DRINKS: An Ode to the Real Stuff
By Brooke A. Brown
When life hands you lemons… I suggest you grab ‘em by the bag-ful. Those little yellow treasures are expensive, especially the trendy Meyer lemons (which can be found at The Purple Onion at Capitol Market, by the way). Now before I get too far off track, let’s reel this thing in a bit and focus. Where was I? We were talking about lemons. The summer months are upon us. I titled this entry with half of a famous saying. Ah, yes…
Lemonade. Apparently one has to be in the cheesesteak business in order to also be in the homemade lemonade industry. Lucky for Charlestonians, there’s a bounty of such eating establishments in the area. But I’m here to discuss only one: The Sub Shop at 807 Quarrier Street. And I’m not going to mention how excellent their sandwiches are, or how tasty their fries, well… taste (no trans fats!). Nope. I’m just going to talk about their refreshingly delicious, ice-cold version of, what were we talking about? Oh yeah…
Lemonade. Remember the last time you were at the Vandalia Gathering, or the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair, or Bridge Day, and you were getting parched from being out in the sun, but you wanted something more satisfying than bottled water and less syrupy than soda? What did you see there in the distance among the various food vendors? That’s right. Like an oasis in the desert, a tent appeared with a sign that read: Fresh Squeezed…
Lemonade. Wasn’t that the most refreshing beverage of your entire life? Well, that’s the stuff they’re selling at The Sub Shop. I’m talking pure lemony essence with bits of pulp and everything. Sometimes you have to reverse your instinctive straw technique to dislodge a seed. A welcome blockage, considering the source.
Then, there’s that bit of sugar that never quite dissolves. This is unacceptable in iced tea, naturally, but not lemonade. There’s just something about the magical mystery tour of flavors and textures, what with all the ice, the refreshment of the citrus splash, the sweet semi-dissolved sugar, and the pulp-seeds-and-crystals combination. It’s the perfect summertime thirst-quencher. And they serve it year-round at The Sub Shop.
Now whatever you do, don’t throw that cup away when your straw says you’ve reached empty. Hold on to that holy grail because the ice inside is coated in lemony nectar, and there’s still some sugar hanging around in there, too. Let it melt on your walk back to the workplace where you can enjoy a second round.
Cheers.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:04 am
NOTHING is more disappointing than getting a lemonade made from lemon syrup.
NOTHING is more refreshing than a fresh squeezed lemonade with “never quite dissolved” sugar.
In a paper cup with bendy straw, it’s what an American Summer is all about.
I haven’t had a good lemonade in years and I think it’s about time I do.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:41 am
I’m taking a break from doing yard work that involves a shovel and a rake. Fresh squeezed lemonade sounds so-o-o-o-o good right now! MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm…
July 30th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Brooke,
Thanks once again your colorful and tasteful
writing. You did a great job of building suspense and virtual thirst in this article. By the end, I was tasting the tangy quaff with my minds tastebuds and motivated to run down to fill every thirst crevice with this rich nectar.
Give us more……….
July 30th, 2007 at 10:42 am
That is that kind of lemonade that I welcome the acid sore in my mouth!! yummy
Could you send some out my way… my water isn’t sufficient enough anymore!
July 30th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Man-o-man, is this the perfect day for lemonade or what? Al, I’m totally gonna borrow (steal?) “thirst crevice” from you - too funny!
Carry on.
July 30th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Isn’t it wonderful how enticing a simple glass of lemonade can become when someone can put the right spin on it? I think I will hire you as my speech writer, when I run for public office.
Keep up the good work.
Dad
July 30th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Brooke, fantastic to be reading your stuff again, what — 13 years after undergrad? Educational and entertaining, as always. Edu-tainment, if you will.
I’m partial to the peach iced tea at the Vandalia Gathering, but will definitely give the lemonade a try next year.
Jen Singletary
July 31st, 2007 at 9:22 am
Jen - was it Alderman’s Technical Writing class? Technically, I passed that class, but only by a letter. I became an English major the following semester.
No need to wait until next year… head on over to The Sub Shop for some lemonade today!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:29 am
I was just fixing me a pot of ice tea and now I read this…..now I want some of that lemonade! You make it sound like the only thing to drink that’s worth drinking on this hot day after house cleaning! Oh well, guess I’ll just have to settle for my ice tea since coming all the way to WV is out of the question for now, maybe someday I’ll come up there and you can treat!
August 1st, 2007 at 8:59 am
Is it the “taste-bud” pictorial enticement assembled by this review–or is my own usually sour, lemon-y outlook on life that makes me want to get this treat? Either way–it sounds fabulous!