# lemonade or water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142 "2000-07-28T02:09:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/21 "2000-07-28T14:57:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ticker \*Marvelous idea! Never really occured to me 'cos, well, i’m british! > > Approx. how many lemons and how much sugar to a quart? \*\* Good grief, I’M British and even I know this one! Just buy a bag of about 8 lemons, squeeze the juice into a jug, cut the peel off the lemons (not the pith) and stick a bit of that in the jug too. Then add some citric acid (not sure how much) and a shitload of sugar. Then boil it for some time and let it cool. Now you have lemonade concentrate, which you can mix with still or sparkling mineral water (NOT tap water though, if you live in London 😉 ). P.S. Actually, I only know this because my wife is Mexican. They make damn fine lemonade in Mexico… ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/22 "2000-07-28T15:05:15Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by mothra \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Good grief, I’M British and even I know this one! > \*\* The embarrasing thing is my mother is actually a Yank. You would think this sort of knowledge would have been passed down in the genes. I shall go out and buy some lemons tonight, then call her up and make her feel guilty about depriving me of my roots! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/23 "2000-07-28T15:05:26Z")
Whoa there, I’ve _seen_ a fresh-squeezed lemonade stand in Britain. (York city center, if you’re thinking of making an expedition.) They were doing a thriving business – perhaps you should go commercial with that recipe. On the other hand, you _cannot_ get lemon soda in the US for love nor money. I’ll take your country over mine any day. ---
**Author:** ![PaulT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@PaulT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulT)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/24 "2000-07-28T15:51:42Z")
Bah – I worked at an American ice cream parlor a few years back, and we sold many a lemon soda (with or without ice cream) during a hot summer day. ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/25 "2000-07-28T16:35:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*Whoa there, I’ve _seen_ a fresh-squeezed lemonade stand in Britain. (York city center, if you’re thinking of making an expedition.) They were doing a thriving business – perhaps you should go commercial with that recipe. > > On the other hand, you _cannot_ get lemon soda in the US for love nor money. I’ll take your country over mine any day. \*\* And you can get “proper” bottled lemonade in England- it’s already prediluted with (usually) still waterit’s cloudy-dull-yellow/green (ie not bright yellow like a car or lemon rind…) & has a label on it that says something along the lines of “Traditional” Lemonade - ie it actually has some lemon in it somewhere instead of fizzy sweet colourless, water Fi - defending our fair nation from the slanders of faulty shoppers! ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/26 "2000-07-28T19:29:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phobos \* > \*\*there is no such thing as “pure water”. being a universal solvent, water contains all kinds of stuff dissolved in it (and some not-dissolved stuff too) \*\* What? Your favorite resturant with stool chains doesn’t have DI water? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/27 "2000-07-28T19:53:09Z")
Fretful, Several years of careful research have concluded that “Citra” sold in the states is _almost_ identical to Lemon Fanta, sold in Europe. Amazingly, they’re both manufactured by Coca-Cola. How 'bout that!? Citra became available around here about 2 years ago amidst great rejoicing (on my part, anyway) However, I believe that Citra has been doctored with some slight quantity of grapefruit flavoring to make it taste more like its nearest competitor, Squirt. Which is also tasty, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/28 "2000-07-28T22:05:18Z")
Thanks, rmariamp! I’ll keep my eye out for Citra. Does anybody know if there’s a similar American equivalent for Lilt pineapple-grapefruit crush, or is that too much to hope for? ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/29 "2000-07-28T23:27:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*Whoa there, I’ve _seen_ a fresh-squeezed lemonade stand in Britain. (York city center, if you’re thinking of making an expedition.) They were doing a thriving business – perhaps you should go commercial with that recipe. They only put that out for the American touists in specially designated ‘Tourist Areas’ from which ordinary British people are banned. 😉 > [@](#): > > On the other hand, you _cannot_ get lemon soda in the US for love nor money. What _is_ “lemon soda” anyway? I’ve never seen it in England before. ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/30 "2000-07-28T23:40:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fierra \* > And you can get “proper” bottled lemonade in England- it’s already prediluted with (usually) still water it’s cloudy-dull-yellow/green (ie not bright yellow like a car or lemon rind…) & has a label on it that says something along the lines of “Traditional” Lemonade - ie it actually has some lemon in it somewhere instead of fizzy sweet colourless, water > \*\* Well, someone may have whispered the word “lemon” somewhere near the bottle at some point, but it’s hardly what you’d call “Traditional Lemonade”. It’s really just another flavoured, carbonated beverage, just like Sprite and 7-Up. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/31 "2000-07-29T16:07:46Z")
> [@](#): > > What is “lemon soda” anyway? I’ve never seen it in England before. You’ve never seen lemon Fanta? Or lemon Schweppes? Or lemon Tango (which is an abomination unto the Lord, but this thread has probably wandered far enough off course already)? Just out of curiosity, is “soda” the right word? What’s the generic British term for a sweet, carbonated non-alcoholic beverage? ---
**Author:** ![xekul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/838e76/32.png) [@xekul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xekul)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/32 "2000-07-31T00:29:46Z")
I’m going with lemonade. The comparison to coffee is unfair because coffee contains caffeine, which is a diuretic. That’s why it dehydrates you. Lemonade, on the other hand, doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![xekul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/838e76/32.png) [@xekul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xekul)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/33 "2000-07-31T00:32:25Z")
Unless, of course, it’s Mike’s Hard 🙂 Alcohol is also a diuretic. A diuretic, by the way, is a drug that makes you go pee. ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/34 "2000-07-31T16:21:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*Just out of curiosity, is “soda” the right word? What’s the generic British term for a sweet, carbonated non-alcoholic beverage? \*\* Either “pop”, or “soft drink” (with emphasis on the word “soft”), e.g. “Could I have a bottle of pop, please?” or “Do you have any _soft_ drinks?”. Also (just about) acceptable: “fizzy” (diminutive) or “fizzy pop” (somewhat redundant diminutive). We don’t use the word soda, except to describe “soda water”, i.e. ordinary tap water put in a “soda syphon” - a device that carbonates the water as it is dispensed. ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/35 "2000-07-31T16:35:19Z")
Oh and… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > **You’ve never seen lemon Fanta?** Nope. Not in England. Just Orange Fanta. > [@](#): > > \*\* Or lemon Schweppes? \*\* It’s called Schweppes Lemonade here, but its flavouring is derived from citric acid. Not a lemon to be found, I’m afraid. > [@](#): > > \*\*Or lemon Tango (which is an abomination unto the Lord, \*\* You mean you poor Americans have had that inflicted on you _too_? > [@](#): > > **…but this thread has probably wandered far enough off course already)?** all the best threads do this. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142/36 "2000-07-31T16:45:40Z")
Fretful, Lilt, although manufactured by Coca-Cola, is not available in the U.S. I recommend calling the home office hourly to complain 🙂 Don’t even get me started on the differences between orange fanta sold in Italy, Bulgaria, Greece (yum), etc & Orange Fanta sold in the U.S.(yuck). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemonade-or-water/27142.md?page=1)