Around about a year ago now I emailed Barker's of New Zealand about the availability of their Blackcurrant cordial. I am something of a fan of blackcurrant cordial and was dismayed to find that it was (at that time) no longer available in Coles.
They replied back and said that there would be more in the new year of 2017, but to tie me over they wanted to send me a sample box of three of their cordials and that I should review them.
The box arrived a few weeks later much to my surprise there were three full bottles of cordial.
I opened one (the blackcurrant) and tried the other and intended to write a review.
But things got in the way and now I realised that they're about to pass their best before dates so I thought I had better write something about them.
Barker's Squeezed Blackcurrants
I quite like blackcurrant cordial, I grew up drinking Ribena.
Latterly I have been trying to cut back my soft drink intake (I'm also not much of an alcohol drinker), first it was cutting cutting back the coke and instead lemonade, then got rid of that for a Soda Stream and their flavour liquid stuff.
Then early in 2017 I cut that out and went to other things, mostly Barker's Squeezed Blackcurrant cordial.
I had, before finding Barker's tried all the others that are available in Australian supermarkets; Ribena, Cascade Blackcurrant cordial, Coles Brand Blackcurrant and Bickfords' Blackcurrant cordial.
Ribena, while I had enjoyed it for a long time, but had found it a little too sweet.
I had switched to Cascade's blackcurrant cordial for a time, and for a long time that was my go-to blackcurrant cordial, it wasn't as sweet as Ribena and it was Australian made. But then when Cascade was sold to Coke, something in the recipe was changed and it became more sweet than it had been and I started looking for another blackcurrant cordial.
Then I found Barker's, which tastes like blackcurrants. Which is as it should be for a blackcurrant cordial, but it's surprisingly hard to find one that isn't overpoweringly sweet.
Barker's isn't as sweet as the other blackcurrant cordials and it genuinely tastes like blackcurrants; with their tart earthiness coming through in the drink.
I drink the Barker's Squeezed Blackcurrants practically every day, it's my go to cool drink.
In the winter, later at night if I want a hot drink and don't want a cup of tea, a little bit of Barker's Squeezed Blackcurrants in a mug with some hot water makes a great late evening drink. Making it with hot water, rather than cold brings out flavours in it that you scarcely notice when you make it with cold water.
The photo is not of that free bottle they sent me, that's one of about 10 bottles that I have in the cupboard, just so I don't run out of it.
Barker's Redcurrant with Cranberry & Pomegranate
This was the other cordial I tried when I first got that box of three free bottles a year ago, and I tried it a couple of times and it's sat in the fridge until now, when I tipped it out as it had just about passed its best before date.
The smell of it, didn't inspire confidence, it had something of an air of 'hand washing liquid'.
The taste wasn't amazing. It was dominated by the cranberry, the red currants gave a sharp tartness to the flavour. It I had to say where the pomegranate flavour was it was probably in the aftertaste of the cordial.
Barker's Lemon with Lime Cucumber & Mint
This is less bad than the cranberry cordial. It again is mostly dominated by the lemon and lime. Again the finish sort of has the vague hint of cucumber, I'm not sure the mint is really present.
If the mint is present it's more for a sort of lingering coolness than really defined 'mintiness'. It's certainly a more adult sort of flavour, but I think it'd be more interesting as an additive to a cocktail or even a mocktail rather than being a flavour on its own.
In summing up I wholly recommend Barker's Squeezed Blackcurrants - Premium Crafted Cordial.
It is a little more expensive than the likes of Ribena, because it's a premium product. It comes in a glass bottle, the Barker's logo embossed on the bottle. The label even has a feel of having thought and time considered upon it, it's not a plastic label like some cordial.
I also think that blackcurrant it an under appreciated flavour, its tartness, its...sharp flavour is one that seldom turns up in drinks. Of the non-alcoholic drinks that are available, many, plenty are *sweet* but few are more complex than that. Certainly you can select something citrus-based, which will deliver a sharp tart hit of flavour without descending into overt sweetness (especially something like grapefruit juice). Outside of the citrus-based drinks are only a few 'other fruit' based cordials or drinks of similar ilk. Blackcurrant fills this space very well, being a flavour that is not present in a lot of foods sold in Australia, but is still familiar and welcoming.
Update 2019: Coles now no longer sell Barker’s, but you (and I do) buy direct from their Australian website if in Australia.
Update 2023: It now appears Barker’s Australian website stocks their cordials under two different headings. “Premium Mixers”; Blood Orange, Lime & Bitters. NZ Apple & Elderflower. Pink Grapefruit & Lemon. Lemon, Lime, Cucumber & Mind. And “Classic Fruit syrups”: NZ Blackcurrants. Lite Lime & Barley. Orange & Barley with Passionfruit.