Trying Two Popular Retro Drinks
31st December 2024 - New Experience Number 52.
I raised a glass of two popular retro drinks to welcome in 2025; a Babycham and a Snowball.
My final new thing of 2024 was a relatively easy one in terms of a ‘challenge’, but it was still something I’d never tried before. So it absolutely counts towards my 52 new things in the year.
The History of Babycham - Popular Retro Drinks
Babycham was a drink that was particularly popular in the 60s and 70s, but it actually stemmed from the 1940s.
It was made by the Showerings family in Shepton Mallet, just down the road from Glastonbury, in Somerset. They were originally a beer and apple cider company.
Drinks For The Girls
After the end of World War 2, drinking culture shifted. No longer was the pub the domain of men. Women were now visiting drinking establishments more freely, although their choice of tipple was still quite limited.
Back then it was considered unladylike for women to drink beer or spirits. Instead, They generally sipped on port and lemon, stout, or, as they celebrated the end of the war, they would frequently order champagne.
Spotting this change in behaviour, Herbert Showering saw an opportunity.
Coupled with a realisation that many of the orchards where they bought apples for the cider also produced pears, he decided to create a sparkling pear based drink for women.
The Origin Of The Name
It was originally called Champagne De La Poire, which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, especially when being ordered in a noisy pub. A new name was needed. Despite hours throwing ideas around with an advertising agency, it was actually one of the factory workers who stumbled on the name.
At the time, the sparkling pear drink was being produced in two sizes of bottles. The larger 750ml bottles were referred to by the production staff as the ‘Big Cham’, and the smaller bottles were called, yep, you’ve guessed it, ‘Baby Cham’. The name stuck.
Marketing
Babycham was the first advert for alcohol that was shown on TV in the UK. It was also the second ever advert shown on television, following a commercial for toothpaste.
Glasses in pubs in the 1950s were quite limited. Aside from a pint glass, there wasn’t much choice as to what a drink could be served in. The Showerings brothers spotting another marketing opportunity, decided to create a special glass just for their Babycham, and so the classic glass was born.
The iconic deer on the label was inspired by the Chinese Water Deer, and features across all of the merchandise.
Babycham seemed to drop in popularity in the 90s, when it was sold to Accolade wines. However, it’s been bought back by the Showerings, and is being given a new lease of life.
Trying A Babycham - Popular Retro Drinks
Pouring the fizzy little number, (not into an official glass I’m sad to say), the bubbles made it feel like a drink for a celebration. It looked crisp and clear and refreshing.
I really wanted to like Babycham; I loved the story behind it, and the sparkle and sense of occasion. However, it was a little too sweet for me. As a non-cider drinker, it was too much like cider to my taste. I’m also not all that keen on pears, so I should have known it probably wasn’t really going to please my palate.
That said, it was an absolute joy to try. I can imagine the excitement this would have brought at a time when there was less choice in drinks, and the elegance it gave to women who were carving out their place in the pub.
The Snowball Cocktail - Popular Retro Drinks
Unlike Babycham, which is a unique brand in its own right, the Snowball is a cocktail not claimed by one particular company.
You’ll find many versions of it on sale, especially over the festive period. Alternatively, it’s really easy to make it yourself.
There’s less known about the history of this retro drink, although it was apparently first concocted in the 1940s in Britain, and had a surge in popularity in the 1970s.
What’s In A Snowball?
A traditional Snowball consists of Advocaat, lemonade and lime. Shaken together it creates a white foamy head which is where the name Snowball is thought to have come from according to sources such as Frobishers.
There are many variations on the theme, and some contain more brandy, others substitute champagne for lemonade, and there are many ways you can get creative if you mix it up yourself.
It’s often topped off with a cherry, which makes it feel even more retro to me.
What On Earth Is Advocaat?
It’s a smooth alcoholic liqueur made with brandy, sugar, and egg yolks which gives it the distinctive yellowy custard colour.
If you’ve never tried it before, drinking eggs doesn’t particularly sound appealing, but it’s a surprisingly pleasant, creamy and sweet drink.
Trying A Snowball- Popular Retro Drinks
I didn’t have the cherry garnish to top off this surprisingly delicious cocktail, but it was sweet enough without.
Rather than making my own, I had a pre-mixed bottle to enjoy. It looked smooth, creamy and pale, and perhaps I hadn’t shaken it enough as there wasn’t much of a foam head to it.
I hadn’t expected to enjoy the Snowball as much as I did. Smooth and velvety to drink, the taste was sweet, with a slightly tangy undertone from the lime.
It was much more refreshing than I had anticipated, and not as heavy as some creamy drinks can be. In fact, it was very quaffable, and I will definitely be mixing up some of these again.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- I picked up the Babycham and the Snowball in high street store B&M.
- They don’t seem to stock them all year around. It’s worth checking, especially during the festive season, to see what they have got.
- Babycham is available to buy directly from the Babycham website.
- You can always mix your own Snowball. BBC Good Food have a simple recipe for a Classic Snowball.
- Keep your eyes peeled next time you go shopping to see if there are any retro drinks you could try.
Cost Of Experience
- A four pack of either Snowball or Babycham, will cost around £5, depending on where you shop. It works out at just over £1 a bottle.
- If you buy the ingredients to make your own Snowball, it will cost around £17, and you’d be able to make a lot of cocktails.
Recommendations
- Celebrate. Why not try some popular retro drinks the next time you’re having an occasion?
- Prepare your ice. Remember to fill up your ice cube trays so you can serve your drinks on the rocks.
- Get creative. Add your own twists to these old classics and make your own delicious drinks.
- Let me know how you get on. If you try either of these, I’d love to know what you think. Let me know if there are any other retro drinks I could try.