Happy National Lemonade Day: lemonade facts and recipes

Today, August 20th, is National Lemonade Day! Lemonade is a wonderful summer drink that refreshes in a way nothing else can.

It has been a favorite for centuries and lemonade stands are now synonymous with childhood in American culture. But how much do you know about the sweet and tart beverage? Get fun facts about lemonade and a few tasty recipes below!

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Fun facts about lemonade:

* The first mention of lemonade is found in ancient Egyptian writings.

* The “ade” in lemonade signifies that the beverage is not 100 percent juice.

* Frozen lemonade made its debut in 1840 in Naples, Italy.

* Edward Bok is the young entrepreneur credited with creating the first documented lemonade stands in Brooklyn street cars from in 1873.

* Alex Scott set up a lemonade stand at age 4 to raise money to find a cure for cancer, which she was diagnosed with just before her first birthday. She raised $2,000 in just one day, and a movement was born. Today, Alex’s Lemonade Stands have raised more than $80 million for cancer research. Sadly, Alex passed away in 2004 at the age of 8, but you can learn how the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation keeps her memory and mission alive here.

* Pink lemonade was traditionally colored with grenadine, but now is often made pink wth the addition of berries or food dye.

* In France, “citronade” is used to refer to American-style lemonade. “Limonade” refers to carbonated, lemon-flavoured, clear soft drinks.

* Lemonade can also be the base to alcoholic drinks, such as a Tom Collins or a Primm’s Cup. In the United Kingdom, a lemon flavored beer was invented while lemonade with alcohol is simply referred to as hard lemonade.

* California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U.S. lemon crop.

* A single lemon tree can produce up to 500 or 600 pounds of lemons in just one year.

Favorite lemonade recipes: