I’m a booze expert and Babycham isn’t the only classic 70s tipple making a comeback – how many of these have you tried?
FANCY a taste of the Seventies?
With its famous cocktail glasses and instantly recognisable petite green bottles, Babycham was the trendiest drink of the decade.
Now the sparkling perry tipple, which is made from fermented pears, is being relaunched for a new generation.
And it’s not the only classic beverage that has stood the test of time.
Drinks expert Helena Nicklin gives us her verdict on the Seventies bar classics still surviving on supermarket shelves.
Babycham 4 x 200ml £3, Tesco
★★☆☆☆
SWEET and simple, this low-alcohol (6 per cent abv) sparkling pear juice is the all-time queen of retro boozing.
Along the lines of an extra brut Prosecco, this Somerset sparkler has the fun factor in spades and drinking it from an iconic coupe-style glass is a must for an authentic Seventies experience!
It may have been rebranded but the iconic cute fawn in a bow-tie motif is still there along with the recognisable green bottle.
Fun rather than sophisticated,it is ideal at a party served with some savoury canapes.
It is great value for money too.
- You’ll like it if you like… Prosecco
Mateus Rose 250ml £6, Morrisons
★★★★☆
HANDS up if you still have an empty bottle of Mateus Rose as the base for a lamp?
This pretty, Portuguese pink nailed its marketing from the start by going with a simple name, a memorable bottle shape and not making a big deal out of the numerous, unpronounceable grape varieties it uses to make the contents.
But truthfully, it is still highly drinkable.
Very ripe and fairly sweet, yes, but it is well balanced with refreshing zip and slight fizz.
A bit of a pink-wine guilty pleasure.
- You’ll like it if you like… Californian Blush
Asti Spumante Martini Asti, 75cl £7.50, Morrisons & Asda
★★★☆☆
IF you wanted to celebrate back in the day but couldn’t afford champagne, this was the fizz of choice.
But really Asti Spumante has never gone out of style.
Another low-alcohol (5% abv) north-eastern Italian sparkler that is very sweet and frothy with notes of apricot yoghurt and ripe grapes.
While it is made from the Moscato grape, it is not a Moscato.
Spumante means it is fully sparkling, whereas a Moscato is frizzante, or semi-sparkling.
Oozing retro chic, Asti still has its time and place in your glass, and it is especially good paired with puds and chocolate.
- You’ll like it if you like… Moscato
Lambrusco (red) Lambrusco di Modena Amabile, 75cl £5.99, Lidl
★★★★☆
OF all the Seventies sippers, bubbly Lambrusco has received the biggest facelift in the decades since.
In the past, the popular sparkling red was famed for being rather sweet and fizzy.
While you can still find these more sickly sweet versions in stores, proper Lambrusco is rather different to its predecessors, and a dream to drink.
The best bottles are dry or only semi-sweet and always lightly sparkling, whether it’s white or red.
Try chilled and they offer unique, gorgeously yeasty and balsamic flavours.
Fab with grilled meat or at a barbecue.
- You’ll like it if you like… Sparkling Shiraz
Liebfraumilch Winemaker’s Choice, 75cl £3.90, Asda
★★★☆☆
BEFORE the arrival of Australian Chardonnay and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this sweet, white wine was incredibly popular in the UK in 1970s and 1980s.
If you know what you are going to get so you are not surprised by the taste of this low-alcohol, floral, apricot and lime-scented vino, then it really is still a bargain bottle choice.
Made in Germany, Liebfraumilch translates brilliantly as “beloved Lady’s milk”.
It is a Riesling-based booze and it is actually rather good, thanks to the grape’s high acidity balancing the sweetness.
- You’ll like it if you like… Moscato
Beaujolais Calvet Beaujolais-Villages, 720ml £7.50, Tesco
★★★★★
THIS red-wine favourite, which should be enjoyed with cheese and pineapple on sticks and a Demis Roussos playlist, has been on quite a journey in the past few decades.
From bubblegum-scented nouveau offerings, up to the posh Beaujolais “Cru” wines like Chiroubles and Morgon, there is a style to suit every palate and pocket.
For a couple of steps up from the more basic offerings, try a Beaujolais-Villages to enjoy the Gamay grape in action with its relatively light, silky smooth body and notes of wild strawberry spice.
Great with cold meats and pork and you can serve it slightly chilled.
- You’ll like it if you like… French Pinot Noir
Muscadet Chateau de la Pierre, 75cl £8, Sainsbury’s
★★★★☆
MUSCADET is a proper wine region in the western Loire Valley, not far from the sea.
It makes bone dry, chalky wines from the Melon de Bourgogne grape that are fairly neutral, often with a slight prickle of CO2 and a crushed seashell vibe.
Very popular and glugged everywhere in the 70s, it fell out of favour more recently as New World Chardonnay swept into the supermarkets with its big, fruity personality.
But now, as many drinkers are reaching for something fresher, it appeals again.
If seafood is your thing, Muscadet is your tipple.
Lovely with shellfish, like oysters, or a classic Seventies prawn cocktail.
- You’ll like it if you like… Chablis
Black Tower Red 75cl £5, Tesco
★☆☆☆☆
FIRST launched in 1968, Reh Kendermann’s Black Tower was a retro favourite and is still Germany’s most exported brand, sent to 35 countries all over the world.
This motley blend of grapes from around Europe produces a synthetic, cordial-like drink with red berry fruit flavours.
It tastes a bit like weak Ribena with a shot of vodka in it. In short, you can smell the hangover. Sorry, Black Tower!
Five decades on this is not a wine for aficionados, despite the new, sleeker packaging.
- You’ll like it if you like… Sangria