Lemonade

The predominant form of lemonade found in the US, Canada, and India, cloudy lemonade, also known as traditional or old fashioned lemonade in the UK and Australia, is non-carbonated and made with fresh lemon juice; however, commercially produced varieties are also available. Generally served cold, cloudy lemonade may also be served hot as a remedy for congestion and sore throats,[10] frozen, or used as a mixer.

Children operating a lemonade stand in La Cañada Flintridge, California, 1960

Traditionally, children in US and Canadian neighborhoods start lemonade stands to make money during summer. The concept has become iconic of youthful summertime Americana to the degree that parodies and variations exist across media. References can be found in comics and cartoons such as Peanuts, and the 1979 computer game Lemonade Stand.[11]

A popular variation of traditional lemonade, pink lemonade, is created by adding additional fruit juices, flavors, or food coloring to the recipe. Most store-bought pink lemonade is simply colored with concentrated grape juice or dyes.[12]

A 1912 obituary credited the invention of pink lemonade to circus worker Henry E. "Sanchez" Allott, saying he had dropped in red cinnamon candies by mistake.[13]

Another origin story credits another circus worker, Pete Conklin, in 1857. His brother George Conklin tells the story in his 1921 memoir. According to the story, Conklin's lemonade was a mixture of water, sugar and tartaric acid, with the tub garnished with a single lemon that he repeatedly used for the season. One day, he ran out of water. Searching desperately, he found a tub of water a bareback rider had recently used to rinse her pink tights. Adding in the sugar, acid and remaining bits of lemon, he offered the resulting mixture as "strawberry lemonade" and saw his sales double.[12][14]

British Formula One motor racing driver Jackie Stewart drinking carbonated lemonade in 1969

The predominant form of lemonade in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia is a clear, lemon-flavoured carbonated beverage. Schweppes, R. White's Lemonade and C&C are common brands, and shops usually carry a store-branded lemonade as well.[9] Schweppes uses a blend of lemon and lime oils.[15] Other fizzy drinks, soft-drinks (or pop) which are both lemon and lime flavoured may also sometimes be referred to as lemonade, such as Sprite and 7 Up. There are also speciality flavours, such as Fentimans Rose Lemonade, which is sold in the UK, the US, and Canada. Shandy, a mixture of beer and clear lemonade, is often sold pre-bottled, or ordered in pubs.[16]

There are various drinks called brown lemonade. In Northern Ireland, brown lemonade is flavoured with brown sugar.[17] A variant from Venezuela has cane sugar and lime.[18]

In India and Pakistan, where it is commonly known as nimbu paani, and in Bangladesh, lemonades may also contain salt or ginger juice called lebur shorbot.[19] Shikanjvi is a traditional lemonade from this region, and can also be flavored with saffron, cumin and other spices.[20][21][22]

Limonana, a type of lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemon juice and mint leaves, is a common summer drink in the Middle East.[23] In Northern Africa, a drink called cherbat is made of lemon, mint, and rose water.

Switcha is a version of the drink made in the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos that can also be made with limes instead of lemons.

The French soft drink citron pressé, being diluted with water

In France, it is common for bars or restaurants to offer citron pressé, also called citronnade, an unmixed version of lemonade in which the customer is given lemon juice, syrup and water separately to be mixed in their preferred proportions.[24]