With South Texas temperatures rising, our palates are thirsty for anything ice-cold. Lemonade’s tangy and sweet flavor profile makes it the perfect drink for the summer, and Lemon Shakers is popping up with the best flavor varieties in town.
In 2019, Sylvia and Marvin Kerr acquired the Lemon Shakers pop-up lemonade stand when the original owners, Sam and Kelly Schumaker, decided to retire and move to Arizona. Sylvia and Marvin spent time helping the Schumakers at the stand for several years, so they were the perfect choice to carry on its delicious legacy.
The original menu consisted of the standard lemonade and limeade drinks, with optional fresh strawberry mix-ins. With the Kerrs at the helm, it was time to expand the menu and give their customers more flavor combinations. Using only fresh produce she finds at markets, and avoiding all syrupy flavor enhancers, Sylvia Kerr curates the menu based on seasonal produce such as watermelon, blueberries, mangoes and peaches.
When it comes to combining flavor profiles, the sky’s the limit for Kerr. “Experimenting with flavors is part of the fun,” she said. “Aside from the fruit I get at the markets, I would pick guavas from my guava tree and created a guava-lime drink customers really love.” The bright and summery profile of the drink makes it a crowd favorite, right along with the cucumber limeade, a happy accident she created after buying too many cucumbers from a market where she was working.
Along with the unique flavors added to the traditional lemonade and limeade, Kerr loves to dabble in drinks for special occasions. For Cinco de Mayo, she creates a non-alcoholic version of the Paloma. The original version is a cocktail of grapefruit, tequila and a bit of sugar, but the stand’s refreshing, family-friendly version ditches the tequila and adds lime instead.
Making handcrafted drinks for hours on end is a labor of love, but it sets Lemon Shakers apart from other stands. Each drink is made to order — the fruits are sliced and each delicious flavor combination is smashed, shaken up and served in its branded 32 oz. cup.
The Kerrs are enjoying every moment, whether it’s getting to know new people, seeing repeat customers or simply crafting new drink flavors. If you haven’t tried these delicious beverages yet, check them out at the next Downtown Farmer’s Market, Heritage Park Market Days, Art Walk and various other local events.
