whatever

Well we have always had this stuff in the cupboard for as long as I can remember - Robinsons Orange etc... Robinsons Barley water was poured down my throat by the gallon by my mother whenever I was poorly.

I'm having difficulty finding a replacement in the states... the nearest thing I have found is Kool-Aid (pure sugar!!) and Pink Lemonade crystals (even more sugar!!!) I know there is always good old fashioned water and pure fruit juices but anyone else got any ideas???

effi

I have lived here for 16 years and the only place I have found it is the local Brit store. I have seen nothing in the supermarkets that is even remotely like it and I have been all over the States. Try one of the online Brit stores.

NC Penguin

I think you might find cordials and squashes at a healthfood store. I've seen these kind of drinks in Wellspring (aka Wholefoods Market) but I can't remember any brand names.

I don't think they'll come in the familiar flavours we know in the UK but at least they're suppposed to be diluted with water (and probably contain a lot less sugar than either Kool Aid or the other stuff).

Ben

If you like to drink quite a bit of this type of thing then try and go for welch's cans or juicy juice cans. They are 100% juice and you dilute to taste. It tells you on the can to do it 1 can of juice to 3 cans of water but we always find that way to strong so I generally do 6 cans of water to one of juice. It isn't as sweet as Ribena or Robinsons but it is the closest I have found to either of them. I make a large jug of the grape and my kids (who are all british born I might add) love it, and the other flavours you get too.

Alternatively, try the jewish section of your supermarket. They have a grape drink that you don't dilute and tastes a little like ribena. Personally, I don't see much difference in this and the other juice drinks you get in the supermarkets here but everyone has different tastes so you might like it.

whatever

Oh cool! Thanks very much for the ideas - the thought of my son turning to drinking tons of fizzy or sugar packed drinks was bugging me a bit - (all that sugar can't be good for anyone and that's without the Dental costs too!!)

HelenWebber

The closest I found, which they do sell in the UK, is Capri sun. Which is ready made up squash in little pouches. They seemed to have different flavours in the US. No blackcurrant to be found, but the kids still got along with it.

vegas

I Buy Robinsons Orange cordial and Blackurrant Cordial from my local Publix they have a small British section with Various items

Britfrombristol

You could give Krystal Light a go. The lemonade mix isn't bad.It's a sugar free powder that you just mix with water. Make a large jug and leave it in the fridge. Not the same as Robinsons Summer Fruits squash but better than litres of sodas on a hot day.

Taffyles

I can get Robinsons orange and lemon barley at the local stores and Ribena from the Brit shops, but otherwise i've found Cran Grape to be the nearest thing to Ribena- its lovely warmed up too. Probably better for you than Ribena with the cranberries in it. In Uk I used to buy sainsbury's sugar free squashes for the kids- there's nothing like that out here.

Englishmum

Do you have an Asian population in your vicinity? (Where are you?)

I can buy 1 litre and 2 litre bottles of Ribena (and Lucozade!) at an Asian store which caters mostly to East Asians (Chinese from Hong Kong, Taiwan, the mainland) and Koreans, Vietnamese, Filipinos. The Hong Kongers are used to Brit labels so any store catering to the Cantonese is likely to sell Ribena. The 2 Litre bottles of Ribena are sold for $9.99 - and worth it!

Ditto for Indian foodstores.

whatever

Well we're not there yet but when we do get there it looks like it's going to be Critter and Tornado infested Texas

Will get looking out for Asian stores when we get there - price sound pretty similar to here. How do they get hold of Ribena?

Poshpaws

Asian stores carry Ribena, custard powder, baked beans ...and oodles of British tea! Also found some dried peas ( shirt lifters) for eighty nine cents; large bag also. Give it a whirl.

snorkmaiden

If you end up in Texas you might want to check out Kroger Signature stores. Our local one is increasing it's range of British goods every time we go in it seems, and most of the products they stock are cheaper than the same things available in the DFW British import store.

We can get Robinsons barley in orange and lemon, and blackcurrant and apple low sugar cordial at the moment.

My kids have a genetic condition effecting their teeth so I have to be really careful with sugar which is very hard here in America but so far we have been using the Crystal Light and Country Time - sugar free varieties. I mix it up and stick it in the fridge and to stop the kids from getting bored I very often mix flavours together.

Today we have orange and pineapple mixed with strawberry lemonade for instance, which has resulted in an interesting fruit salad flavour

I wish they would import the ribena toothkind. I checked out ordering it from the UK but the shipping costs are huge.