Vimto

Homemade Vimto Cordial

A homemade British cordial inspired by the iconic Vimto — a sweet, fruity syrup of grapes, raspberries, and blackcurrants blended with botanical essences. Diluted with water and ice, it makes a refreshingly nostalgic drink.

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Serves

Makes about 750 ml (≈ 25 fl oz) concentrate, enough for roug

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) blackcurrants, fresh or frozen
• •150 g (5¼ oz) red grapes, seedless, halved
• •100 g (3½ oz) raspberries, fresh or frozen
• •400 g (14 oz (about 2 cups)) granulated sugar
• •250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) water, for the syrup base
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• •5 ml (1 tsp) malic acid, optional — adds the characteristic tart 'zing' of commercial Vimto; citric acid can be used as a substitute
• •1 g (about ¼ tsp) ground cinnamon
• •0.5 g (⅛ tsp) ground cloves
• •0.5 g (⅛ tsp) ground coriander, an unexpected but classic Vimto-style botanical note
• •2 ml (½ tsp) vanilla extract

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the blackcurrants, grapes, and raspberries; pick over and discard any stems or bruised fruit.
2. 2 Combine the blackcurrants, grapes, raspberries, and 250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the fruit has completely broken down and softened.
3. 3 Strain the fruit pulp through a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with muslin into a clean saucepan, pressing firmly to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids.
4. 4 Add the sugar, lemon juice, malic acid (if using), cinnamon, cloves, and ground coriander to the strained juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
5. 5 Raise the heat and bring the syrup to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5–8 minutes, until the liquid has reduced slightly and thickened into a glossy syrup. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
6. 6 Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature — it will thicken further as it cools.
7. 7 Transfer the cooled syrup to a sterilised glass bottle or jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
8. 8 TO SERVE: Pour about 60 ml (¼ cup) of concentrate into a tall glass, top with 200–250 ml (about 1 cup) of cold water, and add plenty of ice. Stir well. For a fizzy version, use sparkling water; for the traditional Vimto 'cream soda' style, top with lemonade.