Lemonade has a storied history in American culture. It often reminds people of warm, sunny days in summer and childhood innocence. This association with positive and happy images is almost a direct result of lemonade’s depiction in countless films and television shows. Recounting all the instances when lemonade made its way to Hollywood is impossible. However, we’ve included a select history of lemonade in movies.

Hollywood’s Most Favorite Drink

Water, lemon juice, and sugar. Lemonade is a simple recipe that has inspired generations of American entrepreneurs. Lemonade probably has its earliest roots in medieval Egypt (around the 10th century) but its appearance in film and television has launched the simple drink to iconic status.

Duck Soup: Lemonade Gets Its Big Break… Probably?

The history of film is interesting but often has gaps. For example, early movies were filmed on flammable materials that were often destroyed. This means that many of the first movies ever made have been lost. As a result, we might never know the EXACT first appearance of lemonade in film. However, we can get as close as possible.

After some exhausting and, honestly, frustrating research, the earliest appearance of lemonade we can find on film is the 1933 Marx brothers masterpiece Duck Soup. Described as anarchic comedy, Duck Soup’s plot centers around the fictional country of Freedonia. Lemonade makes only a brief cameo when a street vendor ends up in an argument with Harpo and Chico Marx. The jokes aren’t particularly funny but Duck Soup is a classic that’s been preserved as historically significant by the Library of Congress.

Lawrence of Arabia: The Lemonade Scene

Lawrence of Arabia is considered one of the greatest films of all time. Based on the harrowing true story of World War I soldier, T.E. Lawrence, the movie explores his time in the Middle East. Lawrence is tasked by the British to help locals fight against the Ottoman Empire. After spending weeks in the desert, baking under a hot sun, he returns to Cairo and stops by an officer’s club. He loudly demands, “We want two large glasses of lemonade!” It must have tasted amazing.

Lemonade Joe: A Parody of America Westerns

Lemonade Joe is a 1966 satirical movie from Czechoslovakia that perfectly embodies the theme of this article. A musical tribute to westerns and other classic American genres, Lemonade Joe tells the tale of a clean cut cowboy living life on the frontier. And when the creators needed to find the quintessential American drink for their hero, they turned to the original classic, lemonade. The film is a cult classic in its home country and well known to film fanatics around the world.