I haven't really bought Ribena since I was a kid, despite seeing it in shops all the time. I suppose I associate it with children and so would feel a bit silly buying it now (so says the person who regularly buys odd snacks to review!) I used to enjoy the different flavours they did such as strawberry, blueberry, raspberry... and they even did an apricot and peach variety at one point, if memory serves me correctly.
But Ribena is all grown-up now and they've released these new tropical varities into their chilled bottled range: Pineapple and Passion Fruit, and Mango and Lime. I was kindly sent these for review by Ribena's PR team.
The drinks contain added vitamin C and no artificial sweeteners or flavours, which is a big plus to me because I really dislike artificial sweeteners. They always spoil drinks by giving them a nasty aftertaste, so kudos to Ribena for not using them. The drinks also come in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic, which is very impressive as it means they're fully sustainable. Ribena also support the Wildlife Trusts charity, so extra kudos for that!
Pineapple & Passionfruit:
This drink had a lovely tropical flavour, it was very refreshing and "light" with a nice balance of tartness and sweetness. A perfect drink for quenching thirst in hot weather! If only I could have the tropical island to go with it...
Mango & Lime:
This was my favorite flavor of the two as it had quite a unique taste. The lime gave a subtle tang which went perfectly with the mango flavor and made it rather addictive. I don't think there's a flavor quite like like this currently available on the drinks market, or at least not one that I've tried. It was very refreshing indeed.
There was a recipe included with these to make a jelly dessert which I'm including further below, but I decided to make something of my own instead - one of my favorite new discoveries; Homemade Bubble Tea! (see my recipe here). The only snag is that it wouldn't technically be bubble tea, but rather, a bubble juice drink.
I cooked up some tapioca pearls, which were a purple-coloured "new sago" variety, and added them to a glass along with the Ribena and a bubble tea straw. Et voila - Ribena Bubble Drink!:
It was very moreish... I loved slurping the pearls through the straw and chewing on them whilst gulping down the Ribena!
Here's the recipe for Ribena jelly which you can also make with these drinks:
Pineapple, Passionfruit & Raspberry Jelly
Ingredients• 500ml Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit• 200g raspberries• 5 gelatine leaves (or vegetarian substitute)• 100ml boiling water• 3 tablespoons cold water
MethodBreak up the gelatine leaves into small cm squared pieces. Put in a large plasticjug with 3 tbsp cold water to dissolve. Tip: To help with dissolving you can hoverthe jug over a saucepan of boiling water and stir.Pour 100ml of boiling water into the jug followed by the Ribena. Stir.Scatter a few raspberries into each glass and pour the jelly mix into the individualglasses, filling up about ¾ way to the top. Use cling film to cover.Leave in the fridge for 4-6 hours and enjoy! Serves 4-5.Attributed to Emily Coates, Recipes and Reviews
Price: £1.19 RRP
More info: www.ribena.co.uk
*These drinks were sent to me for an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.