If you’ve ever wandered into a corner shop in the UK and spotted a can of Tizer tucked away behind the Coca-Cola and Fanta, you might have asked yourself: What the hell is Tizer? You wouldn’t be the first. Once a heavyweight in the British soft drink scene, this bizarrely red, vaguely citrusy concoction has been in a slow but steady decline for decades. Yet, like a tenacious underdog, it refuses to vanish entirely.
So, what is Tizer? Why was it once so popular? And, most importantly, what should you eat with it if you somehow stumble across a can in the wild?
The History of Tizer: Britain’s Very Own Fizzy Mystery
Tizer was born in 1924, the brainchild of a Scottish entrepreneur named Fred Dyson – remember him?. Originally known as “Tizer the Appetizer” (because the 1920s were a simpler time when you could just name things like that), it was marketed as a refreshing, invigorating beverage. And while that might sound like standard soft drink marketing fluff, it actually worked—by the 1980s and early 90s, Tizer was absolutely everywhere.
This was the golden age of British soft drinks. Before the corporate juggernauts of Coke and Pepsi fully dominated the market, there was a place for weird, regional, and aggressively fluorescent sodas. Tizer, with its signature bright red color and “what exactly is this flavor?” taste, was at the forefront of this movement.
At its peak, it was a staple in chippies, school canteens, and your nan’s fridge. But then, like so many once-great things, it started to fade.
What Does Tizer Taste Like?
Describing the taste of Tizer is a challenge. It’s officially a “fruit-flavored” drink, but that tells you absolutely nothing. It’s not quite orange, not quite cherry, and not quite any one thing in particular. Imagine if Irn-Bru and a generic red gummy bear had a baby, and you’re halfway there.
Over the years, Tizer has gone through a few recipe changes—most notably in the early 2000s when they tried to rebrand it as “edgy” with a weird new logo and the phrase “Tizer with Added Bite.” (Spoiler: it did not work.) The drink also briefly experimented with removing artificial colors, resulting in a disappointing off-red beverage that looked like it had lost the will to live. Thankfully, they brought the neon-red dye back, because if you’re drinking Tizer, you are not exactly trying to lose weight….
Why Did Tizer Decline?
Like many once-great British products (Woolworths, Marathon bars, Colonialism), Tizer fell victim to a changing world. Big American brands took over, and the rise of health-conscious consumers didn’t exactly do wonders for a drink that looks like it could be used as engine coolant.
There was also a general move away from the smaller, regional soft drinks of the past. Panda Pops disappeared. Dandelion and Burdock became a niche hipster novelty. And Tizer? It just sort of faded into the background.
That said, Tizer still clings to life. You won’t find it in every supermarket, but corner shops, especially independent ones, often still stock it. It’s one of those drinks that never completely dies, like Tab in the US or Moxie in New England.
What Food Pairs Best With Tizer?
If you’re going to drink Tizer, you need to go all in on the experience. This is not a drink you sip while contemplating life’s finer details—it’s a full-on, sugar-rush-inducing assault on the senses.
The best pairings?
- Fish and Chips – Tizer and a greasy chippy tea is a classic 90s childhood combo. It’s the kind of thing you’d have on a Friday night, straight from a polystyrene container while watching Gladiators on TV – yes we did that.
- A Chip Butty – Carbs, salt, butter, and a drink that tastes like nostalgia. Perfect.
- A Greggs Steak Bake – If you’re going to consume something uniquely British, you might as well double down on it.
- A Dodgy Late-Night Kebab – The ultimate test of whether Tizer’s flavor can overpower the best kebabs in the world.
Basically, if it’s deep-fried, covered in salt, and vaguely unhealthy, Tizer will work with it.
Where Can You Still Find Tizer?
Though it’s not as common as it once was, Tizer still exists. You’re most likely to find it in:
- Small, independent corner shops – Especially the ones that sell random, slightly out-of-date snacks and imported European sweets.
- B&M and Home Bargains – If there’s a discount shop selling discontinued or obscure soft drinks, Tizer will probably be lurking there.
- Some chippies – Not many, but some still have Tizer sitting next to the Vimto and Shandy Bass.
- Online British snack shops – If you’re really desperate, you can find it on eBay or one of those “British Food for Expats” websites.
Outside the UK, it’s a much harder find. If you’re in Australia, you might get lucky at a British specialty store. The same goes for Canada and certain US cities with a decent British expat population. Otherwise, your best bet is to smuggle a can back from the UK like a true soft drink gangster.
Can you mix Tizer with booze?
Yes, you can absolutely mix Tizer with booze, and the best choice is vodka. The drink’s sweet, citrusy, slightly mysterious flavor makes it a surprisingly good mixer, especially with a neutral spirit like vodka that won’t overpower it.
The combination creates a refreshingly fizzy, fruit-forward drink that goes down dangerously easily. If you want to get fancy, add ice and a slice of lime, but honestly, just chucking some vodka into a glass of ice-cold Tizer works just fine. Rum and Tizer simply does not work…..
Final Thoughts: Should You Try Tizer?
Look, Tizer is not for everyone. It’s aggressively sweet, looks like it might be radioactive, and tastes like someone blended a handful of fruit-flavored chewable vitamins. But if you grew up in Britain before the 2000s, it’s a shot of pure nostalgia.
And that’s the beauty of drinks like Tizer. They’re not just about the taste—they’re about the memories. The chippy runs, the sugar rushes, the feeling of being 10 years old and thinking this was the greatest drink on earth.