You are Cordially invited to read this review! (bottlegreen elderflower cordial) (Bottle Green Elderflower Cordial)

Member Name: rachelwestall

Product:	Bottle Green Elderflower Cordial
Date:	31/05/09 (215 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Made from natural ingredients.

Disadvantages: Pricey if not bought on offer

I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of squash or fruit flavoured drinks. So on a warm summer's day, if I don't fancy water (or wine, or maybe a Pimms, or.....) what can I drink to quench my thirst?

Not so long ago I was introduced to 'bottlegreen' elderflower cordial, and this for me, is the quintessential English summer drink.

~Who are 'bottle green'?~

Bottle green are a relatively new company that began in 1989. The factory is situated in a tiny village in the heart of the Cotswolds. Elderflower Cordial was the companies first product and they now produce a range of wonderful soft drinks, sorbets and lollies.

"At bottlegreen we strive to capture the essence of the countryside in a range of exquisitely flavoured soft drinks."

They began by selling to local delis and farmers' markets and Waitrose. Now you can find their products on the shelves of most high street supermarkets.

~Elderflower Cordial~

is a .. " cordial made from hand-picked elderflowers." Sounds simple!

It contains; sugar, Cotswold spring water, elderflowers, citric acid (Preservative: Sulphur Dioxide) There are no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners.

You can use the cordial in exactly the same way as fruit squashes. Mixing 1 part cordial to 10 parts water is recommended. A 500ml bottle will make 5.5 litres.

The cordial comes in a lovely dark green, screw topped bottle ,with a picture of - you guessed it- a sprig of elderflower on the front. When you open the bottle the smell is strong but not overpowering. The aroma is most definitely of elderflowers. Although it contains sugar and the cordial is quite syrupy this is not an overly sweet drink. The flavour of the cordial is intense and you therefore only need a dash of it mixed with water (or something else!). As it has no artificial colours, it is a clear liquid. It can be drunk hot or cold.

It costs about £2.89 a bottle but I always buy it when it's on offer and store the bottles. It only needs to be kept refrigerated after it has been opened.

~What to do on a Lazy Summer Evening~

If you're driving ....

..dilute the cordial with ice cold spring water, still or sparkling. This is really refreshing. Over the summer months I keep a bottle of diluted elderflower cordial in my fridge. It's all ready to offer visitors and I think it sounds a little more classy to offer a glass of elderflower cordial rather than saying ' do you want a glass of squash'?!

Poor mans Shloer! Our kids love Shloer, but this is so expensive, especially as recently the bottle size has been reduced but the price hasn't. So in these credit crunching times we've made up our own version which our kids call - Poor Man's Shloer! Basically you dilute bottlegreen cordial with lemodade (we usually use diet) and lots of ice. This makes a much sweeter drink, but it's still great. I would suggest you experiment with the amount of cordial you add as it can taste quite strong. Also make sure you mix the drink well otherwise the cordial sits at the bottom of the jug or glass.

If you're not driving......

..try adding a dash of cordial to a glass of champagne. Makes those summer evenings go with a fizz!

I have used the cordial and champagne to make 'grown up jellies' too. Very sophisticated!

~Would I reccommend it?~

Most definitely yes! This refreshing 'grown up' drink is perfect to quench your thirst and to impress your friends!

Summary: A versatile cordial, suitable for grown ups (and kids, if they have to!)