Lemonade

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Lemonade

Lemonade is a soft drink that is made with lemons. In the U.S. and Canada, lemonade refers to an uncarbonated mixture of lemon juice, sugar, and water. Lemonade, in its uncarbonated form, is among the oldest of commercial soft drinks, dating at least back to the 17th century. In Paris in 1676, a business called the Compagnie de Limonadiers was formed and granted monopoly rights to sell lemonade, which their vendors dispensed in cups from tanks carried upon their backs. ^*

United Kingdom

In the UK, lemonade is usually carbonated, made from lemon juice, sugar or other sweetener, and water. The brand-name soft drinks 7-Up and Sprite are lemon-and-lime flavoured. When mixed, lemonade and beer produce a shandy. Lemonade is also the basis for the Pimm's cocktail. The drink that Americans call lemonade is relatively rare in the UK; its closest equivalent is carbonated and known as 'bitter lemon'.

In Great Britain in the 1970s lemonade was not considered a glamorous product. This was deliberately parodied in a television commercial for R. White's lemonade, in which a man sneaks downstairs in his pajamas singing "I'm a secret lemonade drinker — I'm trying to give it up but it's one of those nights." When his wife catches him at the refrigerator he sheepishly offers her a glass. The commercial was a huge success and ran for almost a decade, although later attempts to revive the campaign were less successful.

Australia and New Zealand

In Australia and New Zealand, lemonade refers to a carbonated beverage that is lemon flavoured, colourless and transparent, such as Sprite. This usage is also found in the UK. The term "lemon squash" refers to lemon soft drinks with a cloudy appearance (sometimes due to a small percentage of real lemon juice) e.g. Solo or Lift.

France

In France, lemonade (in French "limonade") refers to a carbonated drink, such as Lorina or Pschitt. A combination of beer and "limonade" produces a Panaché, similar to the British shandy. French lemonade may use sugar beet instead of the usual sugarcane as the sweetening agent.

Finland

In Finland, lemonade (in Finnish "limonadi" or "limu") generally refers to any Coca-Cola like carbonated soft drink. One example is the "Omena Limonadi", which directly translated is "Apple Lemonade" in English.

Germany

In Germany "Limonade" or "Limo" refers to any carbonated soft drink, especially sweet lemon-flavored drinks, which are sometimes referred to as "süßes Sprudel". The combination of beer and this type of lemonade produces a radler (southern Germany)/an Alsterwasser (northern Germany). The combination of white wine and this type of lemonade produces a "Limoschoppen" or "Süßgespritzter".

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, lemonade refers to any fruit concentrate cordial that is diluted with water.

Hong Kong

In the Hong Kong Cha chaan tengs, lemonade may refer to a drink that is made by sweetening water with syrup, followed by adding few slices of lemon (檸檬水 Lit. Lemon water).

Hungary

In Hungary lemonade refers to a drink made from uncarbonated water, lemon juice and sugar. It doesn't contain any other sweetener. Lemonade made from carbonated water is uncommon in Hungary.

Ireland

In Ireland, lemonade refers to the carbonated, lemon-flavoured soft drink but is further sub-divided into 'white lemonade' and 'red lemonade'. White lemonade equates to the colourless fizzy lemonade common in many countries, while (fizzy) Red lemonade is particular to Ireland.

India

In India and Pakistan, lemonade typically matches the American recipe of lemon juice, sugar and cold water, and is known as nimbu pani'.

Brazil

In Brazil, it refers to either lemon juice and water, or a drink made of a shake of unpeeled lemons, ice, cold water and sugar (and possibly cream). The shake is also known as "swiss lemonade".

Miscellaneous

Although it's fairly well known that Ross MacManus (father of Declan MacManus aka Elvis Costello) was the original voice of The Secret Lemonade Drinker, it's not widely known that the tune was actually composed by Bob Holness of Blockbusters fame.

There is also a variant of Lemonade which is actually peach flavoured ade. The "Peach-Ade" containins no sugar. There has been some controversy over its levels of E951 (Aspartame) artificial sweetener, a possible carcinogen. Many soft drinks contain this chemical, but only in small quantities.

External links and references

Of the Street Sale of Ginger-Beer, Sherbet, Lemonade,&C., from London Labour and the London Poor, Volume 1, Henry Mayhew, 1851; subsequent pages cover the costs and income of street lemonade sellers.

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