for some reason,” said Bobby Heugel, the owner.