Mainers Need ID To Buy British Lemonade

PORTLAND (AP) -- People will have to prove they're 21 to buy a bottle of a century-old British lemonade in Maine because the drink contains alcohol.

The Maine attorney general's office has determined that Fentimans Victorian Lemonade is an alcoholic beverage under state law.

Spokeswoman Kate Simmons says the lemonade contains up to 0.5 percent alcohol, making it off limits for minors.

The attorney general's office looked into the product after a high school student in Houlton bought a bottle and noticed the label said it contained alcohol.

Officials with the British company say the product uses a natural fermentation process, and that a person would need to drink about 28 bottles to equal the alcohol found in a typical pint of beer.

 

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