# Why no lemon soda in the U.S.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788 "2003-02-22T16:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/1 "2003-02-22T16:42:52Z")
Why is there no widely available brand of lemon soda in the U.S., preferably one with some actual lemon juice in it so that it actually tastes like lemon? I loved Schweppes Lemon (or limon, depending on location) in Spain and England; you could find it pretty much anywhere. Lemon is a normal enough flavor, so you’d think we’d have something similar here, but alas, I’ve never found anything but the occasional imports. Fake lemon-lime soda, like Sprite, just sucks; it’s not even close to the same thing, and bears no relationship to any naturally originating flavor. If I need a fix, I have to cross my fingers that the local Middle Eastern grocery has a few bottles of the Turkish stuff in stock. Anyone care to remedy this travesty? Or is there some wonderful product I haven’t heard about? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/2 "2003-02-22T16:54:26Z")
I haven’t had it for a few months, but wal-mart does (hopefully still does) sell a lemon soda. It was really good- lightly carbonated, tasted like lemonade- so I wonder why I haven’t looked for it lately. Peach is supposed to be good as well, if you like peach flavored drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/3 "2003-02-22T18:39:25Z")
In Canada, President’s Choice brand makes a carbonated lemonade, and a carbonated cranberry soda. They’re both pretty good. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/4 "2003-02-22T18:52:06Z")
I’d guess it’s not widely available because most Americans seem to like everything sickly sweet – or at least soft drink manufacturers think they do. (Compare the European and American versions of orange soda, for instance.) A decent lemon soda has a nice, tart, crisp edge to it, a quality not often found in any American soft drink. Alas. I’ve found that one part commercial lemonade from concentrate to one part seltzer water is a passable do-it-yourself substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/5 "2003-02-22T18:58:42Z")
Is Mello Yello lemon-flavored? I think so. It’s probably too sickly sweet for you, but I do think it’s lemon soda. Have you ever tried Squirt? It’s grapefruit flavored soda, and it rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/6 "2003-02-22T19:24:13Z")
I thought Mountain Dew was lemon soda. Have they been lying to me all these years? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/7 "2003-02-22T19:35:03Z")
Whatever unholy flavors Mtn. Dew is, it is certainly **not** a lemon soda! I agree with **fretful Porkentino**. ---
**Author:** ![whiteboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@whiteboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiteboy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/8 "2003-02-22T19:43:46Z")
Its not Pepsi - Its Pepsi Twist! ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/9 "2003-02-22T19:48:01Z")
The closest thing I found the last time I was over there was 7-Up or Sprite - though these tend to be a lemon/lime drink. Ive made a shandy with Sprite and it wasn’t too bad. The barman gave me the most disgusted look, but after he had a sip he changed his mind. It may be as mentioned that the American tastebud is more satisfied with sickly-sweet flavours. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/10 "2003-02-22T20:51:35Z")
Country Time? ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/11 "2003-02-22T21:38:39Z")
I don’t drink pop. Pop is gross. (I use the term pop rather than soda because soda is different to me.) When I get the craving for a carbonated drink that has no alohol, I go to the local grocery and pick up Canada Dry Seltzer water. They have several varieties and there’s no sweeter in them at all. The lemon-lime tastes like a 7-UP but no sugars. The raspberry is just my style and the cherry is very good. They have a mandarine orange flavor but I have never tried it. I don’t think they use “natural” flavors but I don’t have a can in the house at the moment to confirm or deny that. BTW, those seltzer waters go well with vodka 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/12 "2003-02-22T21:39:51Z")
Squirt? Slice? What are those? ---
**Author:** ![penny\_dreadful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@penny\_dreadful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penny_dreadful)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/13 "2003-02-22T22:01:55Z")
About six or seven years ago, when I was in Arizona, I found a Sunkist lemonade soda. I haven’t seen it in any other parts of the country where I’ve lived, but maybe it’s available in your area. It was sweeter than the European lemon sodas, but still pretty good, as I recall. (But oh, how I miss Limonata in the black can with the lemon pulp at the bottom.) ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/14 "2003-02-22T22:10:01Z")
Mountain Dew is a lemon/lime base with orange juice added. Squirt is very good, so is Sundrop (although it is sweet and I don’t think you can get it outside of the South). ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/15 "2003-02-22T22:18:10Z")
Squirt is grapefruit flavor. I love this stuff. Slice is lemon-lime, like Sprite. This stuff makes me gag. I will vouch for the peach stuff I’ve had though. Pretty tasty. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/16 "2003-02-22T22:47:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by belladonna \* > \*\*Squirt is grapefruit flavor. I love this stuff. > Slice is lemon-lime, like Sprite. This stuff makes me gag. > > I will vouch for the peach stuff I’ve had though. Pretty tasty. \*\* I though Slice was orange? Or maybe they have more than one variety? Fresca is also god. it’s like squirt, I think…I’ve never had squirt, so I’m not sure, but Fresca is grapefruit as well. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/17 "2003-02-22T23:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\*I though Slice was orange? Or maybe they have more than one variety? > \*\* Yes, they have multiple varieties. They used to have an apple flavor (no, really!) that was heavenly. I haven’t seen it in years, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hyenuf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/53a042/32.png) [@Hyenuf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyenuf)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/18 "2003-02-22T23:59:59Z")
When I was about 35 years younger there was a carbonated lemon soda called “Lemmy” availble here. Their ad slogan was, “Lemmy have a Lemmy”. My memory has kicked in to full nostalgia now and tells me it tasted really good, though the absence of this product for the last 35 years would seem to indicate it didn’t have a very big following. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/19 "2003-02-23T00:56:55Z")
Coke puts out a Minute Maid lemon soda made with real lemons, sold in two litre bottles, I only know one store that has it locally at this time, Albertsons. No bubbles in it though. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788/20 "2003-02-23T03:39:13Z")
Fresca is grapefruit. I used to love it, but I developed an allergy to NutraSweet and it only comes in diet—why? I don’t know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-lemon-soda-in-the-u-s/156788.md?page=2)