Lavender For Me Please-On The Rocks! (Rocks Organic Lavender Cordial)

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Rocks Organic Lavender Cordial
Date:	08/05/09 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious and 100% natural.

Disadvantages: A bit expensive.

Many years ago I used to buy organic English country wines from a company called Rocks. My grandmother was very much a country lass and she would make everything herself, including elderflower wine, and so when she became too elderly to do it we used to buy from this company, and were always delighted with the quality and the taste.

They began, however, to see a surge in the growth of another area of business which far outstripped the wine demands, and this was for organic cordial, and so gradually the wine production ceased and a new era began.

Based in Berkshire they use high quality organic ingredients for their drinks and you will be amazed at the taste compared to conventional squashes. They never add any artificial ingredients to their products, and being organic the fruit and ingredients used have never seen a pesticide in their life. Everything they produce is made from ingredients which have been grown to the standard of The Soil Association and are certified as being so. They use glass bottles which can be fully recycled, and so by buying this you are helping the environment as well as yourself.

If I had young children I would certainly buy these, and would give them as an occasional treat along with the mainstay of their hydration which would be water. I say this because many squashes contain preservatives such as Sulphur Dioxide which is a known asthma causing chemical, and as we simply don't know the effect these have if consumed in large quantities, they are not in my opinion good for children.
Many diet drinks have ingredients which are artificial to sweeten them and these may not be as safe as we might hope they are. Aspartame and Saccharin are known to have risks but who knows whether these are significant.

It has to be said that all Rocks cordials contain sugar so prudence is necessary if giving these to children (and for that matter to adults too) often.

As well as the well known orange and lemon versions of the cordials Rocks have some innovative and delicious other creations and a favourite of mine is Lavender Cordial.

I buy this from www.goodnessdirect.co.uk and it is currently £2.77 for a 360ml bottle. Inside is organic cane sugar, water, organic blueberry juice from concentrate, organic blackcurrant juice from concentrate, organic lavender (1.3%), and citric acid. and this makes a lovely drink to enjoy all year round. It is Organic, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Yeast Free, Egg Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Nut Free, and Wheat Free.

Last night I sat with a glass of this which I had made with steaming hot water and it was so comforting, and a pleasant change from the blackcurrant cordials which are along the same lines as this in flavour.

The bottle is very attractive and has a lovely lilac label with a picture of lavender in full bloom. You have to refrigerate after opening and use within 3-4 weeks, but in that period you can treat yourself to some really lovely drinks!

Pouring the cordial into a glass reveals a lovely blackcurrant colour and an aroma which is unique. It isn't just lavender, as it is formed by the merging together of the two intense blackcurrant and blueberry juices, which have this summery herby aroma. If you dilute with water or sparking water you have a lovely summery thirst quenching drink which is different and which I think is actually divine.
If you want to get that "ready for a cosy night in" feeling then add some hot water and drink like hot Ribena, delicious- and a million times nicer!
The flavour of this lasts in your mouth for ages afterwards and if you use a clear glass it is the damson colour of a rich glass of sloe gin.

For the dieters it contains 260 calories for about a third of the bottle but as you dilute it this isn't too damaging, I wouldn't think a glass would exceed 50 calories even if you were generous with the product.

I really love this and can't recommend it highly enough. You should probably shake it well before use as it can sometimes have fruit pulp which otherwise settles in the bottle, but other than that it's a lovely drink, hot or cold, and certainly a quintessentially British one with its lavender content.

It's available in major whole-food stores and online retailers, and if you want to try the simple varieties first like the lemon and orange before being too adventurous you can find these in Waitrose.

This review is also posted on Ciao by myself under the user name Violet1278.

www.rocksorganic.com

Summary: Something a little bit different but very enjoyable.