Lemonade
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the drink made with lemons. For other uses, see Lemonade (disambiguation).
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. The addition of grenadine makes for the traditional variant called Pink Lemonade. 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. [1]
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[edit] 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 'cloudy' or 'traditional' lemonade.
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.
[edit] Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand, lemonade refers to a carbonated beverage that is lemon-flavoured, and often 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. The closest equivalent to American lemonade in Australia is known as Lemon Barley Cordial.
[edit] 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.
Citron pressé is what to order in a French café to get what an American thinks of as lemonade. You will receive fresh squeezed lemon juice, some ice cubes, and a shaker of sugar and water so that you can prepare the drink to your taste.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Germany
In Germany "Limonade" or "Limo" refers to any carbonated soft drink, especially sweet lemon-flavored drinks, which are sometimes referred to as "süßer 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".
[edit] Netherlands
In the Netherlands, lemonade refers to any fruit concentrate cordial that is diluted with water.
[edit] 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).
[edit] Hungary
In Hungary lemonade refers to a drink made from uncarbonated water, lemon juice and sugar. It does not contain any other sweetener. Lemonade made from carbonated water is uncommon in Hungary.
[edit] 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 Red lemonade is particular to Ireland. Red lemonade differs slightly in taste from white lemonade and is either drank neat or as part of a whiskey mixer.
[edit] India & Pakistan
In India and Pakistan, lemonade typically matches the American recipe of lemon juice, sugar, and cold water, and is known as nimbu pani' or "shkanjvi". In Indian English it is sometimes called 'lime juice', although it is lemon being used, not lime.
[edit] Japan
In Japan, lemonade is not thought of exclusively as a cold drink, and is often served hot. It is called by its English name and is rendered into katakana as レモネード (pronounced remonēdo).
[edit] 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".
[edit] Lebanon and Middle East
In Lebanon, lemonade is known as "laymoonadah" (ليموناضة) and is made mainly from fresh lemons. The traditional (and the most refreshing) way to make it is to cut the lemons in eights, leaving their peel on, in a large bowl. Pour the sugar on the diced lemons and squeeze vigorously with the fists against the bowl's bottom and sides. The mix thus obtained is then added with cold water squeezed again and the lemonade is finally produced by filtering the resulting mix. Batrun (البترون) is a Lebanese coastal town renowed for its lemonade. In some parts of the country, rose water or fresh mint is added to the lemonade.
Another type of lemon-based drink, known as "shrabet" (شرابات), is made from lemon-concentrate syrup which is diluted in cold water. This used to be one way to preserve the lemon for off-season (like late summer) use. Similar drinks are based on oranges and other fruits. Shrabet is sometime made with crushed ice instead of water and is thought to be the origin of the modern sorbet.
[edit] Mexico
In Mexico, lemonade usually refers to a drink that is not made with lemons, but with limes. This is probably because the lime is a much more abundant fruit in Mexico than lemons. With the exception of lemons, it contains the same basic ingredients as lemonade, such as water and sugar.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Ross MacManus (father of Declan MacManus aka Elvis Costello) was the original voice of The Secret Lemonade Drinker, and the tune was composed by Bob Holness of Blockbusters fame.
[edit] 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.
