Pink Grapefruit Soda

Pink grapefruit lemonade with a bitter note from the Haut-Doubs

Tart, zesty, and possessing a bitterness that is unique within our range, this grapefruit lemonade from the house of Rième stands out. Its antique rose color glows in a glass with ice. It is the variety most frequently reached for behind the bar.

Pampelmousse Limonade is the French name for grapefruit lemonade, and at La Mortuacienne, this variety carries the clearest bitter note of them all. Its color immediately catches the eye: a clear antique rose that almost glows in a glass with ice. If you usually find lemonade too sweet, this is the best place to start.

Zesty, savory, and fruity on the finish

On the nose, the grapefruit is present in its pure state, accompanied by a resinous hint of zest. It lacks a candy-like scent, smelling more like the moment the fruit is sliced open.

On the palate, sweetness leads briefly before the bitterness takes over and lingers. It is precisely this quality that makes it the most mature lemonade in the range. With 8.5 grams of sugar per hundred milliliters, it contains the same amount of sugar as most of its siblings. Nevertheless, it tastes tarter simply due to the bitter notes of the grapefruit.

The grapefruit itself is a young fruit, created from a cross between the pomelo and the orange. From the pomelo, it gets its tartness; from the orange, its juiciness. Both get along remarkably well in this lemonade.

The variety for mixing

Pure and ice-cold, it is the most refreshing treat on hot days, served with a slice of lime on the rim. In the sunlight, its antique rose hue looks like bougainvillea against a white wall.

Its true strength, however, lies in mixing, because its bitterness stands up to alcohol where sweet lemonade collapses. Over ice with Rosé Vermouth, a one-to-three ratio is sufficient to create an aperitif that tastes of the south. It also works well with vodka or tonic without overpowering anything.

When it comes to food, Pampelmousse Limonade pairs perfectly with anything salty or fatty. Alongside olives, chips, and grilled shrimp, its bitterness cuts right through. It needs to be served very cold; at room temperature, the bitterness loses its appeal. If you are on the go, you can get the same fruit as grapefruit lemonade in a 0.33-liter bottle, which can be resealed thanks to its screw cap.

A bottle you can recognize by its sound

For this producer, the packaging is not just an accessory, but a signature feature. Thick-walled glass, the family crest embossed directly into the material, and a porcelain stopper on a bent wire bail.

It makes a "pop" sound when opened, and that noise is the reason the bottle is so popular to display behind counters. It has a substantial look and feels heavy in the hand—not something that can be taken for granted with a drink priced at two euros.

It is precisely in this presentation that the brand has traveled beyond France. Since 2001, Benoît Rième has been overseeing exports in the fourth generation, and thanks to the way he organized the range, the bottles can now be found in Great Britain, Scandinavia, and North America. About 5 million bottles leave the house every year.

Pampelmousse Limonade is among the tartest of the ten varieties. If you enjoy the bitter note, the lemonade made from four citrus fruits spreads its bitterness across a broader profile. All varieties are available in the La Mortuacienne range. A deposit is added to the bottle price.