Tartu exhibition celebrates 90 years of Estonia's iconic Limpa lemonade

A new exhibition in Tartu traces the 90-year history of a beloved Estonian lemonade, showcasing evolving bottle and label designs through some turbulent times.
All of the changes and more to the lemonade, now branded as Limpa and produced by the A. Le Coq drinks company, are covered in the exhibition.
The museum's programs manager, Annika Teder, noted that given its longevity, Limpa has been a mainstay for practically all Estonians down the years.
"It has very often been part of people's festive tables and, likewise, a traditional sauna drink for children and families. One way or another, it has always accompanied different generations," she told "Aktuaalne kaamera".

Production of the lemonade moved to Tartu shortly after World War Two, when A. Le Coq acquired the product. Down the decades, bottle labels have reflected the political system and society of the day. Soviet-era labels featured Russian-language text, while special editions were also produced for events like song festivals and sporting competitions, much as is the case with modern day soft drinks.
Automation in production came in in the 1960s, Teder went on. "At the very beginning, most of the work at the factory was done by hand by women – from labeling and capping, to washing the bottles. But from the 1960s onwards, many of those jobs were taken over by machines, and today production is fully automated."
Limpa is made to a secret recipe, and the only thing certain is that ingredients are sourced from Europe rather than from Russia as in the past. However, A. Le Coq says Limpa's core recipe and taste have remained the same.
One of the biggest outward changes came with the turn of the millennium, over a quarter of a century ago now. It was then that the yellow Limpa character made its first appearance, with younger consumers in mind.

"Traditional lemonade can be confusing for the younger generation. For them, it has been Limpa lemonade for more than 20 years," Teder added.
One younger exhibition visitor, Rossi, approved, adding his favorite designs are to be seen in the canned versions of the drink.
"They're more youthful than the traditional classic lemonade bottle," he said, adding that what caught his eye most at the exhibition were the various unusual Limpa products, including Limpa mobile phones.
The exhibition is open at the A. Le Coq Beer Museum at Laulupeo pst. 15 until the end of October.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Märten Hallismaa
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"













