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Officially Arizona

Arizona now has an official state drink! 

This past May, the Arizona state legislature enacted House Bill (HB) 2692, which added an official state drink to the list of official state emblems. Unlike many other states, Arizona did not previously have an official state drink.

Most new state laws take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session. The 2019 legislative session ended on May 28th. So the new law took effect on August 27th, which means that Arizona now has an official state drink...

So what’s Arizona’s official state drink?

Lemonade!

What’s an official state emblem?

An official state emblem is a legislatively recognized symbol of the state.

Here in Arizona, something becomes an official state emblem – or symbol of Arizona – when the Arizona state legislature adds it to the list of official state emblems in Title 41 (“State Government”), Chapter 4.1 (“History, Archaeology and State Emblems”), Article 5 (“State Emblems”) of the Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”), which is the annotated code containing all the current laws previously enacted by the Arizona state legislature. 

How did lemonade become Arizona’s official state drink?

Lemonade became Arizona’s official state drink after a high school student in Gilbert learned that Arizona did not have an official state drink. The student contacted their local member of the Arizona state legislature to suggest that Arizona adopt an official state drink: lemonade.

What does the new law actually say?

All HB 2692 did was add a new section (§) to Title 41, Chapter 4.1, Article 5 of the A.R.S.

The new section – which is A.R.S. § 41-860.06 – is entitled “State Drink” and contains just six words: “Lemonade is the official state drink.”

What are some other states’ official state drinks?

Not all states have official state drinks. California does not have an official state drink. Neither does Texas. About half the states do have an official state drink, and in most of those states, the official state drink is milk. However, in Florida, the official state drink is orange juice; in Massachusetts, the official state drink is cranberry juice; and in Ohio, the official state drink is tomato juice!

Besides lemonade, what are Arizona’s other official state emblems?

  • Arizona’s official state colors are “blue” (the same blue as in the flag of the United States) and “old gold” (A.R.S. § 41-851)
  • Arizona’s official state fossil is petrified wood (A.R.S. § 41-853)
  • Arizona’s official state bird is the cactus wren (also known as the Coues’ cactus wren) (A.R.S. § 41-854)
  • Arizona’s official state flower is “the pure white waxy flower” of Saguaro or giant cactus (A.R.S. § 41-855)
  • Arizona’s official state tree is the palo verde (A.R.S. § 41-856)
  • Arizona’s official state neckwear is the bolo tie (A.R.S. § 41-857)
  • Arizona’s official state gemstone is turquoise (A.R.S. § 41-858)
  • Arizona’s official state mammal is the ringtail (which is a member of the raccoon family) (A.R.S. § 41-859)
  • Arizona’s official state reptile is the ridged-nose rattlesnake (A.R.S. § 41-859)
  • Arizona’s official state fish is the Arizona (or Apache) trout (A.R.S. § 41-859)
  • Arizona’s official state amphibian is the Arizona tree frog (A.R.S. § 41-859)
  • Arizona’s official state butterfly is the two-tailed swallowtail (A.R.S. § 41-860)
  • Arizona’s official state nickname is “The Grand Canyon state” (A.R.S. § 41-860.01)
  • Arizona’s official state firearm is the colt single action army revolver (A.R.S. § 41-860.02)
  • Arizona’s official state metal is copper (A.R.S. § 41-860.03)
  • Arizona’s official state mineral is wulfenite (A.R.S. § 41-860.04)
  • Arizona’s official state dinosaur is the Sonorasaurus (A.R.S. § 41-860.05)

You may learn more about Arizona’s official state emblems by clicking on the links below:

Arizona State Library – “State Symbols”: https://azlibrary.gov/arizona-almanac/state-symbols

Arizona Secretary of State – “SOS for Kids: Arizona Activity Book”: https://azlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/sos_for_kids_bw_-2017.pdf

Office of the Arizona Governor – “Arizona Facts”: https://azgovernor.gov/governor/arizona-facts

Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) Title 41: https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=41

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