What is Babycham? Iconic drink is being relaunched

The drink marketed as a chic option for the ladies is making a comeback.
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Beril Naz Hassan17 April 2023

.Even if you weren’t around during the ’60s or the ’70s, it’s very likely that you’ve heard of Babycham, maybe even tasted the iconic drink that made nights extra sparkly.

It was often seen being enjoyed by the glamorous women of the time as a result of clever marketing tactics that offered ladies a beverage to consume that wasn’t the hyper-masculine pint of beer.

Although it never really went away, the drink soon faded from supermarket shelves as it decreased in popularity.

Now, the family who invented the famous tipple want to bring it back from the brink, with the iconic label’s little baby deer set for relaunch.

But for those not in the know, here’s everything about the sparkling perry drink.

What is Babycham?

Babycham was a light sparkling perry invented by a brewer in Somerset’s Shepton Mallet named Francis Showering.

At first, it was called “Baby Champ”, but it later became Babycham.

Launched across the UK in 1953, the perry was the very first alcoholic beverage to be advertised on British commercial television.

Its target market was women, with a baby deer as its logo and adverts using taglines like “She said: I’d love a Babycham”. The beverage was presented as a “ladylike” choice of alcohol; chic and feminine.

With six per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), the sparkling perry has a sweeter taste compared to prosecco and Champagne, and is made of pears.

Can you still buy Babycham?

The descendants of Francis Showering bought the Babycham name back from Accolade Wines in December 2021. Now, it’s a member of the family’s beverage company, Brothers Drinks Limited.

They also acquired the old Babycham factory and the original offices.

The owners have revealed that want to rebrand and relaunch Babycham, while keeping the flavour notes that made everyone love it so much in previous decades.

Talking to The Guardian, the grandson of Francis Showering, Matthew Showering said: “We want to keep that sense of celebration about it.”

He added: “We will get closer to the original production method and recipe, as some things got chiselled away for speed with mass production. And we are going towards the original look too, so we’ll have quite a retro feel which, oddly, will make it more modern.”

Where to buy Babycham

Babycham Sparkling Perry is available to purchase from the official Babycham website, as well as from online retailers including Tesco, Drinks Direct and B&M.

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