Over the years, I had gradually been going off squash drinks. From being young and drinking nothing but, I guess I got bored with them, and preferred the more tasty drinks of Fruit Juices and Fizzy Drinks. It was eventually at the point, where I drank nothing but Tea, Orange Juice, or fizzy drinks, squash was for the emergencies - when there was nothing else to have.

But then, Mum bought a bottle of Vimto. It sat on the kitchen side, unopened, untested by anyone in the family. I tried it out of curiosity, I mean, I like the fizzy version, which I had been enjoying for years.
First off, Vimto Juice Drink comes in two varieties, the normal, and no added sugar, the latter being much healthier, due to the lower sugar content. They can both be bought from all major supermarkets in two bottle sizes, either the large (2 Litre) for around £2 (ASDA) and the smaller, 750ml bottle. It tends to work out better buying the large bottles, but I know that when there have been offers on in Tesco, it can be cheaper getting two smaller bottles.

As a squash drink, you obviously need to dilute it. I like mine pretty strong, so that it has a good Vimto taste, and so use quite a bit compared to how much I would use of other squash drinks, however that is down to personal taste, and I know people enjoy it with less too.
It certainly tastes like it's fizzy counterpart, and after I first tried it, it became a regular drink for me. It is nice and sweet, and certainly refreshing when made with cold water. The only thing I do find however, is that, perhaps because I make it so strong, it does rather fill me up, and can be a little sickly if I drink too much of it. I have also tried the No Added Sugar version, and while it is clearly healthier, I do not like it. The taste is too dry for me, and it is not anywhere near as thirst quenching.

A Bit more About Vimto
The juice is actually made from Grapes, Raspberries and Blackcurrants, and I haven't seen a similar alternative on the market. The Vimto Brand spans a number of different products, from Ice Lollies, sweets and of course the fizzy, still and cordial drinks.
Originally called Vim Tonic, it was created in the village of Timperley, Manchester in 1908, by a medicine and spice salesman, John Nichols, whom saw, due to the temperance movement, the drinks market rapidly opening up for Soft Drinks. It is still made in Britain, in both Derbyshire and Yorkshire, as well as being produced in Saudi Arabi and Yeman, it is apparently the most popular drink during Ramadan...

Different Ways to Enjoy
Other the time I have been drinking Vimto, I have discovered a number of different ways to enjoy the drink. First off, is using sparkling water. This I found when I was working in a pub, and used to bring a bottle of Vimto with me, then used the sparking water to make the fizzy Vimto. Cheap and easy - I should think this would work well if you bought bottles of Sparking water too.
Second up, is in Orange Juice, while this isn't that amazing, it's something my elder brother does. He puts a bit of the cordial in the glass and uses Orange Juice instead of water, it is quite nice.

Get a bottle of Smirnoff Ice, and add some Vimto. It tastes a bit like the Fruit Pastel Ice Lollies, and is much nicer than the standard drink.
Like Strongbow and Black? Or any other cider and blackcurrant drinks? Since starting Uni, I realised that I couldn't afford to keep drinking Magners, since it costs so much more than cheaper alternatives. The problem, though, was that I can't stand the taste of Strongbow. Problem solved by simply adding some Vimto - which then makes it taste lovely!

Having a quick read up on Wikipedia, it says that a hot version, made by adding Hot Water is "very popular in this form throughout Manchester". I dunno if it is exactly true, and I certainly haven't seen anyone drinking it like this whilst being here, but it does sound interesting, and I will give it a go sometime.