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Lemonade trickled into European history in 17th-century France, where it was a novelty popular among chic Parisians. These early adopters didn’t understand the nutritional value of lemons, though; sipping the sweet and tart drink was simply fashionable. Little did they know the juice of lemons is a magic elixir for the human body.
While lemonade remains popular, we now know that the little yellow fruit is a massive delivery system of health benefits too. From aiding digestion to supplying a dose of immune-boosting vitamin C, lemons are a nutritional powerhouse in a tiny package.
In 2017, entrepreneur Yanni Hufnagel had a eureka moment about lemons. He knew they were healthy—every morning, he drank a glass of water with half a squeezed organic lemon, plain, without adding sugar.
Hufnagel didn’t enjoy the sourness of his morning drink. He felt he could improve the health quotient of classic, sugar-laden lemonade by producing it with a healthy twist. He worked with an experienced beverage formulator to get Lemon Perfect just right.
Lemon Perfect is an enhanced water that blends organic lemon juice, water, and plant-based sweeteners and has only contains 5 calories per bottle. Lemon Perfect celebrates the lemon’s crisp citrus flavor while leaving out sugar, artificial flavors, and lab-derived sweeteners.
Lemon Perfect’s name popped into Hufnagel’s head during a family vacation to Paris. Call it serendipitous: Paris is the birthplace of lemonade. In the 1600s, street vendors served up cool glasses containing mixtures of sparkling water, lemon juice, and honey. Soon after that lightbulb moment, Hufnagel registered the domain name. Now, Lemon Perfect is sold in thousands of stores across the U.S.
Yanni Hufnagel Explains How Natural Ingredients Helped Lemon Perfect Become a Healthy Drink
As the company’s founder and CEO, Yanni Hufnagel continually emphasizes the health benefits of lemons and the importance of drinkability in scaling a beverage business.
“With water, organic lemons, and an unbelievable sweetener and flavor system, it’s a deliciously refreshing product with zero sugar,” he says.
Even though Hufnagel prioritized Lemon Perfect’s taste when developing it, nutrition was on flavor’s heels. Even the production method, aseptic processing, aligns with Hufnagel’s nutritional goals, as it better preserves the lemon’s benefits than a hot-filled processing method.
Customers have heartily embraced the delicious and refreshing profile of Lemon Perfect. Hufnagel says, “When people drink the brand, they come back in a big way, and the data would suggest that.”
The company now manufactures six flavors beyond the water’s best-selling Original Lemon: Dragon Fruit Mango, Strawberry Passion Fruit, Pineapple Coconut, Blueberry Açaí, Peach Raspberry, and Kiwi Star Fruit.
What’s in a Lemon? Lots of Vitamin C, Potassium, and Much More
Lemon Perfect wasn’t the most straightforward beverage to formulate. The process included much trial and error. But Yanni Hufnagel wanted to produce healthy, lemon-enhanced water as an alternative to high-calorie, high-sugar beverage options that fill America’s store shelves.
“The bedrock of the brand from day one has been the idea of great flavor that’s also good for you,” Hufnagel says. “We truly believe that when someone drinks a Lemon Perfect, they are making a decision that’s better for them. How cool is that?”
Since Lemon Perfect begins with half a squeezed organic lemon in each bottle, there are several research-backed benefits in the yummy water. Every bottle of Lemon Perfect contains 100% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage.
Lemon juice also contains potassium, which is vital because humans can’t function without this mineral. It’s essential for nerve-muscle communication, transporting nutrients, and waste and blood pressure regulation.
Yanni Hufnagel is an evangelist of lemons and calls his citrus-based beverage “magic in a bottle.”
He created a tasty drink and stayed close to his heart in making it among the healthiest in the enhanced water category. After all, the health of the American consumer is what’s most important to Hufnagel.
“I want Lemon Perfect to deliver the joy of flavor in every sip,” Hufnagel states. “And I want it to impact the health of the American consumer.”
