Source for natural cordials in US

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Not a Brit, a Canadian, but I figured you guys were the people to ask. I have a very deep and abiding love of cordials, but not the ones that are 'squash' that you typically find in the British sections of grocery stores. I'm talking about small batch 'drinking syrups' that you add to a bit of water or sparkling water and end up with something incredibly delicious. Often I drink things like all natural ginger syrups or lemon ones. I hate the flavour of artificial flavours.

I've gone googling, but in the US, cordial seems to mean something different (alcoholic) and drink syrup just takes me to the kinds of syrup they put in your coffee at starbucks--very artificial.

Has anyone found an online source for cordials in the US? In Canada, I find it at small groceries occasionally, the local food ones, but I also can order online--only no one making them seems to ship to the US.

[N&S 32]

Haven't looked for any personally, but I would try wholefoods for natural/organic food. Also, have you considered just using fruit juices (I'm quite partial to cherry - if it's real cherry juice) or to making your own cordials to control what's going into it? Quick google got me:

http://clairekcreations.com/2013/08/lemon-cordial/

http://www.marthastewart.com/316649/homemade-ginger-cordial

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/531660/homemade-elderflower-cordial

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/01/make-your-own-blackcurrant-cordial

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

I will make them myself if I can't find them. I've done it before and I'll probably do it again for really special flavours. It's just time consuming and I always make a mess, so I'd rather buy at least the ones I use very often like ginger. It's sort of like my feeling on peanut brittle. It's delicious and I love it and I can and have made a lot of it in my life, but generally I am willing to pay someone else to do the work and deal with the cleanup.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

We have Ribena Blackcurrant Concentrate in our grocery. Don't know if that is a cordial or squash. Not familiar with either term, except the liquor cordials.

[Sukie 1,465]

I really think cordials are a Commonwealth thing. My partner is Australian, and had to teach me what a "cordial" was. She says "Kor-dee-ul" and I say "Kor-Jull". Cordials are a concept with which I am not familiar as an American (especially as a Southern American). We don't seem (in my experience) to just have the flavoring to which you add water, fizzy water, or other goodies.

Best of luck in finding your goodies!

Sukie in NY

[Gary & Aubrey 23]

In Minnesota, cordials are cherries and juice dipped in chocolate. I was confused until halfway through your first post. xD

[yuna628 9,700]

Ribena of course is the only thing I know as a sort of non-alcoholic cordial from my time in the UK, though I consider it more like a squash myself, and it's not something you can find on my side of America unless it's from an import shop. And yes, cordials here are more the sort of the alcoholic kind. To me a Snakebite is like an American cordial or a UK cider and black. I imagine you would consider Ribena to be a squash as well, so it's probably not what you're looking for. I'm not even sure Schweppes Rose Lime Cordial is sold here.. if it is, it's probably alcoholic. Have you tried cocktail mixes like Fee Brothers (it's old fashioned and no alcohol) or Amoretti?

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Ribena of course is the only thing I know as a sort of non-alcoholic cordial from my time in the UK, though I consider it more like a squash myself, and it's not something you can find on my side of America unless it's from an import shop. And yes, cordials here are more the sort of the alcoholic kind. To me a Snakebite is like an American cordial or a UK cider and black. I imagine you would consider Ribena to be a squash as well, so it's probably not what you're looking for. I'm not even sure Schweppes Rose Lime Cordial is sold here.. if it is, it's probably alcoholic. Have you tried cocktail mixes like Fee Brothers (it's old fashioned and no alcohol) or Amoretti?

I will investigate the Fee Brotehrs and Amoretti.

I haven't moved quite yet, but I'm in that stage where I am trying to determine what things I should buy a bunch of and take with me. Transitioning to a new climate is going to be hard and I'm really prone to dehydration--even in Toronto I usually end up on an IV drip at least once per summer and that costs MUCH more in Texas, obviously--so I want to make sure that I won't be diving into a new environment and being stressed and not able to find familiar things to drink. I've already had a bunch of my favourite iced tea blends shipped to my wife's house in anticipation.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I really miss elderflower cordial! I have had a couple of different cordials from a company called Belvoir Fruit Farms that are lovely -- elderflower and a raspberry and rose. Aaaaaand, you can buy some of them on Amazon, which is handy. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_grocery?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Belvoir&node=16310101

[Darnell 8,479]

Ya, cordials in usa usually have alcohol.

i miss ribena, but if you can find it, other flavors same place.

hints.

1.huge asian market and.

2. Indianmarkets

i see ribena there often.

then get more ethnic, any hispanic grocery has variety of syrups.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Darnell

[Darnell 8,479]

I really think cordials are a Commonwealth thing. My partner is Australian, and had to teach me what a "cordial" was. She says "Kor-dee-ul" and I say "Kor-Jull". Cordials are a concept with which I am not familiar as an American (especially as a Southern American). We don't seem (in my experience) to just have the flavoring to which you add water, fizzy water, or other goodies.

Best of luck in finding your goodies!

Sukie in NY

snow cone syrup very similar in strength and density. Most snow cone syrups are chemical mixes, fwiw.