Lisa DiDonato moved to Colorado Springs after 40 years of marriage. She and her husband Ches were looking to do something different. They quickly found there was a strong local farmers market scene and started attending regularly. In attending the farmers' markets, she would see patrons wandering around with iced coffees. Lisa had always wanted to open a coffee cart but recognized that the coffee scene in Colorado Springs was already pretty saturated. So she sought out a healthy alternative for the active outdoor lifestyle of Coloradoans.
Lemonade Stand
Lemonade is typically synonymous with summer and sunshine. Boasting an average of 300 days of sunshine in Colorado, lemonade would be a perfect beverage to incorporate into the local scene so there was something for everyone.
Pikes Peak Lemonade was born when Ches built Lisa a lemonade stand and they started setting up at farmers' markets about eight years ago. Lisa is originally from Grand Junction and, paying homage to her roots, her first lemonade was made using organic lavender from Palisade.
“I am very much a savory instead of a sweet person,” says Lisa, when asked about how she comes up with her unique flavors like Raspberry Thyme, Rosemary Grapefruit and Hibiscus Lemonade. “Ches has had to taste a lot of things through the research and development process,” she laughs. “We also take ideas from our customers, though. Customers have the best ideas.”
Passion for the Environment
Organic cane sugar and all real fruit are the base for this lovely product. Their passion for the environment led Lisa to start out with Mason jars, metal lids and paper straws to encourage reusability. Guests can also bring in their own jars for a discounted refill.
About five years ago, they started their first storefront in downtown Colorado Springs. Lemonade might be where it started, but that is not all they have to offer. Lemonade concentrates, cocktail mixes, simple syrups, wine slushes, cocoa products (Colorado Cocoa Company), root beer, kombucha and more are some of what patrons can find. A few years ago, they opened another lemonade stand on the east side of Colorado Springs. As it stands, they believe they are the only lemonade tap room in the nation.
Website: pikespeaklemonade.com
Facebook: @PikesPeakLemonade
Instagram: @pikes_peak_lemonade/
