Lemonade is a pretty popular drink. It's not entirely bad for you if it's made from non-GMO lemons and doesn't have too much sugar. Because we're finally transitioning into spring and will soon see summer, here are some random facts about lemonade that you probably didn't know:
1. National Lemonade Day exists.
August 20 is National Lemonade Day.
2. The "ade" has a meaning.
The “ade” in lemonade means that it's a sweet, fruit-flavored beverage.
3. It’s older than you think.
Lemonade can trace its origins to the Egyptians when in 500 A.D., lemon juice was mixed with sugar to make a beverage known as qatarmizat.
4. How pink lemonade gets its color:
Pink Lemonade gets its color from being mixed with other fruits or red dye depending upon whom and where it is gotten from.
5. There was a lemonade monopoly in Paris.
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.
6. When/where frozen lemonade made its debut:
Frozen lemonade made its debut in 1840 in Naples, Italy.
7. The history of lemonade stands.
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.
8. "Alex’s Lemonade Stand" made millions.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand was started in 2000 by Alex Scott. After she learned that she had cancer, she sought to find a cure. She lived four more years after the stand opened, and raised more than $1 million for cancer research. Today, the organization has raised more than $25 million nationwide for children’s cancer research.
9. There's a lemonade diet.
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.
10. There's an entire lemonade restaurant in L.A.
There is a restaurant located throughout California, mainly in Los Angeles, that sells different flavors of lemonade such as "cucumber mint" and "coconut apple."
11. Beyoncé is making her own "lemonade."
Beyoncé is releasing a project (possibly an album/movie) with the title “Lemonade“ this Saturday, April 23, at 9 p.m. eastern, 6 p.m. pacific on HBO. This will usher in a new era for Queen Bey.
Lemonade has its history just like anything else. For now it's just a drink we all enjoy during the spring and summer months, but will Beyoncé make the word mean something entirely new?
