Drinking Every Lemonade at the State Fair

Take a drink (of lemonade) every time I talk about how much I appreciate ice and herbs.

I love the state fair.

I hold dear so many memories of summers past there, it is the exclusive home of several of my favorite foods, and there is truly NO better place to simply Look at Stuff. I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life, and the massive state fair is a point of pride, rightfully.

This year I realized there’s something else I really love about the Minnesota State Fair – the frustration. Everyone in attendance has commuted via plane, train, automobile, bus, bike, or by foot. And by the time they’ve arrived, some of them are grumpy. And the later it is in the day, the longer people have been trudging around. From the butter sculptures in the Dairy Building, to the line winding outside the Great Big Wheel, to the corn roast by the Grandstand, people can be seen struggling to maintain their patience with those around them and even themselves. Finally, summer seemingly feels to everyone as it does to me. We are all soaking up the sun, trying to have a good time, and sometimes barely accomplishing it.

A lot of what I do here is dig deep to find the answer to a question that I have to accept that maybe only I’m asking. And this time when I ventured to the fair, I sought to answer a question I’ve been asking myself for years, especially in the last few when I’ve heavily pivoted from drinking alcohol at the fair. Where do I get the very best lemonade at this Great Minnesota Get Together?

And this demanded research. Of the 274 vendors at the fair in 2024, I discovered that 106 had lemonade offerings. From there I eliminated all vendors that only offered fountain lemonade, such as Minute Maid. And painfully, I discarded from my list all establishments that offer “fresh squeezed lemonade”. I truly don’t have the capacity to purchase, sample, and compare all freshly squeezed lemonades. Maybe someday.

From here, I found 13 vendors with unique lemonade offerings, and consumed one from each. With sugar surging through every cell in my body, I have listed them here in descending order.

13) Pickle Lemonade from Nordic Waffle ($7) – The state fair has had an uptick in pickle-centric dishes in the recent years, and I’ve been very excited. I’m a big fan of pickles and dill in general, but I should have known I wouldn’t love this one because I am not a pickle juice appreciator. The lemon and dill pickle are both present in this lemonade, but they must repel each other. It feels like a task to keep this well mixed, and I just don’t like it.

12) Strawberry Lemonde from Granny’s Apples ($6) – I see that a beautiful puree is being poured into cups before fresh lemonade is mixed in, and I’m charmed to witness the process before I order. There is plenty of ice in this, so it is perfectly refreshing in temperature. The first taste of this is so good because I love strawberry. But then it falls apart FAST. Within minutes, it essentially tastes like water, most of the strawberry puree consumed in the first few sips. What’s left is tasteless lemonade.

11) Queen B Blueberry Lavender Lemonade from Soul Bowl ($6) – I almost didn’t buy this because I clocked the fact that it is a pre-packaged beverage from the register. This comes in a pouch and unfortunately it’s so cumbersome, it’s automatically less appealing to me. I squeeze the pouch and the lemonade is very tart and sugary. I miss a fresh element, and I think it would have been best served over ice. This is confirmed when I bring the sack of lemonade home and pour it over ice.

10) Mint Lemonade from Baba’s ($7.50) - Let me start by saying here that I am forever a Baba’s fan, and it will take a lot to move me from that. Last year I had this mint lemonade and it was one of my favorite things I bought. Not just beverages! Things! But this year I order it, and it’s handed to me without any ice at all, with the saddest and thinnest paper straw I’ve ever seen. The mint pieces floating in the drink are tiny, like dried herbs. Last year when I ordered this, a piece of mint leaf wedged between two of my teeth and it took me forty minutes to dislodge it because I wasn’t equipped for such an activity. And it was worth it! The mint flavor was so good and punchy, but it is slightly dulled this year.  You will find throughout this list that something I really like is larger pieces of herbs in things, and I’ve found through conversations that that is not how many people feel. Either way, the lemonade is fresh but doesn’t really have a chance in the race against the rest.

9) Caribbean Lemonade from West Indies Soul Food ($9) – This comes in a cup that reminds me of Morgan Spurlock’s (RIP) Supersize Me. It’s huge. And it feels heavier perhaps because it has so little ice in it. If you are someone that feels financially slighted by ice, you might enjoy this. But I like my lemonade very cold! It is a little milky in appearance in comparison to other lemonades, but that only intrigues me. I take a sip and immediately feel it’s nostalgic in some way. My friends and I decide it’s reminiscent of Banana Laffy Taffy mixed with lemonade. I know this is a flavor that deters some, but I like it! I still probably won’t get it again.

8) Apple Lemonade from Minneapple Pie ($9) - Before I even arrive at Minneapple Pie to order, I am considering the unnecessary nature of this flavor, so I’ll admit this one came in with a disadvantage. The apple lemonade comes in a souvenir water bottle, and I don’t know how to feel. The wastefulness of the disposable cups everywhere feels bad, but this water bottle that has no chance of being a favorite in my home also feels bad. Oh well, I’ll surely lug it around all day and keep it till I die. This lemonade has a perfect temperature and is immediately sweet and delicious. I realize it’s familiar because it tastes exactly like apple cider, very cinnamon present. At the back end of a sip, some lemonade flavoring is present. I don’t hate it.

