The history of lemonade. Why Soviet “lemonade” was considered the best in the world (1 photo)

Cities and streets, squares and avenues, ships, airplanes and even entire countries are named after historical figures. Alcoholic drinks, it turns out, are no exception.

What they called it. Whiskey.

Robert II is an iconic figure in the history of medieval Scotland. He is the founder of the famous Stuart dynasty. In the 17th century, his descendants ruled not only Scotland, but also England. Robert was the grandson of King Robert the Bruce, who achieved Scottish independence. He inherited the throne in 1371 after the death of his uncle David II. Robert was considered a "kind and generous king" who, however, did not possess the qualities of a great politician. So the 19-year period of his reign was a difficult period in the life of Scotland. Nevertheless, it is Robert’s name that is associated with the appearance of whiskey. It’s worth noting here that Scotland and Ireland have been arguing in absentia for many years about which of them is the birthplace of this drink. And on the Scottish side, Robert is sort of the captain of the team. Three types of whiskey are named after him, one of which is believed to have been first brewed during his reign, at the end of the 14th century.

Robert II was considered a "kind and generous king"

What they called it. Wine.

Louis IX went down in history under the nickname Saint, for he organized two Crusades at once. This was at the end of the 13th century, when these events had already lost all meaning. So Louis only ruined himself and plunged the French treasury into debt. But in the memory of his subjects he remained a kind and fair king (which, in part, was the case). This is, in a way, an analogue of Richard the Lionheart. A magnanimous and wise king who is not in the country. An island in the middle of Paris, several abbeys, many streets and a variety of French wine are named after Saint Louis. It is believed that the king brought from Tunisia the very grapes from which this wine is made. Whether this is so is difficult to verify. Rather, this is simply a cunning ploy by manufacturers who wanted to increase interest in their drink.

An island in the middle of Paris is named after Saint Louis.

What they called it. Vodka.

There is probably no point in telling who Boris Yeltsin is. His passion for strong drinks is also widely known. There are quite a few vodkas named in his honor, but it is curious that the most famous of them does not come from Russia at all, but from France. And, by the way, not only alcoholic drinks are named after Yeltsin. The name of the first president of Russia, for example, was also given to the Costa Rican football player Yeltsin Tejeda. His mother was so impressed by the events that took place in Russia that she simply could not help but name her newborn son after Boris Yeltsin.

Not only alcoholic drinks are named after Yeltsin

What they called: Rum.

The cruel and cunning Henry Morgan is one of the most famous corsairs in history and a unique symbol of Jamaica. Of course, it is difficult for him to compete with Bob Marley, but the rum that is made on the island was named, after all, in honor of Morgan, which, in the end, is very logical. In 1671, Morgan carried out one of the most daring operations in the history of the New World. Having gathered under his command all the privateers of England, France and Holland, he made a raid on Panama - the pearl of Spanish possessions in the New World. The pirates captured the small fortress of Porto Bello, which overlooked the Caribbean Sea, and from there they crossed the isthmus by land and attacked the Spanish city. Panama was burned and plundered, but just during the campaign, England and Spain made peace. From a military hero, Morgan became a criminal. The famous corsair immediately went to London, managed to prove his innocence in court and soon returned to Jamaica with the rank of lieutenant governor. Shortly before his death, this cunning pirate issued a decree prohibiting sea robbery in English possessions in the New World. Now the figure of Morgan in a red hat and with a long sword in his hand can be seen on the label of a bottle of rum named after him.

Morgan pulled off the most daring operation in the history of the New World

What they called it. Beer.

Charles V is one of the greatest European rulers of the late Middle Ages. It was he who turned Spain into the most powerful state in Europe, it was he who defeated and captured the brilliant French king Francis I, it was he who united half of Europe, part of India and vast territories in the New World under his rule. They said about him that the sun never sets in his domain. That’s how it was, in principle. Karl was born in the city of Ghent, now Belgium. Local brewers named one of their beers after the Emperor. After all, Charles V is perhaps the most famous native of this wonderful city. True, beer is brewed here on every corner and every street has its own variety. So it’s difficult to find a foamy drink named after Charles V even in the city itself.

Charles V - one of the greatest European rulers of the late Middle Ages

The history of consumption of sparkling water in Russia goes back more than one century. Soda has managed to be a whim of aristocrats, a folk drink and even a weapon of geopolitics, our answer to Cola.

