# Brits: Tell me about Lemonade **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956 "2005-11-01T20:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/21 "2005-11-01T22:52:27Z")
In Australia, they call it [Lift.](http://www.aussieproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DDSODA%20%20%20%20LIFT%201.25L) I think that it’s Australian for “barely drinkable.” Like others have stated, it’s what they call “lemon” flavored, and it’s carbonated. I can’t begin to describe my disappointment when they brought that to me, and the funny looks they gave me when I told them that that’s not lemonade. Sue me, I’m a lemonade snob. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/22 "2005-11-01T22:55:15Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > > [@Corii](#): > > > > A related question, is “orange squash” anything like the drink Orangina? > > Orange squash is a concentrated orange-flavoured liquid. You dilute with water in the proportion of about 1 part squash and 4 or 5 parts water. It is non fizzy and should contain at least some real orange juice in its ingredients. I’d have said that orange squash was just the orange-flavoured version of lemon squash i.e. it \*\*is \*\* carbonated and the orange flavour is artificial. > [@mazinger\_z](#): > > In Australia, they call it Lift. I think that it’s Australian for “barely drinkable.” Like others have stated, it’s what they call “lemon” flavored, and it’s carbonated. I can’t begin to describe my disappointment when they brought that to me, and the funny looks they gave me when I told them that that’s not lemonade. Sue me, I’m a lemonade snob. Nobody in Australia would describe Lift as lemonade. It’s lemon squash. The two are quite different. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/23 "2005-11-01T23:31:23Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’d have said that orange squash was just the orange-flavoured version of lemon squash i.e. it \*\*is \*\* carbonated and the orange flavour is artificial. > > Nobody in Australia would describe Lift as lemonade. It’s lemon squash. The two are quite different. More about [orange squash](http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/drinks/robinson-s-juice/441356/) . As you can see , you dilute it with ordinary tap water and it’s not fizzy. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/24 "2005-11-01T23:36:00Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > More about [orange squash](http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/drinks/robinson-s-juice/441356/) . As you can see , you dilute it with ordinary tap water and it’s not fizzy. The “dilute with ordinary tap water”, non-fizzy stuff is called orange \*cordial \* in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/25 "2005-11-01T23:38:34Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > _One of the cross beams has gone out askew on the treadle_…grrr, bloody northerners… Leave our industries out of it, thank you 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/26 "2005-11-01T23:39:17Z")
‘Lime cordial’ and its ilk is common up’north, although I’d doubt most southern barmen would know what it meant ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/27 "2005-11-01T23:40:18Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#): > > Leave our industries out of it, thank you 😉 OK, as long as you leave our sheep, inbreeding, and financial services out of it 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/28 "2005-11-01T23:57:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > 2.) At the (New) Jersey shore “Lemonade” is made fresh in your cup – a slice of lemon, a scoop of sugar already sit in the cup. When you buy it, they add water and shake it up with a cocktail shaker. Three simple ingredients, and no “high fructose corn syrup” or preservatives or coloring added. And no carbonation. This is what’s often called, at least around here, a “lemon[ade] shake-up,” and it’s a staple at state fairs and such. In the U.S., you can also buy “lemonade” in cans (brands such as Country Time and Minute Maid), which is non-carbonated, sometimes artificially sweetened, distinctly lemony or artificial-lemony tasting, and most decidedly not the same thing as lemon-lime sodas such as 7-Up or Sprite. (Why are the Google ads about colon cleansing?) ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/29 "2005-11-02T00:00:52Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > More about [orange squash](http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/drinks/robinson-s-juice/441356/) . As you can see , you dilute it with ordinary tap water and it’s not fizzy. Thanks! This sounds like what I would call orange syrup (like cola syrup) here in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/30 "2005-11-02T00:13:06Z")
…and true American lemonade involves more than just diluting lemon juice with sugar and water. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/31 "2005-11-02T00:38:19Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > …and true American lemonade involves more than just diluting lemon juice with sugar and water. I disagree. What else would you put it it? I put a couple teaspoons of sugar in the bottom of a glass (more or less depending on how sweet I want it). Squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon into there. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add cold water or seltzer (aka club soda) to fill. Stir. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/32 "2005-11-02T01:08:54Z")
What really surprised me was that in Belgium, canned Lipton Iced Tea is carbonated. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/33 "2005-11-02T01:28:47Z")
