Country of origin | Te Aroha, Waikato, New Zealand |
---|---|
Introduced | 1888, 2022 |
Discontinued | 1970s |
Lemon & Te Aroha or L&T is a lemon-flavoured soft drink from New Zealand. [1] It is made using natural soda water from the Mokena geyser in Te Aroha. [1] Lemon & Te Aroha first came out in 1888, was discontinued in the 1970s, and started production again in 2022.
Te Aroha is in the Waikato, which is the same region from which the drink with the similar name, Lemon & Paeroa (L&P), originated. [1]
Lemon & Te Aroha first came out in 1888, which is 19 years before the similarly named but unrelated drink Lemon & Paeroa. [1] Thousands of people would visit the Te Aroha spring for its water, which at the time was believed to have curative properties. [2] People claimed that the water could cure illnesses of the stomach, intestines, bladder disorders, nasal issues and gout. [3] The drink has had various names including Te Aroha Steam Mineral Water, Te Aroha Natural Mineral Water, and Te Aroha Soda & Mineral Water. Eventually, the name Te Aroha and Lemon stuck. [3] After Lemon & Te Aroha had transferred between multiple owners, it eventually came into the ownership of Menzies & Co. [3] In 1972 Lemon & Te Aroha was bought by Oasis Industries, who also bought Lemon & Paeroa. [2] Oasis Industries stopped production shortly thereafter and allocated more of its resources toward Lemon & Paeroa. Reasons for the closure included competition from Lemon & Paeroa and Coca-Cola, and issues relating to the amount of spring water collected. [1] [2]
In 2022 the drink was brought back into business, 50 years after production ended. This version had new packaging and branding. The revival took four years of planning and preparation, and was directed by Richard Revell. This was after he created the carbonated milk drink, mo2 in 2010. Revell was asked if he wanted to buy the spring's land. He remembered drinking Lemon & Te Aroha as a child, so he decided to recreate it. [1] [2]
Lemon & Te Aroha is made naturally. The spring water is naturally fizzy, and the minerals in the drink also come from the spring. Iron and manganese are filtered out of the water without using chemicals. [2]
A soft drink is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute, or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.
The Tom Collins is a Collins cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. First memorialized in writing in 1876 by Jerry Thomas, "the father of American mixology", this "gin and sparkling lemonade" drink is typically served in a Collins glass over ice. A non-alcoholic "Collins mix" mixer is produced, enjoyed by some as a soft drink.
Shandy is beer or cider mixed with a lemon or a lemon-lime flavored beverage. The citrus beverage, often called lemonade, may or may not be carbonated. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste but are usually half lemonade and half beer/cider, resulting in a lower ABV for the finished drink. Shandies are popular in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada.
Carbonated water is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, either artificially injected under pressure or occurring due to natural geological processes. Carbonation causes small bubbles to form, giving the water an effervescent quality. Common forms include sparkling natural mineral water, club soda, and commercially produced sparkling water.
Kiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century, that are seen as representing iconic New Zealand elements. These "quirky things that contribute to a sense of nationhood" include both genuine cultural icons and kitsch.
Paeroa is a town in the Hauraki District of the Waikato Region in the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula, it is close to the junction of the Waihou River and Ohinemuri River, and is approximately 20 kilometres south of the Firth of Thames.
Lemon & Paeroa, often shortened to L&P, is a sweet, lemon-flavoured soft drink manufactured in New Zealand. The drink is considered Kiwiana, and was traditionally made by combining lemon juice with naturally carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa. Today, it is manufactured by multi-national Coca-Cola. The origin date of the drink is uncertain, but the brand estimates 1907.
Te Aroha is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand with a population of 3,906 people in the 2013 census, an increase of 138 people since 2006. It is 53 km (33 mi) northeast of Hamilton and 50 km (31 mi) south of Thames. It sits at the foot of 952 metres (3,123 ft) Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai Range.
The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook in November 1769, when he explored 14 mi (23 km) of the river from the mouth. An older Māori name was "Wai Kahou Rounga". A 1947 Geographic Board enquiry ruled that the official name would be Waihou.
Foxton Fizz is the name of a soft drink produced in Foxton and New Zealand on the North Island.
The phrase "world famous in New Zealand" is a commonly used phrase within New Zealand and the slogan of Lemon & Paeroa soft drink, coined by the British advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi in 1993. It is used to describe items that though famous within New Zealand are unknown in the rest of the world, whereas similar items and people in larger countries would have a far higher media profile and would therefore be famous worldwide.
A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice and carbonated water. It typically includes gin or rum as its alcoholic ingredient.
Hikutaia is a locality on the Hauraki Plains of New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 26, south east of Thames and north of Paeroa. The Hikutaia River runs from the Coromandel Range through the area to join the Waihou River.
The Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand, with Hamilton and was originally part of the East Coast Main Trunk railway. Part of the line between Morrinsville and Waitoa remains open and is in use as the Waitoa Branch line, connecting to the Fonterra Dairy Factory at Waitoa.
The Big Lemon & Paeroa Bottle is a statue of a bottle of the Lemon & Paeroa soft drink. It is located in Paeroa, New Zealand, where the drink was originally made. It is one of New Zealand's most famous icons, making it one of the most photographed places in the country. It has a height of 6.8 metres (22 ft), a diameter of 1.3 metres (4.3 ft), is made from concrete rings, and is surrounded by lemon trees and lemon shaped rubbish bins in a park around the statue. It is a popular tourist site, and the statue is owned by the council, but the branding and maintenance of the bottle is done by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.