Buckfast - A Drink That Divided A Nation
Dear Diary,
Scotland has not only one national drink (= IrnBru) but two!
This one is for adults only though.
I’m talking about Buckfast Tonic Wine or ‘Buckie’ as the Scots like to call it.
Never heard of of it? No worries, I got you covered.
How it all began
Buckfast is a caffeinated alcoholic drink. It’s relatively low in alcohol (14%) and is both loved and hated in the country.
The drink was originally brewed by monks at Buckfast Abbey in Devon. It dates back to 1897 and was sold as medicine at first.
It’s not a real wine as such. It’s derived from a mistelle, which is a mixture of unfermented grape juice and ethanol. This is then fortified with caffeine and other flavourings.
It tastes a bit like undiluted Ribena or a version of Cherry Coke. For some, it’s more like cough syrup (hence the medicinal use).
For me, it’s more like Ribena but I guess you have to try it to make up your mind.
The controversy
Unfortunately, Buckfast became the drink of choice for Glasgowegian ‘neds’ (= hooligans) in the 70s.
It soon was to be blamed for anti-social behaviour and the increase in criminality. With a focus on the ‘Buckfast Triangle’ between Airdrie, Coatbridge, and Bellshill.
'The Buckie made me do it!' has ever since become the classic defence in assault trials.
As a consequence, Tesco and other retailers took Buckfast off their shelves in 2013.
Recipe ideas
Many would argue it tastes best served neat, maybe chilled on the rocks or combined with lemonade.
Though, you can also pimp your Buckfast up into a cocktail o’clock drink-worthy drink.
Here are two recipes to try:
Buckfast Royal
Simply add your favourite sparkling wine to it.
1 part Buckfast Tonic Wine
4 parts sparkling wine
Buckfast Bramble
Elevate your Classic Bramble Cocktail with some Buckfast.
15ml Buckfast Tonic Wine
40ml Gin
20ml lemon juice
10ml Grenadine
Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake for a couple of seconds. Serve over crushed ice and garnish with blackberries.
Sláinte!
And why stop at your drinks, you can also use Buckfast as a cooking ingredient.