Red lemonade

{{Short description|Soft drink sold in Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Red lemonade ({{langx|ga|Líomanáid dhearg}}) is a soft drink sold in Ireland and regarded as distinctively a part of the cultural identity of Irish people.{{Cite news |first=Patrick|last=Freyne |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/i-m-a-cultural-culchie-baptised-in-red-lemonade-and-raised-by-bullocks-1.3310892|title=‘I’m a cultural culchie, baptised in red lemonade and raised by bullocks’ |date=December 3, 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times }}

Lemonade in Ireland traditionally comes in three varieties – red, brown and white. All three are lemon-flavoured, but there is a marked difference in taste between the varieties.{{Cite web|url=http://www.blackcastledrinks.com/our-news/2015/10/7/red-lemonade-irelands-legendary-soft-drink|title=Red Lemonade - Ireland's legendary soft drink |website=www.blackcastledrinks.com}} Red lemonade is particularly associated with festive occasions,{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-40195965.html|title='A bottle of red lemonade for the children and a glass of whiskey for Daddy' |first=Ciara|last=McDonnell|date=December 23, 2020|newspaper=Irish Examiner }}{{Cite news |first=Sheila|last=O'Kelly |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/picnics-of-yore-red-lemonade-crisps-and-an-apple-or-two-stolen-from-the-orchard-1.3137846 |title=Picnics of yore: red lemonade, crisps and an apple or two stolen from the orchard |date=July 7, 2017 |newspaper=The Irish Times}} but can also be a folk remedy.{{Cite news |first=Peter|last=McGuire |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/we-know-there-s-no-cure-for-colds-but-let-s-try-anyway-1.2088081|title=We know there’s no cure for colds. But let’s try anyway |date=February 10, 2015 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}

Red lemonade is drunk on its own and is also served as a mixer with spirits in Ireland, particularly in whiskey.{{Cite web |first=Lester|last=Graham |url=https://www.michiganradio.org/post/riff-irelands-whiskey-and-red-lemonade|title=A riff on Ireland's whiskey and red lemonade |date=March 16, 2021 |website=Michigan Public Radio - NPR }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.liquidirish.com/2008/08/mixers-red-lemonade.html|title=Mixers: red lemonade |website=www.liquidirish.com }} Major brands of red lemonade include TK (formerly Taylor Keith), Country Spring, Finches, Nash's, Maine, and C&C.{{cite web |url=http://www.cantrell.ie/our_brands/tk.htm

| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060827125930/www.cantrell.ie/our_brands/tk.htm

| archivedate = 2006-08-27

| title = Cantrell: Our Brands: TK Soft Drinks. Brand story |publisher=Cantrell & Cochrane

}} There was an urban myth that European Union authorities had banned red lemonade,{{Cite news |first=Aoife|last=McElwain |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/forbidden-foods-why-they-taste-so-delicious-1.2743624|title=Forbidden foods: why they taste so delicious |date=August 3, 2016 |website=The Irish Times}} but in fact the authorities had simply banned a cancer-causing dye.{{Cite news |first=David |last=Elkin |date=5 August 2015 |url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/myth-red-lemonade-banned-outside-ireland-debunked-180648752.html|title=Red lemonade isn’t banned everywhere but Ireland – that’s an urban myth |website=uk.news.yahoo.com}}{{cite news |first=Kim |last=Bielenberg | url = http://www.independent.ie/national-news/straight-bananas-how-euromyths-bend-the-truth-379237.html

| title = Straight bananas: How Euromyths bend the truth

| date = April 25, 2000

| newspaper = Irish Independent

}}