Vimto is a British soft drink that was invented in 1908 and is still going strong today. It was originally marketed as a health tonic and sold with the promise it would increase “Vim and Vigour.” These days, it’s advertised in a manner that tries to push it across as a trendy/exciting, refreshing drink.
Is Vimto trendy? I wouldn’t like to say. Although I don’t know anyone who drinks it, a lot of people obviously like it. If there was no market for it, Vimto would have disappeared from the shelves a long time ago. If you are visiting the UK and get the chance, it’s a soft drink you might want to try.
Although Vimto is now apparently available in many different countries, I don’t remember seeing it for sale in any of the supermarkets I’ve been to in Europe. However, I can’t say I ever made a point of looking for it. Vimto failed to impress me as a child, so I never bothered seeking it out when I grew older. I prefer dandelion and burdock. It’s got a more distinctive taste. I crave it occasionally. Especially on hot, sunny days. I’ve never been hit with cravings for Vimto.
My Vimto Taste Test
It’s probably 40 years since I last tasted Vimto. That’s such a long time I couldn’t even remember what the drink tastes like so I bought some today. I was curious to see if I’d been missing anything over the past few decades and bought three different versions to see how they compare.
I bought a can of standard fizzy Vimto, a small bottle of fizzy Vimto Zero (the low-calorie option) and a bottle of Vimto Still. Then I tasted them one by one and, do you know what? Blah! Give me a glass of dandelion and burdock any day.
Vimto has a fruity flavour but, in my opinion, it’s nothing special. As I held it in my mouth the predominant flavour was blackcurrant. I could also taste a little grape coming through.
I didn’t notice a lot of difference between the two carbonated versions—normal and low-calorie Vimto. Neither one managed to impress me much, but Vimto Still had a little more flavour, so perhaps the presence of the gas in the other two versions took something away.
The supermarket also had some large bottles of Vimto cordial. If I was going to give Vimto another chance, that’s probably what I’d buy because it would allow me to make a drink with a stronger taste. However, all things considered, if I were buying cordial, I’d be more likely to purchase a bottle of Robinsons Apple and Blackcurrant Squash. In my opinion, it has a better flavour.
But don’t let me put you off. If you have never tasted Vimto, it’s a British soft drink you may want to try. I don’t rate it highly, but you might be one of the many people who do. The only way to find out is to taste it and see.
If reading this blog post encourages you to try Vimto, please leave a comment and share your opinion. I’d be interested to learn what you think.
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