Orangeade

Orangeade from France for the dining table

Round rather than sharp—that is the drinking experience of the mildest citrus variety from the Rième family. Juicy, sunny, fruity, and surprisingly restrained in sweetness. It is the bottle that is always finished first at the table, by everyone from the children to their grandmother.

Among the citrus varieties from La Mortuacienne, the Orangeade is the mildest and therefore the most crowd-pleasing for a large group. Where the lemon starts off sharp and the grapefruit leaves a bitter finish, the orange remains round. It glows a warm orange in the glass, with a fine effervescence and a fragrance reminiscent of orange peel.

Juicy, sunny, fruity without the sharpness

On the nose, there is sweet orange at first, followed by a light touch of citrus that balances the sweetness. It is not a syrupy scent, but rather that of a freshly sliced fruit.

On the palate, it is soft and broad; the acidity supports rather than stings. It contains as much sugar as its siblings, but because it lacks bitterness, it comes across as significantly sweeter. The carbonation remains fine and long-lasting without being harsh on the tongue.

Precisely this roundness makes it a family favorite. It is perfect for a dining table where guests have different tastes, and it is consistently the bottle that gets finished first.

With cake, with crêpes, for a long afternoon

Ice-cold in a tall carafe with orange slices and ice—that is its entrance for a Sunday afternoon. Held against the light, it has the color of a late August evening.

Anything baked is the domain of this Orangeade. With marble cake, crêpes with sugar, or a piece of tart, the fruit complements the butter perfectly. It is also lovely with vanilla ice cream; a splash over a scoop creates a dessert for children that works without any discussion.

For adults, it works as a light aperitif with Prosecco or with a splash of white vermouth over ice. Serve well-chilled at 6 to 8 degrees in a glass; one liter is enough for 4 to 5 servings. For on-the-go, it is available as a handy portable orangeade, resealable thanks to a screw cap.

Four generations in the Haut-Doubs

It all began in 1921 with Marcel-Alcide Rième, who built a lemonade factory in the small town of Morteau. He borrowed the name from the local women, but that is a story for another time.

What happened afterward is more interesting. A family business that survives for a century must be able to do two things: hold on and pass it on. Both have been achieved here over four generations, without anyone ever touching the original recipe.

That is no small feat. Small French lemonade houses disappeared one after another in the sixties and seventies as the big brands took over the shelves. Anyone who wanted to survive had to either get cheaper or stay better. Rième chose the latter.

What followed is a family history in four chapters. His son Jean continued to run the house from 1960, grandson Didier took over in 1981, and Benoît has been working as the fourth generation since 2001.

Each of them added something without replacing anything essential, as Didier demonstrated when he expanded the range without ever touching the basic recipe. Four generations, one basic recipe, the same bottle shape. Hats off.

About 5 million bottles are sent out annually across 10 varieties. Alongside the Orangeade is its relative, the Mandarin lemonade, which is a touch sweeter, and the others are waiting in the La Mortuacienne collection. A deposit applies separately.