Where did he even come from - lemonade?

Like many great inventions, sparkling water was invented by mistake. According to legend, the first “soda” in history was made by the cupbearer of King Louis I. When the monarch asked for wine, the cupbearer confused the barrels with wine and juice. I noticed a mistake and added mineral water to the juice. The king liked the drink. Allegedly, this is how “royal lemonade” appeared. But this is a legend. In fact, it is known that back in the 17th century in France, lemonade was a mixture of lemon juice and mineral water. Not everyone could afford such a drink, so consuming lemonade was considered a whim of the aristocracy. We drank lemonade in Italy too. There, lemonade was also infused with various herbs. Thus, the world history of lemonade began with mixing lemon juice with mineral water, only in 1767 the English scientist Joseph Priestley invented a saturator, with the help of which it became possible to saturate plain water with bubbles of carbon dioxide. The first carbonated lemonades appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, and in 1871 the first lemonade was patented in the USA. With a fancy name: “High Quality Lemon Sparkling Ginger Ale.” This is exactly the fizzy drink that Lolita loved to drink in Nabokov’s acclaimed novel.

Petrovsky innovations

The appearance of lemonade in Russia is associated with Peter the Great. He brought the recipe, and most importantly the fashion for drinking lemonade, from Europe. The diplomat of Peter the Great's time, Pyotr Tolstoy, wrote that abroad “they drink more lemonades...”. Russia immediately fell in love with the new drink, and the emperor ordered “to drink lemonade at assemblies.” Having picked up the fashion trend, noble and merchant families began to prepare the soft drink, although it was not cheap and was stored for only a week.

Lemonade in art

By the beginning of the 19th century, lemonade in Russia was drunk not only in assemblies and not only by aristocrats. True, it was usually not carbonated lemonade, but rather lemon water. Mixing it with mineral water was still expensive. Herman drank lemonade in Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades” and Arbenin in Lermontov’s “Masquerade”; Dunya in “The Station Agent” served her father a mug of “lemonade she had prepared.” In Chekhov's story “Ferment of Minds,” Akim Danilych drank lemonade with cognac in a grocery store.

Soda

In Russia, the history of lemonade received its unique development. In 1887, Tiflis pharmacist Mitrofan Lagidze came up with the idea of ​​mixing sparkling water not with lemon juice, but with an extract of Caucasian tarragon, better known as tarragon. At pre-revolutionary international exhibitions, the effervescent and aromatic drink Lagidze repeatedly received gold medals. Mitrofan Lagidze was a supplier to the Imperial Court and the Shah of Iran. “Lagidze Water” was also popular during Soviet times. From the Tbilisi plant twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, batches of lemonade were sent to Moscow on special flights for the top officials of the state. It is known that Khrushchev loved pear and orange drinks, Brezhnev - pear and tarragon, Kalinin - orange, Anastas Mikoyan - pear and lemon. “Waters of Lagidze” also participated in geopolitics. Tbilisi lemonades were on the tables of the Yalta Conference participants; Franklin Roosevelt took several thousand bottles of Cream Soda with him to the USA, and Churchill mentioned Yalta lemonade in his memoirs. When another US president, Harry Truman, sent 1000 bottles of Coca-Cola as a gift to the USSR in 1952, he received in return a whole batch of various Lagidze lemonades, including such exotic types as chocolate and cream.

Slot machines

On April 16, 1937, the first sparkling water machine was installed in the Smolny canteen. This can be considered a truly historical event. Further more. Machine guns began to appear in Moscow, and then throughout the Union. Just sparkling water cost one kopeck, sparkling water with syrup was sold for three kopecks. The cups were reusable and simply rinsed with a stream of water, which was far from current hygienic standards.

Siphons

Those who “come from the USSR” remember that previously every house had a siphon - such a semi-fantastic unit with replaceable carbon dioxide cartridges. It was necessary to know how to handle the siphon, and to maintain safety precautions with the cans - if installed incorrectly, the siphon began to hiss alarmingly. Siphon cans were also used to charge air guns, but this is not relevant to the topic of the article.

Lemonades today

Today, lemonades are, as they say, not the same. Only the lazy did not talk about the dangers of excessive consumption of carbonated drinks, and if this drink is also made with the addition of dyes, stabilizers and contains a huge dose of sugar, then the result is completely dangerous lemonade. Natural lemonade is rarely found, and it can only be stored for a week. There is such a historical story: “Lavrentiy Beria suspected Mitrofan Lagidze of being “chemical” when preparing his famous lemonades. Then Lagidze prepared his “Tarkhun” right in the room, under Stalin and Beria.” It was a level.

