Babycham brought an early splash of feminism into the male-dominated pubs of postwar Britain. Back then, respectable women weren't supposed to visit bars or even drink, so the choice of tipples available to them was meagre. Women of the world like my father's girlfriend, Miss Salsbury, drank gin and orange, gin and 'French' (an iceless dry Martini) or gin and 'It' (Italian vermouth). Inexperienced girls drank port and lemon or Carlsberg, about the only lager available, prettified by a dash of lime. Elderly ladies drank stout, but only for medicinal purposes, which they underlined by calling it 'milk stout' and taking it in tiny sips. Wine barely existed outside expensive restaurants. Babycham was the first drink a woman could order without feeling like a tart or a crone. For dowdy Fifties womanhood, it was a heady sip of the high life, which most knew only from films and magazines.The Way We Drank - Babycham - Wine articles - Wine - Drink - Food & drink - Waitrose.com
Perry is making a comeback, I remember being allowed to drink a Babycham at Christmas when I was a child
BBC NEWS | Business | Pear cider makes a comeback
