Heard about non-alcoholic CORDIALS, but have no idea what they are? In this article, we explain what is cordial drink, plus some non-alcoholic cordial drink examples in the USA.
Cordial. Cordial. Cordial. It is one of those ambiguous words that mean so many different things to different people. You can express cordiality towards someone, or you can drink cordial. When you drink cordial it could be a strong alcoholic drink, or an innocuous children’s party drink. Ah, the confusion.
So, if you’re scratching your head wondering ‘what is cordial drink?’ then we’re here to help. In this article, we explain what we mean by non-alcoholic cordial to clear some of the confusion, and perhaps inspire you to try some of this beverage for yourself. We’ll walk you through a few cordial drink examples, and explain how cordial compares against fruit syrups and Kool-Aid.
Warning: Non-alcoholic cordials are almost non-existent in the USA. But they are awesome, so be prepared to have your mind expanded.
What is cordial drink?
Ok, I’m not going to lie, this is a little complicated. That’s because the term ‘cordial’ can mean different things to different people in different parts of the world. And in the USA, you don’t have a mainstream version of the non-alcoholic cordial drink I’m talking about, so it’s going to be a little like trying to describe a new color to someone who hasn’t seen it. But I will try.
Also, terminology for sweet drinks has evolved independently in different countries, and the similar spelling of some descriptions can be confusing. While cordial may mean one thing to US residents, it is quite a different drink to UK residents. Like how Coke and Pepsi are called soda pop in the USA, but they are called soft drink in the UK and Australia… confusing, yes.
This quick definition guide should clarify cordial drink meanings:
Cordial drink meaning
Broadly speaking, there are two types of cordial drinks:
- Alcoholic cordial drinks (USA)
- Non-alcoholic cordial drinks (UK, Europe, Australia)
UK, Europe, Australia
In the UK, Europe and Australia, Cordial is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage made from sugar, water and one or more flavouring agents, such as whole fruit, nuts, herbs or spices. Non-alcoholic cordial is generally called Fruit Syrup in the USA.
Cordial is very widespread in Australia where I’m from, where it is a common drink for children and many households have at least 1-2 bottles of Cordial in the kitchen.
USA
In the USA, cordial usually refers to an alcoholic drink, for example, Limoncello or Cherry Brandy. In the UK, Europe and Australia, these alcoholic drinks are considered Liqueurs.
On this website we are focused on the non-alcoholic type of Cordial, not the alcoholic one.
Other similar non alcoholic drinks
Fruit Juice – is the extracted, often concentrated pure fruit juice, sometimes with added sugar and water. It is the same thing in USA, UK, Europe and Australia.
Squash – is made from water, sweetener, or sugar, about 5-10% fruit juice, fruit flavorings, preservatives, and often natural colors such as anthocyanin or beta carotene. Squash is popular in the UK, Australia and other Commonwealth countries but is virtually unknown in Europe and the USA. In Australia, it is almost indistinguishable from soda pop / soft drink, except that it contains real fruit juice rather than artificial flavors.
Carbonated drinks (soda pop, soft drink) – are often flavoured with fruit, herbs, and spices and diluted with water before being carbonated. Brand names such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are known the world over.
What is cordial drink in the USA (non-alcoholic)?
In the USA, the closest thing to non-alcoholic Cordial is Fruit Syrup.
So, why don’t we just call them fruit syrups?
Well, that’s because fruit syrups and cordials are a little different, and not exactly the same.
The truth is, in the USA, you don’t really have non-alcoholic ‘Cordial’ as we know it in UK, Europe and Australia. The purpose of this website (and this article) is to introduce you to this wondrous beverage and expand your drink-making repertoire. But first, let’s wrap our heads around this drink.
Cordial vs Fruit Syrup vs Kool-Aid
What is Cordial drink compared with Fruit Syrup?
- Fruit Syrup is like a Cordial, but only uses fruit juice as the flavoring agent.
- Cordial has a more intense flavor than Fruit Syrup, because the flavor is extracted from the whole fruit (eg orange juice and orange zest).
What is Cordial drink compared to Kool-Aid?