LemonAdd(ed)– what does “limonized” mean?

It's all about the magic bubbles!

In 1767, English chemist Joseph Priestley invented a pump that saturated water with gas (CO2) produced during the fermentation of beer.
The industrial production of such pumps was started by Jacob Schweppe, the founder of the Schweppes brand of soft drinks.

Thus began the era of carbonated drinks!

Whose Poison Cola is Better?

In March 1886, in Atlanta, John Pemberton, a pharmacist by training, was trying to find a cure for headaches. For this purpose, he brewed an unusual caramel-colored syrup.

The drink's recipe included a decoction of coca leaves (from the same leaves in 1859, Albert Niemann isolated a special component and called it cocaine), sugar and caffeine. Therefore, the drink turned out to be quite stimulating in its effect.

The syrup was sweet and thick; Pemberton praised the taste of his creation quite highly. He decided to sell it through Jacobs Pharmacy. The first portions of syrup began to be sold here for five cents per glass. At first, coca was sold in the amount of nine glasses a day.

Later, sparkling water was added to the drink. Around the same time, the drink received the name Coca-Cola. The name and original font were invented by Frank Robinson, a friend and partner of John Pemberton.

There is a legend that the composition of “Coca-Cola” was invented by a farmer who sold his recipe to John Stith for $250.

After Pemberton's death, successful businessman Asa Kendler purchased the Coca-Cola recipe from his widow for $2,300. And then Candler placed the drink in a metal container, in which he brewed it along with his own patented “Plant Blood Balm.”

Over the next ten years, Coca-Cola strengthened its title as a “medicinal drink.” And on January 31, 1893, the Coca-Cola trademark was officially registered in the United States.

It is said that there is a recipe written in Pemberton's own hand. It is kept in a special safe, to which only the top management of the company has access, and even they can only open the safe together. On the one hand, given the current close attention and strict requirements of various organizations for food and drink, it is strange that the recipe has not yet been revealed.

Here is one option for deciphering the composition:

First, the black elixir is prepared:

80 drops orange essential oil
40 drops cinnamon essential oil
120 drops lemon essential oil
20 drops coriander essential oil
40 drops nutmeg oil
40 drops neroli oil
Lime essential oil - to taste

Then for 10 liters of water take 42 grams of black elixir, 113 grams of caffeine citrate, 56 grams of phosphoric acid, 28 grams of vanilla extract. Now all that remains is to add sugar - as much as 13.5 kilograms.

The amount of sugar is impressive, of course; there are as many as 9 spoons per glass of drink. It is precisely because of this that perhaps it should have been hidden, because one can only imagine how useful this “miracle remedy” is for our body.
We can say with confidence that neither Coca nor Cola have been there for a long time.

The exact formula of Coca-Cola's natural spices (not those other ingredients listed on the side of the bottle or can) is a trade secret. The original copy of the formula is kept in the main vault of SunTrust Bank in Atlanta. Its predecessor, the Trust Company, was the underwriter of the Coca-Cola Company's IPO in 1919. A popular myth is that only two executives can have access to the formula, and each can only have access to half the formula. The truth is that although Coca-Cola had a rule limiting access to only two executives, each of them knew the entire formula, and the others, in addition to the established two, knew the manufacturing process.

In the late 1890s, public opinion turned against cocaine, and in 1903 a devastating article appeared in the New York Tribune, claiming that Coca-Cola was to blame for the fact that blacks from the city slums who had drunk on it began to attack white people . After this, they began to add not fresh coca leaves to Coca-Cola, but already “squeezed” ones, from which all the cocaine was removed.

Since then, the popularity of the drink has grown exponentially. And just fifty years after its invention, Coca-Cola became something of a national symbol for Americans. Since 1894, Coca-Cola has been sold in bottles, and since 1955 in cans.

In 1902, with a turnover of $120 thousand, Coca-Cola became the most famous drink in the United States.

In 1931, another significant event took place in the history of Coca-Cola. The company commissioned American artist Haddon Sundblom to design a red and white suit for Santa Claus. Before this, Santa Claus dressed as he had to, in clothes of a wide variety of colors and shades, which did not look very fun. The artist thought for a long time about what face to draw for Santa and... made his self-portrait. This is how the kind and cheerful Santa Haddon has been looking at us at Christmas for many years.

