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The First Lemonade “Soft Drink” Debuted In Paris On August 20th, 1630

National Lemonade Day is observed the first Sunday in May.

Not only is National Lemonade Day a time to enjoy a refreshing glass of lemonade, but more importantly, it is a day to give youth an opportunity to experience the taste of success.

  • Through LemonadeDay.org, millions of kids around the nation learn what it takes to run a business in a fun and constructive way.
  • The days leading up to Lemonade Day are full of preparation by small but budding entrepreneurs. They attend workshops, check their stock and scout out their locations.
  • On Lemonade Day, they will be ready to set up shop and sell the freshest, coolest lemonade their side of the block!
  • On average, Lemonade Day kids make a profit of $168.08 at their lemonade stand and see their profits increase each year they participate in the program.
  • Since 2007, Lemonade Day has reached more than 1 million youth in 60 cities across the United States and Canada. In 2016 alone, more than 101,000 kids participated.
  • Lemonade can trace its origins to the Egyptians when in 500 AD lemon juice was mixed with sugar to make a beverage known as qatarmizat.
  • The first lemonade “soft drink” debuted in Paris on August 20th, 1630. The drink was made from sparkling water and lemon juice sweetened with honey.
  • In 1676, a company in Paris was granted monopoly rights to sell lemonade, and vendors roamed the streets serving the drink in cups from tanks on their backs.
  • Frozen lemonade made its debut in 1840 in Naples, Italy.
  • The earliest documented lemonade stands were introduced by a young entrepreneur named Edward Bok who formed them in Brooklyn street cars from 1873 to 1876.
  • Lemonade stands were first referenced in news media by the New York Times in 1879.
  • 4-year-old Alex Scott started the nonprofit Alex’s Lemonade Stand in 2000 after learning she had cancer and she sought to find a cure. She lived only 4 more years and in that short time raised more than $1 million for cancer research. That organization today has since raised more than $25 million nationwide for children’s cancer research.
  • The “ade” in lemonade means that the product is not 100 percent juice.
  • Grape juice is added to plain lemonade to make commercial pink lemonade.
  • California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U.S. lemon crop.
  • There is a lemonade diet also called the “Master Cleanse Diet” in which the goal is to remove toxins from your body. However, this isn’t completely healthy because it’s dependent upon how much sugar is included.
  • Across North America as well as in India, “lemonade” refers to that familiar blend of water, sugar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. But order a lemonade in England, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, and you’ll get some bubbles as well; in those countries, “lemonade” refers to carbonated lemon-flavored (or lemon-lime) soft drinks, similar to Sprite. (Pro tip: If you want something more resembling the American version in the UK, ask for a “cloudy lemonade,” but even that can be fizzy.)
  • When life gives you lemons … you know what to do, right? The classic advice to “make lemonade” out of our problems became famous probably thanks to the 1915 obituary for Marshall Pinckney Wilder, who achieved success as an actor, writer, and humorist despite battling dwarfism and related health problems throughout his life. The original version of the phrase, penned by writer Elbert Hubbard, read “He picked up the lemons that Fate had sent him and started a lemonade stand.”
  • LEMONADE IS SCIENTIFICALLY THIRST-QUENCHING.  You know how lemonade always seems to hit the spot on a warm summer’s day? Well, apparently there’s a reason for that.  Researchers have found that sour and tart flavors stimulate the salivary glands more than any other taste.
  • Further, acidity masks less refreshing flavors, like sweetness. That means that even after just one sip, a traditional glass of lemonade – which boasts a sour, sweet profile – can provide immediate relief for dry mouth and leave you feeling refreshed.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Mobile-Cuisine

Lemonade Day

The Odyssey Online

Mental Floss

Flavorman