All about lemonade - a world-famous classic

Few drinks are as famous and as often misunderstood as lemonade. It's high time to give this classic drink the attention it deserves:

The most important facts summarized for you

All lemonades are based on water, sugar and a certain amount of citrus fruit. Some varieties contain additional flavorings, but these must always be of natural origin. Almost all varieties are carbonated during preparation and drunk chilled. Lemonades are popular soft drinks, but are also used in cocktails.

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The main ingredients of lemonade: water, sugar & lemons

What is lemonade and how is it made?

Literally speaking, lemonade is lemon water. The term originated in the 17th century and was adopted into German from the French language. The original ingredients

• Water,
• sugar and
• lemon (juice)

are still a mandatory component of lemonades today. You can easily check this by looking at the declaration list. No matter what type of lemonade you buy and which variety you prefer: the main ingredients are still the same today as they were in the past. However, they can vary by using other citrus fruits or just citric acid instead of lemons. Other ingredients are permitted, but must all be of natural origin. This condition distinguishes lemonade from the closely related fizzy drink, which may also contain synthetic flavorings.

However, this should not hide the fact that lemonades are small calorie bombs. Their sugar content is at least seven percent; otherwise the term "lemonade" is not permitted. Many preparations exceed the minimum required sugar content, so you have to include the drinks in your daily diet as a source of energy. Their other nutritional value is negligible. Only when it comes to vitamin C can lemonade score points, as it contains an average of 3.9 mg per 100 ml. This is more than a third of the amount needed to prevent serious deficiency symptoms.

We also have many low-calorie drinks in our range!

After all, you don't want to use this classic drink as a staple food but as a stimulant - and you can even make it yourself very easily. The advantage of this is that you know exactly what's in your lemonade. Depending on the recipe, either just the juice or the flesh and peel of the base fruit is used for the base. Pour water at the desired temperature over them and allow the mixture to infuse to your personal taste. To get the popular fizzy effect, top up your homemade lemonade with mineral water or add some baking soda to the finished drink.

Lemonade is also very easy to make yourself

The process is not much different for industrial production. Here, the carbon dioxide is pumped into the drink and a ready-made lemonade base is used. This provides a wealth of flavors and allows you to choose from numerous varieties in the beverage market, online store or restaurant. The name often reveals what is in the lemonade in question - because many members of the large family have achieved a certain degree of fame. You can find out more in the next section.

What are the most important types of lemonade?

What is a must-have naturally depends on your preferences and how you plan to use the drink. The following list should therefore not be seen as a ranking, but as an aid to a rough classification of the numerous types of lemonade:

Fruit lemonade

• THE prototype of all lemonades, still as good today as it once was
• refreshing, sweet, sour or tart, depending on the fruit used
• the types of fruit used must be identified
• no colorants may be added to the "lemon" variety
• the "apple" variety may contain sugar couleur

Are you looking for fruity lemonades? Take a look here!

Spiced and/or herbal lemonade

• contains spices and/or herbs instead of or in addition to fruit
• Usually only aromatic, no health-relevant effect
• the seasonings used must be labeled
• may contain sugar couleur
• the best-known representative is ginger ale with extracts of ginger root

Are herbal lemonades more your thing? We have a selection for you here!

Cola also counts as a lemonade

Cola

• is an invention of the US pharmacist John Stith Pemberton
• contained a cola nut variety containing cocaine until 1903
• From 1902, the non-alkaloid extracts of coca leaves were increasingly used as flavoring agents
• other typical flavoring agents are vanilla, lemon, cinnamon and clove oil
• the caffeine content must be at least 65 mg/l and must not exceed 250 mg/l
• Sugar couleur is prescribed/permitted as a colorant

Have you heard of Piranja Cola from Saarland?

Tonic water

• originated as a prophylactic against malaria
• was part of the standard equipment of European colonial armies until well into the 20th century
• contains at least 15, but no more than 85 mg quinine (a bitter substance from the bark of the red cinchona) per liter
• can have a negative effect on the course of pregnancy, the baby and existing neurological disorders

Would you like to find out more about tonic water? Under What is tonic water? we have all the information about the iconic filler for you!

Fermented lemonade

• Contains lactic acid cultures
• has a very refreshing effect
• has a slightly sour, tangy taste
• can be flavored with additional fruit

Have you ever heard of fermented birch sap? Take a look here: Öselbirch fermented birch sap

Whether fermented, with herbs or purely fruity - there are lemonade varieties for every taste!

How do you drink lemonade?

All the lemonade varieties mentioned and their individual representatives are intended as soft drinks for pure enjoyment - usually well chilled. Many have also made a name for themselves as cocktail ingredients and are inextricably linked with the respective drink. Certainly the best-known example of this is the gin and tonic. But cola also enjoys great popularity in mixing - whether in partnership with beer and red wine or as a filler for rum, whisky and brandy.

You see or read: Good old lemonade is more varied and versatile than you might think. Taste your way through our range of lemonades and discover even more new things about a formative player in the history of beverages.