> [@wiki](#): > > The combination of white wine and this type of lemonade produces a “Limoschoppen” or “ **Süßgespritzter** ”. Try saying THAT three times fast! ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/34 "2005-11-02T01:54:57Z")
Okay… now I’m confused… Er, are lemons available in Britain or in Australia? If, out of some strange taste, I should like the diluted juice of a lemon, possibly with some sweetener added, I should ask for… ? Okay, the answer is coming to me… I should ask for diluted lemon juice, perhaps with some sweetener added, just like they serve in the States. Which itself - I further conjecture - is the reason why this delicious drink is not in fact very popular in Britain or Australia. Comments? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/35 "2005-11-02T02:08:57Z")
> [@Civil Guy](#): > > Okay… now I’m confused… > > Er, are lemons available in Britain or in Australia? If, out of some strange taste, I should like the diluted juice of a lemon, possibly with some sweetener added, I should ask for… ? Lemons and limes are common in Australia (and presumeably Britain.) > [@](#): > > Okay, the answer is coming to me… I should ask for diluted lemon juice, perhaps with some sweetener added, just like they serve in the States. Yep, you’d have to describe the drink you wanted as it is not something that we drink here. You could ask for “lemon water” or “lime water” but I think that’d be a lot more diluted than you are expecting. > [@mazinger\_z](#): > > In Australia, they call it Lift. I think that it’s Australian for “barely drinkable.” Like others have stated, it’s what they call “lemon” flavored, and it’s carbonated. In Australia, if you ask for lemonade, you should get Sprite or 7up or Schweppes Lemonade. If you are presented with Lift then you are being served by someone without a clue. Lift actually has lemon juice in it (5% I think) and does taste lemony. Lemonade doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/36 "2005-11-02T03:21:30Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > Yep, you’d have to describe the drink you wanted as it is not something that we drink here. > > > [@Civil Guy](#): > > > > Okay, the answer is coming to me… I should ask for diluted lemon juice, perhaps with some sweetener added, just like they serve in the States. I agree. Your best bet would simply be to ask for some freshly squeezed lemon juice, some sugar and some water and then mix it yourself. As an aside, for a recipe (for scones) using lemonade, see [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295394&highlight=scones+recipe+lemonade) ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/37 "2005-11-02T04:55:48Z")
All these confusing regional variations. Okay, what beverages _are_ safe to order? If I ask for a glass of wine, will I get mulled cider in some part of England and a cup of coffee elsewhere? And why do we here in the U.S. have such warm regard for a country that doesn’t actually have lemonade? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/38 "2005-11-02T05:51:51Z")
I’m not sure if I’ve ever had (U.S. style) lemonade made on the premises from lemons, sugar, and water. We’ve always made it from frozen concentrate. It has noticeable lemon pulp in it, and is akin to orange juice made from frozen concentrate. I was quite surprised – and disappointed – when I first ran into a festival food vendor (here in the States) whose “lemonade” was lemon-lime soda with a lemon slice added. I see now that this would not surprise many of you from overseas, and since then I’ve seen it at other similar vendors, but I thought it was a gross misrepresentation of the product to call it lemonade. Carbonated indeed! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MyNameIsEarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@MyNameIsEarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyNameIsEarl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/39 "2005-11-02T05:52:22Z")
> [@Myler Keogh](#): > > My mum asked for a martini and lemonade in the US once, the barman found it completely unfathomable. Pointless story: I was at a bar one time and had the misfortune to have as a waitress a clueless girl struggling through her second day on the job. I ordered my default drink at the time - an Absolut Citron and tonic - and asked for a menu. I ordered some food, but she was so slow in getting us new drinks and our dinner that I decided to order “another Citron and tonic and **a** Diet Coke” when she brought out our food (the Diet Coke for drinking with dinner, the Citron and tonic so I wouldn’t have to wait 45 minutes after dinner to get another drink). She came back… 10 minutes later… with a glass full… of Absolut Citron, tonic and Diet Coke! :smack: We just stared at her as she put the witches’ brew down on the table. She asked if something was wrong. I asked her what the drink was. “Citron, tonic and Diet Coke”. She apparently only lasted 2 more days at the job. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956/40 "2005-11-02T06:12:42Z")
I have no idea what I would refer to it as in Australia, probably “old fashioned lemonade” or “homemade lemonade”. BTW: I like keeping a stock of sugar syrup on hand at all times to make lemonade and other assorted items from. Put 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water in a container and heat in the microwave, stirring every minute until the water comes to a full boil and all the sugar has dissolved. Then, let cool and store in a glass bottle in the pantry. Because the sugar is pre-dissolved, it’s much easier to make since no vigourous stirring is required. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-tell-me-about-lemonade/328956.md?page=3)