After Fruit Syrup, the next closest equivalent beverage to Cordial is Kool-Aid. However, Kool-Aid is a powder, while cordial is a thick concentrated liquid. Other than that, they are quite similar; you mix both with water to create a sweet and vibrant drink.
In my opinion, powdered drinks like Kool-Aid taste weird and have an unpleasant preservative sting (too much food acid, I think). By comparison, Cordials taste more natural and smooth.
Cordial drink examples
Below are some brands and cordial drink examples that are available in the USA. While several of these are not precisely what I’d consider non-alcoholic Cordial drink, they are very similar. These are all very fancy and boutique brands, and therefore are quite expensive for what they are, but making your own cordial is very easy once you get the basic technique down. I suggest buying bottle to try and if you like it, learn to make your own.
Rose’s Lime Cordial
I have not personally tried this, but from what I hear this is a typical cordial that US residents will be able to find from specialty stores, so pick up a bottle and give it a try if you’re curious.
Belvoir Cordials
Like the Roses Lime Cordial, this is another one that US residents can find in specialty stores, that will give you the closest experience to a typical Cordial, as we know it in UK, Australia and Europe.
Bottle Green Drinks – Cordials
Unlike the other two cordials listed above, this one is more widely available in the USA and available in several flavors. This will give you a taste of a typical Cordial, and is worth trying out to see if cordials and cordial-making is to your taste.
Link: https://www.bottlegreendrinks.com/cordials/
French Monin (Hazelnut, Chocolate, Coffee etc)
Generally known as coffee syrups, the French Monin brand of syrups are similar to what I’d consider ‘Cordial’, but not quite the same. I have the Monin Irish Cream and Hazelnut at home, which are lovely. However, I would personally only use this in coffees and milkshakes. I suppose you could try diluting it with water and drinking it the same way as a Cordial if you really wanted, although that is not how it is intended to be used.
Link: https://monin1912.com/
Grenadine
Grenadine is a pomegranate-flavored fruit syrup that is used in cocktails. Again, you generally wouldn’t dilute this with water to drink as is, but the syrup texture is very similar to non-alcoholic Cordial.
Other non-alcoholic cordial drink examples in the USA:
How to enjoy non-alcoholic cordial
The cordial is usually diluted with water for drinking.
Mix the Cordial with 1:10 cordial to water (or more if you like it sweet) in a tall glass, and drink cold.
Here are some other serving suggestions:
- Dilute with still water or mineral water, served in a tall glass with ice.
- Use as a mixer for alcoholic drinks e.g. gin and lime cordial for a gimlet
- Use as a cocktail and mocktail ingredient to add sweetness and flavour.
- Sparingly in savoury dishes and salad dressings for fruit or nut flavour.
- To sweeten and add texture to a fruit salad.
- Add to milkshakes and smoothies for flavor and sweetness.
You can also make your own custom soda pop flavors, simply by mixing cordial with carbonated soda water.
What is cordial drink made from?
Non-alcoholic cordials are basically a flavored simple syrup, consisting of sugar, water, flavoring agents and food acid.
Cordials contain enough sugar so that when they are diluted, often by 1:10 parts of cordial to water, the resulting drink is still sweet enough. In a fruit cordial the fruit juice element will also come with its own natural fructose sugar content.
During home and commercial manufacture either citric acid or tartaric acid is added to act as a preservative but to also give tartness and heighten the flavour of the added ingredients.
Overview of cordial making process:
- Sugar and water combined. The sugar is dissolved in the measured quantity of water, which is heated until boiling. This sugar syrup is the basis for all cordial.
- Flavors and food acids added. The main flavouring ingredients are added to the cordial syrup along with either citric acid or tartaric acid as a preservative. Certain fruits which are slower to release their flavour, such as soft fruit like blackcurrant or raspberries, as well as quinces and crab-apples, can be cooked in a steamer to intensify their flavour.
- Flavors are left to infuse in the cordial. The syrup is left to cool overnight, as the ingredients transfer their flavour to the syrup.
- Cordial is bottled. The cold syrup is sieved through a fine sieve and bottled.
We hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of what is cordial drink, and that you know feel inspired to try it for yourself.
When you’re ready to try making cordial yourself, check out our detailed cordial recipe and instructions here or learn more about herbal elixirs here.
