PHOENIX 鈥 A bid by a Gilbert teen to have lawmakers officially recognize lemonade as the state drink might be hijacked by the adults.
Garrett Glover hopes to persuade the Senate Government Committee on Monday, March 25, to add lemonade to the list of items that are considered 鈥渙fficial鈥 representatives of 蜜柚直播.
That list ranges from copper as the state metal to the Colt single-action revolver as the state firearm.
Glover pointed out that 蜜柚直播 is known for 鈥渢he five C鈥檚,鈥 specifically cattle, copper, climate, cotton 鈥 and citrus. Yet there was nothing official to represent citrus, he said.
The reason the teen chose lemonade, he said, was that Florida already claimed orange juice.
But House Bill 2692, which cleared the state House last month on a 57-3 vote, is getting more turbulence in the Senate, where it now needs approval of the Government Committee.
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Sen. Victoria Steele, D-蜜柚直播, wants the margarita as the official state drink.
Sun tea is proposed by Sen. Lela Alston, D-Phoenix.
And Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, is promoting Jamaica tea.
More than two dozen states already have an official state drink. So Glover thought it was time to add 蜜柚直播 to the list.
鈥淣o other state has lemonade as their state drink,鈥 he said.
But is it truly representative of 蜜柚直播?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in its most recent report, said 蜜柚直播 has 7,300 acres of lemons planted, producing about a million boxes. But that pales against California, where 21 million boxes came off 47,000 acres.
Glover dismissed the idea of choosing tequila, which first was proposed by Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, when the measure was approved by the House. Campbell, who voted against the bill, said tequila would be 鈥渋n the spirit of the cultural diversity of this state.鈥
The drawback Glover sees: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not something that every single 蜜柚直播 resident could enjoy,鈥 as the law makes alcohol off-limits to anyone younger than 21.
That鈥檚 not a problem with the beverage Mendez proposes. It鈥檚 pronounced ha-MAI-ca. And it鈥檚 essentially an herbal tea made from hisbiscus flowers.
鈥淚t all over the Mexican restaurants,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nywhere you can get a burrito, you can get a Jamaica drink.鈥
Mendez said he鈥檚 not trying to undermine the essence of Glover鈥檚 effort. In fact, the senator, who was born in 蜜柚直播, said he always assumed we did have an official state drink. The Gilbert teen has the right idea 鈥 if not the right drink, he said.
Mendez said Jamaica tea is far better than what the majority of other states have picked: milk. 鈥淚 supposed it鈥檚 because of the milk lobby,鈥 he said.
The three Democrats aren鈥檛 the only ones who want to tinker with Glover鈥檚 proposal.
Sen. David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, has proposed his own amendment. It would keep the idea of lemonade as the state drink 鈥 but it would have to be pink lemonade.
