Every country has its favourite drinks and it might be a bit of a funny thing to be celebrating for a whole month, but we love traditional drinks, new drinks and quirky drinks, so we’re going to tell you all about them throughout November.
First up the legendary L&P – Lemon and Paeroa! The legendary New Zealand drink that we all love has actually been in existence for over a century. Paeroa is a township at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula and is famous for the giant Lemon and Paeroa Bottle you pass on the road through.
The history of the drink is totally fascinating. It originated from a bubbling spring on a block of land in Junction Road which people visited to enjoy the fresh naturally carbonated water and take some bottles away with them. The land was once owned by the “Father” of Auckland, Entrepreneur John Logan Campbell. As the story goes a couple took lemons with them to squeeze the fresh juice into the naturally sweet water and there was the start of the drink we know today. The water from the spring was used in the manufacture of the drink right up until 1980 when all production moved up to Auckland.
Lemon and Paeroa was purchased by a number of businesses over the years and finally swept up by Coca Cola Amatil. Still the refreshing lemon soft drink it is a firm family favourite amongst Kiwis and one we can say definitely started in NZ.
The infamous bottle of Lemon and Paeroa was built in 1968 by the Paeroa business association in conjunction with Innes Tartan, the company that owned the business at the time. In 1969 it was moved to the spot it sits today at the Ohinemuri reserve.
Perfect for a picnic, we love L&P scones!
4 cups self-raising flour
300ml cream (1 small bottle of cream)
¼ cup White Sugar
300ml Lemon and Paeroa
½ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 220°C. Prepare an oven tray with a sheet of baking paper wiped with butter or spray oil.
In a deep bowl combine all ingredients to form a smooth dough. The mixture is quite wet, so don’t add more flour!.
Tip out onto a floured bench and combine into a round shape.
Lift carefully onto the baking sheet and usually a cookie cutter or knife cut into the shapes you want.
These don’t take long to cook – max 15-20 minutes until they are a pale golden brown. Check that they are thoroughly cooked through with a skewer before removing from the oven.
Cool on a wire rack, and cover to keep the scones soft.
Serve with whipped cream and raspberry jam or lime curd.
Throughout November we’ll be trying NZ’s iconic drinks on our tours!!!!!
