08/01/2022
📍A Monument to Vimto, Manchester.
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Manchester is famous for many things! One of those things is the much-loved soft drink that is Vimto.
The distinctly purple drink was first created on this very spot in 1908 by John Noel Nichols who was a wholesaler of herbs, spices and medicines that saw the market opening for soft drinks, due to the temperance movement and the passage of the 1908 Licensing Act. It was originally sold under the name Vim Tonic, which Nichols shortened to Vimto in 1912.
Vimto combines the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants, each in a 3% concentration, which is then flavoured with a selection of delicately balanced herbs and spices to create the iconic beverage.
The new drink proved to be a huge success and became so popular that production had to be moved to much bigger premises in nearby Salford. Its popularity continued to grow rapidly -initially beyond Manchester, then overseas - and is now enjoyed across the planet.
Manchester remains very proud of Vimto and in 1992 this carved oak sculpture was proudly installed where the drink was first concocted, paying homage to a distinctly British drink on the very spot where it was invented.