Lemonade

Lemonade is the name for a number of sweetened beverages found around the world, all characterized by lemon flavor. Most lemonade varieties can be separated into two distinct types: cloudy and clear; each is known simply as "lemonade" in countries where dominant. Cloudy lemonade, generally found in North America and India, is a traditionally homemade drink made with lemon juice, water, and sweetener such as cane sugar or honey. Found in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, clear lemonade is a lemon flavoured carbonated soft drink. Not to be confused with Sprite a lemon-lime flavored, soft drink.

A popular cloudy variation is pink lemonade, made with added fruit flavors such as raspberry or strawberry among others, giving a distinctive pink color. The "-ade" suffix may also be applied to other similar drinks made with different fruits, such as limeade, orangeade, or cherryade. Alcoholic varieties are known as hard lemonade.

In many European countries, the French word limonade has come to mean "soft drink", regardless of flavor.

As lemons and sugarcane are native to India, it is safe to assume the Indians first consumed a type of lemonade called nimbu pani, meaning "lemon water," literally.

The earliest written evidence of lemonade has been found in Egypt, dated to around AD 1000, It is believed that the fruit was introduced from Asia around AD 700. Here, a wine made with lemons, dates, and honey was enjoyed by peasants, and bottles of lemon juice with sugar, known as qatarmizat were imported and consumed locally.

In 1676, a company known as Compagnie de Limonadiers was founded in Paris. Having been granted monopoly rights to sell lemonade, vendors roamed the streets serving the drink in cups from tanks on their backs.

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