WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Nothing says Summer in Wisconsin quite like sipping on a Catalano's Lemonade at the State Fair.
The iconic white, yellow, and green buildings are hard to miss while walking through the State Fair. In fact, there are nine of them on the grounds.
"Catalano's Lemonade speaks summer," one customer said.
“It’s the best," another customer said.
It's more than just a delicious drink too. Working a Catalano's stand at Summerfest or the State Fair has become Wisconsin teenager's right of passage into the adult-job-having world.
“A lot of my friends work here from high school too like a lot of kids from Brookfield East and Germantown too," Luke Ciardo said.
Now 20, Ciardo has been working inside a Catalano's Lemonade shack for the past seven summers. In that time, he's learned how to mix the perfect lemonade and even flip the cup while shaking it up.
“I’m here every day all day," Ciardo said.
Catalano's is primarily a produce company. The first Catalano's came to the United States in the late 1880s and became the largest produce distributor in southeast Wisconsin in 1910,according to the company website.
Then in 1996, John Catalano opened his first lemonade stand at the State Fair. From there, the rest is history. The Catalanos slowly added more stands and became staples at summer fairs and festivals.
“I love this stuff. I love the lemonade, so for sure definitely going to be part of my future," 21-year-old Tony Catalano, the son of John, said.
Tony and his brother Jakob, lemonade barons in training, have downed countless cups of citrus while working for their dad’s company.
“I think I’m in the thousands, to be honest with you. I’ve probably had a bit too many," Jakob Catalano said.
The lemonade is the perfect mixture of sugar, lemons, and water. But the exact ratio is closely guarded.
“It’s a family secret. It’s a secret formula," Jakob Catalano said.
It's a formula that keeps bringing customers back for more.
One young customer said that he believes he has had a lot of Catalano Lemonade in his life, "70, 80. I don't know. We got here a lot and get lemonade."
It's a classic drink and job that is sure to keep customers' thirst quenched and teenagers employed for years to come.
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