Leninade entered the cold-drink war in the early ’00s. It’s the brainchild of Real Soda in Real Bottles Ltd., founded as a soda distributorship by a metro
Drink up, comrade!
Los Angeles man who collected bottle caps as a kid.
It feels risky to pick up a bottle with a hammer and sickle on its label. But, hey, that’s the past and, besides, the rest of the label lightens the mood: “Join the party!” “Get hammered & sickeled!” “Drink, comrade! Drink! It’s this or the gulag!” and, in stamped-on black letters that might be mistaken for an expiration date, “Don’t tell.”
We’re about to tell whether Leninade is lemonade in a Soviet uniform.
What’s in it: Carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, gum acacia (keeps sugar from settling out), natural and artificial flavor, glyceryl abietate (keeps oils suspended in water), sodium benzoate (preservative), artificial color.
Appearance: Color is bright pinko. We pried the plastic liner out of the cap to find this: “If your Leninade is fluorescent, you are part of the Chernobility!”
Aroma: Citrus, possibly lemon; sweet.
Flavor: Citrus flavor, a little medicinal.
Finish: Short, straightforward.
Pairings: We call this one for sugar cookies.
Notes: The flavor improved greatly when Leninade was poured over ice. This Real Soda requires a real bottle opener, no matter that the masses have become accustomed to twist-off caps.
California WildWoman 