August 13 2026
Few things say summer in Rhode Island quite like a cup of Del’s Frozen Lemonade. But the story behind that familiar green-and-yellow cup begins thousands of miles from the Ocean State… and more than a century before the first Del’s stand opened.
According to the DeLucia family, it started in Naples, Italy, in 1840.
Great-grandfather DeLucia would collect snow during the winter and store it in nearby caves, insulating it with straw so it would survive into the warmer months. When summer arrived and lemons were ripe, he mixed fresh lemon juice and sugar with the preserved snow and sold the frozen treat at the local market.
Eventually, Franco DeLucia brought his father’s recipe with him to America around the turn of the century.
His son Angelo took things a step further. He developed a machine capable of producing the frozen lemonade consistently, and in 1948, Del’s Frozen Lemonade officially got its name at a small stand in Cranston, Rhode Island. Angelo later designed mobile units that allowed Del’s to travel throughout the state.
And somewhere along the way, Del’s stopped being simply frozen lemonade and became part of Rhode Island culture.
And Don’t You Dare Ask for a Straw
There’s an unwritten rule attached to drinking Del’s.
No straw.
That’s not just Rhode Island folklore. Del’s itself tells customers to skip both the straw and spoon. Instead, you’re supposed to gently shake and squeeze the paper cup while the warmth from your hand melts the frozen lemonade, then drink it directly from the cup. A straw pulls out the liquid first and can leave you with a cup of relatively flavorless ice.
Using a straw, Del’s jokes, is a pretty good way to announce that you’re not from Rhode Island.
Del’s Almost Became Rhode Island’s Official Drink
Here’s one I didn’t know.
In 1993, Rhode Island considered what should become its official state beverage.
One contender was Del’s Frozen Lemonade.
The other?
Coffee milk.
Rhode Islanders apparently had to choose between two of their most beloved homegrown drinks, and coffee milk ultimately won the title.
More than 175 years after a family started mixing lemons, sugar, and preserved winter snow in Italy, it’s hard to imagine a hot Rhode Island summer without Del’s.
Last week’s poll:
If you could take home one piece of art (from the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival), what would it be?
Paintings and Photography were numbers one and two at 47% and 31% respectively. Pottery and Jewelry were 10% and 12% respectively.
