This weekend is going to be a hot one, but that won't keep us from the State Fair. One reason why is because the fairgrounds are practically overflowing with liquid summer in a cup: lemonade. Among this year's new foods, we counted eight unique twists on lemonade — infused with rosemary or pickle, mixed with boba or jam, frozen on a stick or right inside the lemon. We also dug back a couple of years to revisit some favorites. Here are our picks for ultra-refreshing sippers to power you through this last, scorching stretch of the fair.
Forget pickles: Lemonade is the State Fair's trendiest food, and here are 12 to try
Where you can quench your thirst during the scorching closing weekend of the Minnesota State Fair.
September 1, 2023 at 11:30AM
New on the scene
Jam'nades
Jammy Sammies by Brim • North End • $7
Two kinds of housemade jam take Brim's tasty lemonade into "something special" territory. Use the boba straw to slurp up blueberry mint or strawberry jalapeño.
Lemonade Sorbet
Quench'd • Dan Patch Av. between Nelson and Underwood Sts. • $5
An adorable palate cleanser, this refreshing frozen lemonade is mounded into a half lemon, for a sipper you can eat with a spoon.
Rosemary Lemonade
Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop • Dan Patch Av. between Cooper and Cosgrove Sts. • $6-$7.50
It's hard to look past the booth's maple cream nitro, but this sweet-tart beverage makes a good case for it. Rosemary really shines through thanks to an herb-infused simple syrup.
Fresh Squeezed Boba Lemonade
Donut Family • Mighty Midway • $9
What's a fun new way to experience lemonade at the fair? Fruity, bursting boba pearls. We appreciate the joy of it.
"Kind of a Big Dill" Pickle Lemonade
Nordic Waffles • West End Market • $6
Next to lutefisk, this new entry might have caused the most trepidation pre-fair. But now we know that pickle lemonade is not that big of a dill at all. Just a well-balanced drink infused with pickling spices.
Fresh-Squeezed Pineapple Lemonade
R&R Ice Cream • Randall Av. and Underwood St. • $9
This tractor-powered ice cream stand is a sleeper for huge cups of cooling lemonade with slices of pineapple for a fruity boost.
Dill Pickle Lemonade Paleta
Hamline Church Dining Hall • Dan Patch Av. between Underwood and Cooper Sts. • $6
A neon green ice pop plays up the surprisingly refreshing flavors of sweet relish, for a treat that sounds stranger than it is.
Cloud Coolers
Spinning Wylde • Family Fair at Baldwin Park • $12
Three flavors of lemonade — strawberry, huckleberry and violet — would be standouts alone, but there's a bonus: a cloud of gourmet cotton candy on top.
Returning favorites
Queen B Lemonade
Soul Bowl • Food Building
Blueberry-lavender lemonade is easily transportable in a pouch with a spout, like a grown-up Capri Sun.
Lake Storm Lemonade
Summer Lakes Beverage • Underwood St. and Randall Av.
This company that sells growlers of mocktails and mixers offers a refreshing cup of lavender-infused lemonade.
Apple Lemonade
Minneapple Pie • Judson Av. between Nelson and Underwood Sts.
If you could drink apple pie, this would be the way: a gently-spiced lemonade that evokes those cozy home-baked feelings.
Fresh Lemonade
Fresh Lemonade - Cheese on a Stick • Nelson St. between Dan Patch and Carnes Avs.
If all these new spins don't hit the spot, you might be looking for the OG. This longtime stand next to the Giant Slide (operated by the same family) is the reliable home for a huge cup of icy lemonade.
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.
