Cottee’s & Diet Rite scored a sweet dual win in Canstar Blue’s cordial review. Both brands rated five stars for packaging design and overall satisfaction, with Cottee’s scoring additional top marks for variety & range, and Diet Rite for value for money.
Cordial may be the ‘sweet something’ to bring to any party, whether it’s a child’s birthday or a boozy night in with the gals (hello raspberry gin!). It’s also a pantry staple in many households. Nearly half of the Aussies we surveyed (45%) even say they drink cordial to help them with their water intake, while nearly one in five enjoy multiple glasses per day (18%). Over a third of those surveyed (34%) similarly said they opt for sugar-free or diet alternatives.
Canstar Blue surveyed 1,221 Australians for their feedback on the cordial brand(s) they’ve purchased and consumed in the last three months. Note: this refers to cordial (i.e. a concentrated syrup) purchased from a supermarket or grocer.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their cordial brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
1. Cottee’s & Diet Rite
2. Golden Circle
3. Bickford’s
4. Schweppes
5. Coles
6. Woolworths
7. ALDI Westcliff
Cottee’s and Diet Rite shared a refreshing win in 2023. Both brands rated five stars for packaging design and overall satisfaction, with Cottee’s scoring additional top marks for variety and range, and Diet Rite for value for money. Other wins included Golden Circle for variety and range, and Bickford’s for taste and packaging design.
Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.
An institution at Aussie picnics, BBQs and pool parties, Cottee’s cordial has been refreshing and reviving busy bodies since 1927. The cordial brand is known for its top flavours cola, lime and raspberry, but also offers fruit cup, raspberry apple, orange and lemon, available in regular or zero sugar versions. You can pop a 1L bottle of Cottee’s in your trolley for around $5.20. The fun doesn’t stop with cordial, however, and the brand also sells jam, ice cream toppings and instant pudding mix.
Diet Rite is a great choice for those trying to avoid sugar, or keep an eye on their sugar intake. The brand claims to make its cordial with no added sugar, colours or flavours and 50% fruit juice, as well as vitamin C for good measure. Diet Rite has flavours like apple blackcurrant, apple strawberry, fruit cocktail and lime, all available in 1L bottles, as well as Diet Rite soft drink in grape, pine lime and lemonade. You can pick up a bottle of Diet Rite for about $3.50 at most major supermarkets and grocers.
Cordial is a type of flavoured syrup or concentrated tonic designed to be mixed with water before you drink it. It can also be added to soda to create a cordial soft drink or blended into cocktails and mocktails. Generally, one-part cordial is added to four parts water (or more), depending on how concentrated the product is. Many brands now also offer no added sugar and sugar-sweetened (rather than syrup) alternatives.
Megan is Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Editor, leading the team that focuses on consumer products and services, ranging from supermarkets and groceries to home and personal appliances and retail stores. She interprets Canstar Blue’s bespoke research on the thousands of brands that we compare, rate and review, to help shoppers make better purchasing decisions.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Here is the previous winner from Canstar Blue’s cordial ratings:
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