A Better Lemonade

A Better

Lemonade

The expert: Danny Shapiro, bartender and Scofflaw Group cofounder

1. Peel two lemons and set the peels aside.

2. Juice those lemons, along with four unpeeled ones (should yield about 12 ounces of juice).

3. Make lemon simple syrup by combining the lemon peels, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of water in a pot over heat, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar dissolves, the syrup is done. Let it cool.

4. Stir together the syrup and the lemon juice to make a sour mix.

5. Strain the sour mix.

6. For a 48-ounce pitcher, combine 12 ounces of sour mix with 36 ounces of water (either still or, if you want to get fancy, sparkling). Add ice. Stir. But Shapiro recommends making the lemonade one glass at a time at the stand by combining 1 ounce of the mix with 3 ounces of water and stirring it in front of the purchaser: “Whenever customers can see you making something for them, you’re emphasizing freshness.”

A Better Stand

The expert: Rick Hamann, executive creative director at Leo Burnett

Hit up angel investors: “Tell your parents, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, this lemonade stand is going to get me off my phone for two hours. I just need a little scratch to get it off the ground.’ ”

Go big: “No stand is too bold. No stand is too outrageous. The last thing you want is to fall into the sea of other stands. Start with your average card table. Take some cardboard and other stuff from around the house and make it as tall as possible.”

Find a sweet spot: “Set up in a high-population area. In my mind, that’s school. Grease the right palms and you might be able to get your stand on the gym floor. Every principal has a price.”

Price your product at a premium: “What are other stands charging? This might seem counterintuitive, but go a bit above market price. Make it feel premium. And then people think, Oh, this lemonade must be special because it’s 50 cents more.”

Build a distinct brand: “You want to zag when everybody’s zigging. Maybe go with green cups instead of clear ones.”

Get some beats: “Create a lemonade jingle with your phone, then grab a Bluetooth speaker. This is the old ice cream truck trick. Over time, when people hear the jingle, they’ll come running.”

Tap an influencer: “In this day and age, if you’re going to be in the beverage business, you want to team up with a celebrity. You’ve got your Willie Nelson drinks, your George Clooney drinks. So find the coolest kid in the neighborhood and tell them they’ll receive a cut of the profit for simply attaching their name to your business.”