Invented in Manchester in 1908, Vimto found its true home in the Gulf, where the dark purple cordial — mixed berries, grape, and blackcurrant — is the unofficial drink of iftar. Supermarkets stack pallets of it before Ramadan.

Why here, why this drink, is one of those accidents of trade history that became tradition. The first sip after a day's fast, for millions, tastes like this.