Why Shloer is top of the pops at Christmas

The iconic grape juice was, for many, reserved for Christmas, when you could buy a bottle of pink, red, or white – just like wine, but without the alcohol.

It was a special Christmas treat for children, who savoured the stuff like it was Dom Perignon. Instead of being poured into beakers, like the usual orange squash or Ribena, it may have been served in wine flutes, or at least, the ‘good glasses’, which added to its cachet.

In the run up to the big day, mothers would scour the shops in search of the cheapest Shloer offers, then hide the precious elixir, alongside the big tins of Roses and Quality Street. Should a snooping youngster happen upon the hidden booty and be tempted into taking just a sip, there were stern warnings that ‘Santa wouldn’t come!’.

What was a childhood tradition for many of us, continues to this day as we, now perhaps with children of our own, buy the ‘Christmas’ Shloer and raise a glass to fond memories.