In 2009, during the trial, at the insistence of the Turkish authorities and the Saint's Foundation, that food additives also included the food coloring carmine (E120) - an extract from female insects of the species Dactylopius coccus (cochineal bug), which caused a scandal, including because some religions, in particular Judaism, prohibit eating insects.

Later, a comment appeared on the company’s official website refuting the inclusion of carmine in the drink.

Coca-Cola drinks first appeared in the USSR in 1979 during the preparation of the Olympic Games in Moscow. The company finally entered the country's market during perestroika in 1988.

History of Pepsi began in 1893, when a young New Bern pharmacist, Caleb Bradham, experimented with creating a pharmaceutical mixture of soda water, sugar, vanilla, rare oils and kola nuts. This unusual mixture, under the silent name “Brad’s drink,” began to be sold in pharmacies as a cheerful, strengthening and digestive drink.

Five years after the invention, Bradham gave the drink a new name - “Pepsi-Cola” and registered it as a trademark. The name was made up of the names of the main ingredients - pepsin (digestive enzyme) and kola nut.

Four years later, in 1902, Caleb Bradham formed the Pepsi-Cola Company. And for more than a century, Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola have been fighting for the title of the most popular drink in the world.

In 1923, PepsiCo went bankrupt due to rising sugar prices as a result of World War I. Its assets were sold. The collapse of the company in 1923 deprived the drink's formula of secrecy. To file for bankruptcy, Caleb Davis Bradham, the creator of the drink and the head of the company, had to not only submit a syrup recipe to a federal court, but also confirm the truth of this information under oath.

Pepsi-Cola's original recipe, submitted to court in the United States when the company filed for bankruptcy in 1923.

Sugar: 7500 lbs.
Water: 1200 gallons
Caramel (burnt sugar): 12 gallons
Lime juice: 12 gallons
Phosphoric acid: 58 lbs.

Ethyl alcohol: 0.5 gallons
Lemon oil: 6 oz.
Orange oil: 5 oz.
Cinnamon oil: 4 oz.
Nutmeg oil: 2 oz.
Coriander oil: 2 ounces
Petitgrain Lemon Oil: 1 oz.

Stir for 2 hours, pre-boil water and sugar.

Petitgrain lemon oil is obtained from the leaves and branches of the lemon tree. Initially, the drink contained the enzyme pepsin, which promotes digestion. Like Coca-Cola, Pepsi was first sold in carbonated water and now probably contains gum arabic as an emulsifier.

Eight years later the company went bankrupt again. However, during the depression of the 1930s in the United States, PepsiCo launched a successful attack on Coca-Cola's market position. Pepsi-Cola began selling in 12-ounce bottles for 5 cents. A 6-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola also cost 5 cents. Coca-Cola couldn't release the drink in another bottle because the vending machines accepted nickels and Coca-Cola had a supply of 1 billion 6-ounce bottles left. In 1939, Pepsi-Cola became extremely popular among children.

During World War II, Pepsi-Cola surpassed both Royal Crown and Dr. Pepper and became the No. 2 drink after Coca-Cola. In the early 50s, Coca-Cola was 5 times ahead of Pepsi-Cola.

In the mid-70s, PepsiCo ran a promotion called "Pepsi Challenge." Blind tests were conducted to evaluate the two drinks. The participants of the action preferred Pepsi-Cola to Coca-Cola by a margin of 3:2, and this fact was announced in television advertising.

The production of Pepsi-Cola in the USSR began during détente, initiated by a meeting in 1971 between PepsiCo President Donald Kendall and Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers Alexei Kosygin.

At the meeting, negotiations were held on possible economic cooperation. In 1972, within the framework of a bilateral trade agreement between the USSR and the USA, cooperation agreements were reached. The results of this agreement were that the company received the right to produce Stolichnaya vodka in the USA, and Pepsi-Cola began to be sold in the USSR, and then the construction of factories for the production of Pepsi-Cola began.

“Are you part of the Pepsi generation? »

“Made from natural extract of wooden men.”

Lemonade "Buratino" was one of the most popular drinks during the Soviet era. The drink was produced using natural raw materials, so many people remember the good taste of lemonades very well.

Maybe you will remember...