Although the past is rarely ever as simple or as delicious as we remember it, it seems that culinary nostalgia is very much in vogue. Take the gelatinous success of Instagram accounts such as 70s Dinner Party or the unfathomable cool-ification of devilled eggs. Another thing that’s deserving of a prance back into popularity is Babycham. It’s kitsch in a bottle. Liquid, postwar optimism. And it’s potentially up for a modern revival. Or at least I want it to be, so I’m writing a column about it. It’s called manifesting.
For those who didn’t live through its heyday, Babycham is a sparkling perry, which is like cider, except made from pears. Originally named Champagne de la Poire, Babycham was created by the Showering cider family from pears they saw going to waste when they were buying from local apple orchards. In a postwar world, Herbert Showering saw the changes in drinking habits among women, and an opportunity to create a drink targeted specifically at them.
