The Story Behind The Lynchburg Lemonade
Created in 1980 by Alabama restaurateur Tony Mason, the Lynchburg Lemonade is a drink with a storied legal past. Mason shared his recipe with a bar patron who happened to be a sales representative from the Jack Daniel’s distillery, who then took the recipe and released a version under the Jack Daniel’s brand — all without compensating Mason. Mason sued the brand for $13 million and won, but was awarded only $1 — bizarrely out of the judge’s pocket. Although the brand admitted that it learned the recipe from Mason in a company newsletter in 1982, the judgment was overturned on appeal after years of wrangling.
The concoction combines whiskey with orange liqueur, lemon juice, and lemon-lime soda. The citrusy twist to whiskey’s spice and earthy flavors forms a cocktail that has become a Southern favorite.
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