Christopher’s Cordials
Travel Distilled tried Christopher’s Cordials, a refreshing soft drink that can be mixed with waters and sodas, or used as a mixer.
When you want a refreshing drink it’s easy to automatically think of a cold beer or a cocktail like a gin and tonic. Think of soft drinks and you probably think of fizzy concoctions in cans and with far too much sugar and additives. No thanks.
But there is an alternative, and a very good one it is too. Tom Parker Bowles and Jolyon Fenwick founded Christopher’s Cordials (I’m not sure who Christopher is) to revive a tradition of making cordials. These can be mixed with sparkling water or soda water, or even still water, to make a delicious, fresh and above all healthy drink.
Christopher’s Cordials are made of 64% pure juice, blended with Kew-certified botanicals, and a dash of organic cane sugar to give a touch of sweetness. And just as importantly, they use no concentrates, sweeteners, colours, preservatives or artificial ingredients.
What Are Cordials?
Cordials were first created by Italian apothecaries during the Renaissance (15th–16th centuries), originally as medicinal elixirs rather than recreational soft drinks. They were designed to invigorate the heart and body, and only later evolved into the soft drinks that we now know as cordials. The very word ‘cordial’ comes from the Latin cor (heart).
Christopher’s Cordials Flavours
Christopher’s Cordials initially come in three flavours, and having now tried them all it’s impossible to choose which I like best. They are all mouth-wateringly delicious, and the three flavours are:
- Blackcurrant & Blueberry
- Gooseberry & Lime
- Sicilian Lemon & Redcurrant
We tried them firstly as recommended, with sparkling water, and they turned even a cheap grocery store sparking water into a refreshing and extremely tasty sparkling soft drink. Even a still water is transformed into something delicious.
Christopher’s Cordials Cocktails
You can also use these cordials as a mixer. They can be used very simply (dash or cordial, soda water, vodka), or for more creative creations. The Christopher’s Cordials website has lots of cocktail recipes, and we especially liked the sound of the Golden Gun cocktail, which combines their Gooseberry and Lime Cordial with sherry, apple juice and some cider brandy or calvados.
We tried our own simple cocktail with tequila – one shot of tequila, one of cordial, then fill the glass with sparkling water. It was excellent!
We do hope that Christopher’s Cocktails produce some more exciting flavours down the line, as these first three are truly exceptional. They’re not cheap, at almost £10 for a 350ml bottle, but cordials are intensely concentrated and you only need a splash to liven up any drink, from plain water to a top-shelf vodka.
More Information
Visit the official website for Christopher’s Cordials.
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