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J R Phillips was once Bristol’s oldest wine merchant was started in 1739. In 1804 the company took on a new accountant, James Rouquet Phillips, later to become a partner. In 1825, James George sold the firm, now known as JR Phillips, to his partner, who together with his sons, William and Augustus, built up a best- selling line – Old English cordials. Available in seven flavours – Pink cloves, Lovage, White Peppermint, Green Peppermint, Aniseed, Grenadine and Shrub – now mainly used in cocktails. Originally produced as medication – and for the prevention of illness on long sea voyages – these included lime juice (for the prevention of scurvy), celery-flavoured lovage (for rheumatism) and shrub, a potent mixture of juices and alcohol guaranteed to keep colds at bay. The Phillips of Bristol range has recently been repackaged with a new bottle shape, to emphasis the heritage of the medicine shaped bottle, and a new label focusing on the Clifton Suspension bridge, where it all began back in 1739. A cordial is an alcoholic infusion of herbs or other plants and is often thought to have invigorating or stimulating properties (the word cordial is really interchangeable with liqueur).
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