The Worst Fast Food Lemonade Contains An Ingredient Used For Skincare
A simple, classic lemonade is one of summer's greatest pleasures. When it's made well, it can taste like the most refreshing drink in the world. But when you get a bad one, there's nothing more disappointing. So, we tried and ranked 10 different fast food lemonades from worst to best to help you avoid that situation. The chain that came in last? Well, it might surprise you: Starbucks.
One of the great things about Starbucks is its vast menu. There's a wide array of espresso-based drinks, a rotating line of Frappuccinos, and a lot of fruity Starbucks Refresher flavors that are perfect for summer. But the good ol' plain lemonade? Avoid it at all costs. Our tester was more than disappointed with the drink, which she claimed tasted metallic and overly tart.
On its menu, Starbucks describes its lemonade as "tangy" and "fresh" with a zinginess that will "awaken your taste buds." It certainly woke up our tester, but not in a good way. Despite a tall cup containing a whopping 19 grams of sugar, there just wasn't enough sweetness to balance out the acidity. If we had to guess, we'd say the culprit would be one specific ingredient: lemon oil, a common component of skincare and cleaning products.
What is lemon oil?
According to Starbucks, its lemonade contains nothing but water, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon oil. The first three ingredients are the typical base for any lemonade, be it a springtime lavender lemonade or a naturally pink lemonade. Lemon oil, however, is less common. An essential oil made by pressing lemon rinds, lemon oil is very potent. It takes over 200 lemons to make just 100 milliliters of pure oil, leading to a concentrated, intense flavor.
To put it in perspective, a ½ teaspoon of lemon oil is the equivalent of one whole tablespoon of grated lemon rind. Lemon oil can be used to flavor cakes, cookies, and frostings, but it also has a lot of topical uses. It's been shown to ease morning sickness, reduce stress, and act as a natural pain reliever. Its antimicrobial properties also make it a regular addition to skincare products such as acne cleansers and body oils. Sounds delicious, right?
To be fair, lemon oil can work in baking. But for a cup of lemonade, it's just too much. It seems to help balance the sweetness of Refreshers, with a Starbucks barista saying on Reddit that their store actually recommends it for people who like tart drinks. As for us, we wouldn't order it again — at least not on its own. Let's just say there's a reason Starbucks is known for its coffee.