Ribena
It's from 1938, before you were born.
- Maker
- Suntory
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Debuted
- 1938
- Type
- Blackcurrant drink
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About
As of 2026, it's 88 years old.
Ribena is a British blackcurrant drink with a genuinely heroic résumé: during World War II, when citrus fruit became impossible to get, its vitamin-C-rich syrup was handed out to British children to keep them healthy. A blackcurrant cordial that helped win the home front is allowed to be a little smug.
Developed in 1938, that wartime role gave it deep nostalgic roots for generations of Britons who grew up drinking it diluted from a bottle.
Sweet, tart, and quietly patriotic, Ribena is the blackcurrant drink that's basically a national treasure with a vitamin-C backstory.
Ribena through the years
Developed in Bristol
A blackcurrant cordial rich in vitamin C.
Wartime vitamin source
Given to British children when citrus became scarce.
