Please note that Phillips of Bristol Cordials have now been discontinued.
The brand owners of Phillips of Bristol have discontinued all of the Phillips products. They are no longer available.
J R Phillips was once Bristol’s oldest wine merchant was started in 1739. In 1804 the company took on a new accountant, James Rouquet Phillips, later to become a partner. In 1825, James George sold the firm, now known as JR Phillips, to his partner, who together with his sons, William and Augustus, built up a best- selling line – Old English cordials.
Phillips Cordials are now available in seven flavours – Pink cloves, Lovage, White Peppermint, Aniseed, Grenadine and Shrub – they are now mainly used in cocktails or for mixers with spirits. Phillips of Bristol Cordials were originally produced as medication – and for the prevention of illness on long sea voyages – these included lime juice (for the prevention of scurvy), celery-flavoured lovage (for rheumatism) and shrub, a potent mixture of juices and alcohol guaranteed to keep colds at bay. The Phillips of Bristol range has recently been repackaged with a new bottle shape, to emphasis the heritage of the medicine shaped bottle, and a new label focusing on the Clifton Suspension bridge, where it all began back in 1739.
Lovage is probably the most popular of cordials range and mostly used for mixing with brandy for Brandy and Lovage which is a great winter warmer. Many people swear by this as a cure for indigestion, indeed, historically Lovage codial was taken to settle an upset stomach and was sold in inns until the early 18th century. Lovage is the tall, herbaceous, perennial plant that is used to flavour this cordial and is native to Europe and southwestern Asia.
Shrub is commonly mixed with rum to make a Rum and Shrub. Legend has it that this was a drink developed in the West Country by smugglers who wanted to cover up the taste of sea water in rum from barrels they had smuggled ashore. Shrub can also be drunk neat and is probably still most popular in the West Country.
White Peppermint is great drinks and cooking ingredient, it can be drunk neat, with gin or mixed with rum for a Rum and Pepp. Like the Lovage Cordial, many people swear by this as a great cure for indigestion. Phillips used to produce a Green Peppermint cordial which has since been discontinued. I am informed (I am not sure how reliably) that this is the same as the Green Peppermint without the green colouring.
Phillips Aniseed Cordial is, again, an ideal mixer with rum and gin or vodka. It can also be used in cooking when a hint of aniseed is required.
The Pink Cloves is a pink coloured cordial which tastes of, you guessed it, cloves so, in that respect, it very much does what it says on the tin. This is normally mixed with vodka, gin or rum but it is great in punches and can even be used as an ingredient for desserts, stews and sauces.
Phillips Grenadine cordial is a reddish / pink cordial and mainly used as a cocktail ingredient particularly in Tequila Sunrise, to which it gives the reddish tinge, which I suppose is meant to resemble the sunrise. It can also be added to beer to make a “Grena-beer” or “Christmas Beer”.
