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Zesty Discoveries: Top 8 Fun and Refreshing Facts About Lemonade You Never Knew!

illustration of lemonade
Pucker up and prepare to be refreshed as we take a tangy trip through the fascinating world of fun facts about lemonade!

1. New York's 5-Cent Lemonade Sensation

When life gave New Yorkers lemons in the sweltering summer of 1880, they whipped up a 5-cent thirst quenching sensation: Pop-up lemonade stands sprouted throughout the city, leaving tavern prices in the dust and making lemonade an iconic staple of American culture – all of which is now merrily celebrated with #LemonadeDay.
Source => shopmate.co.uk

2. Pink Lemonade's Circus Origins

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and feast your eyes on the curious case of the blushing lemonade that turned pink in a circus-soaked twist, a beverage worthy of P.T. Barnum himself: Legend has it that pink lemonade was inadvertently concocted in the 19th century, when a vendor either dropped red cinnamon candies into a batch of classic lemonade or added a dash of fresh or canned strawberry juice to the mix, with modern commercial versions deriving their rosy hue from concentrated grape juice or extract, ensuring that this delicious libation remains a sippable summer favorite for generations to come.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

3. Tipsy Parisian Lemonade

When life gave Parisians lemons in the 17th century, they didn't just make lemonade - they got a little tipsy with it, too: In 1676, a honey-sweetened concoction made with Sack, Brandy, fair water, the juice of two lemons, and lemon peel was sold on the streets of Paris, as documented in The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, published just four years earlier in 1672.
Source => homemade-dessert-recipes.com

4. New York's Lemonade Stand Craze

Before yelling, "Show me the money!" was all the rage, New Yorkers in the late 1800s were more likely to holler, "Show me the lemonade!": Street vendors were all over the city selling lemonade at a mere five cents her glass, often outdoing soda fountains and bars with their low overhead costs. Teenager Edward Bok even joined the bandwagon, creating a tastier concoction with just a simple pail, lemon juice, and sugar. However, the thirst-quenching scene also had its shady side in the 1860s, as some sketchy peddlers pulled a fast one on customers with a murky mix of water, molasses, vinegar, and lemon rinds to give a false appearance of appetizing lemonade.
Source => mentalfloss.com

The Enigma of Pink Lemonade's Color

5. The Enigma of Pink Lemonade's Color

When life gives you lemons, make pink lemonade – or maybe wine? Ah, the enigma of pink lemonade in all its rosy glory: This blushing beauty's origins are shrouded in mystery, with some suggesting it was conceived by adding a splash of vino, while others claim its birth involved a clumsy mishap with red cinnamon candies taking a dive into a pitcher of the classic yellow libation.
Source => nonstopcelebrations.com

6. Prohibition Era Lemonade Cocktails

When life gave speakeasies lemons, they made… bootleg lemonade? Well, not quite, but close: During the Prohibition era in the United States, establishments illegally serving alcohol would concoct mixed drinks to disguise the taste of their subpar hooch, leading to various cocktails, including the whiskey-based Sour, which often included lemon juice.
Source => prohibition.themobmuseum.org

7. Tangy, Bitter Party Lemonade

When life gives you lemons, grab the whole dang fruit – skin and all – and blend them into a pulp for a tangy, zesty, and mildly bitter potion that'll boost morale and make your taste buds do the cha-cha: This method of making lemonade intensifies the flavor and even gives it a refined bitterness that's incredibly tasty. But shake a leg and drink up on the same day, lest the bitterness takes over like an evil tyrant. Toss in some vodka, and you've got yourself a dandy party elixir that'll charm the pants off your guests!
Source => laylita.com

8. Circus Mishaps: Birth of Pink Lemonade

When life gives you lemons... and circus mishaps, apparently you concoct pink lemonade: The vibrant beverage is said to have been invented either by circus worker Henry E. "Sanchez" Allott, who accidentally added red cinnamon candies to his lemonade mix, or by fellow carnie Pete Conklin, who combined water, sugar, tartaric acid, and a tub of pink-tight-rinsing water, ingeniously branding it "strawberry lemonade."
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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