7) Happy Huckleberry Cloud Cooler from Spinning Wyld ($12) – If you’re familiar with the Minnesota State Fair in most recent history, you probably recognize the bright pink home of Spinning Wyld, where they offer a wide variety of cotton candy flavors. Most recently, they added Cloud Coolers to the menu, which feature a poof of cotton candy on top of a cup of flavored lemonade. I pick the huckleberry flavor, and its cuteness charms me instantly. The challenge of consuming the cotton candy before it melts/while you’re consuming the lemonade could frustrate some. But I had a nice time. The huckleberry lemonade is mostly just sweet, but this is the type of unique experience I’m seeking out at the fair.

6) Honey Lemonade from Minnesota Honey Producers Association ($6) - If you are a fan of honey, this is a slam dunk. The honey is very pleasant and present, and the lemonade is not too tart. It’s not the most dynamic beverage in the world, but I enjoy all of it.

5) Blueberry Basil Lemonade from Blue Barn ($6.50) – This comes in a nice little 12 ounce cup, and it is a little punch of delicious. It’s perfectly iced, very tart, and the basil is present with no sprigs or pieces floating around if that’s not your thing. I’ve enjoyed this years in a row, and I’ll be crushed if they remove it from the menu.

4) Honey Lavender Lemonade from Farmer’s Union ($6) – This wins first place for most beautiful coloring the second it’s handed to me. It’s a bright beautiful pink that makes me want to hold onto it longer before I even try it. There seems to be a lavender trend in beverages at the fair this year, and I’m somewhat wary because I’m not always a fan. But all the flavors are present – honey, lavender, lemon. And somehow none of them have arm wrestled to assert themselves as the dominant flavor. I think it’s perfectly balanced, perfectly cool and crisp. It’s pretty tart, but in the 12 ounce cup, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

3) Blueberry Mint Jam’nade from Jammy Sammies by BRIM ($7) – If you’ve been to the North End of the Minnesota State Fair, you may have spotted the giant pole barn that is The Hangar. I have so infrequently ever walked behind it, and this is an oversight by me. Jammy Sammies by BRIM is parked at the very tip of the North End and it’s delightful. I place my order and watch the employee take the time to adjust two perfectly thin lemon slices against a nice sprig of mint atop my beverage. It truly is beautiful, the jam more settled towards the bottom with the lemonade create an ombre effect. Once mixed, the lemonade is perfectly light, not too tart, and combines well with the authentic fruit flavor of the jam. Every time I tip the cup to take a sip, the mint under my nose adds to the experience. I will absolutely be back.

2) Lake Storm Lemonade by Summer Lakes Beverage ($8) - I’ve been frequenting Summer Lakes Beverage since they’ve had a presence at the state fair, and I think they provide one of the most underrated (there’s hardly ever a line??) items at the fair. They sell cocktail mixes, but they are just as good in a dynamic mocktail, which is what they offer at the fair. I’ve never had their lemonade-relevant beverage but I’m excited to try it. It comes with a fresh lemon slice and a little beautiful poof of lavender in it, plenty of ice, and tastes almost like there’s the lightest carbonation element? As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the biggest fan of lavender. But its presence here is perfectly present without overpowering, and this beverage is off-the-charts refreshing. There is flavor and presentation in the drinks made by Summer Lakes Beverage and I’ll always return.

1) Mediterranean Lemonade by Holy Land ($6) - I’ll admit I have bias here. I tried this lemonade for the first time years ago and it has become a mandatory staple in my state fair rounds, along with only a FEW things from which I won’t budge (on the list with an ice cream cone from the Dairy Building and garlic wontons from Que Viet). A sign near this lemonade on the menu board proclaims “Voted Top 10 Don’t Miss”, and I certainly won’t. It’s served from a slushy machine so it stays cold and refreshing, and it’s the perfect combination of lemonade and fresh mint. It feels good for my entire body when I’m drinking it, like a wheatgrass shot that doesn’t inspire a cringe. My friend, Trisha, tries it and says it brings to mind the part in Bridesmaids when Kristen Wiig goes “shit, that’s fresh.” And I agree. And am hopefully devoted to this one for life.

With nine days left of the state fair, I hope everyone will get out and enjoy it. Or maybe make lemonade at home! I would not, however, recommend drinking thirteen cups of it in two days. I can confirm that I have a headache.

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Additional notes - Unlisted are the two iced teas I really enjoyed - the Hibiscus Iced Tea from Jammy Sammies by BRIM and the Cotton Candy Iced Tea from new vendor Loon Lake Iced Tea.

Also, thanks so much for your patience as I get my money’s worth for the new photo editing app that I downloaded and am having way too much fun with, Bazaart. Probably many more chaotic photo collages to follow.