There is a lot more to Rhode Island than just being the smallest state in our nation. It’s more than just “The Ocean State.” Rhode Island is well known for so many great people, places and things, but it’s the little things you won’t read about in a history book that gives Rhode Island true character and a real sense of community. It’s the charming way Rhode Islanders don’t pronounce every letta in the alphabet that gives Lil Rhody such personality. Or the way we do know how to pronounce Pawtucket, Cowesett, Usqepaug and Narragansett.

Ok, so you’re not a Rhode Islander and you don’t want that wicked bad accent (sorry, it’s inevitable). One thing you are going to want when you come to Rhode Island is true Rhode Islander food. Certain foods have become statewide traditions and part of our state’s history. Ask any Rhody what’s the one thing you need to eat if you’re in Rhode Island, and you’ll probably be told a range of things: Casserta Pizza on Federal Hill, Awful Awful from Newport Creamery, doughnuts from Allie’s, vinegar with French fries, homestyle chicken at Wright’s Farm, NY System wieners (all the way), clam cakes and “chowda,” stuffies, a Spike’s Junkyard Dog... the list goes on and on.

But perhaps the most common answers you’d get would be Del’s Frozen Lemonade and coffee milk. These two drinks have been Rhode Island favorites for decades and finding them outside of Rhode Island is difficult. For years, both drinks silently battled as Rhode Islanders decided on which drink was their favorite and more “Rhode Island.” But, in 1993, the state legislature put those questions to rest by naming coffee milk the Official State Drink of Rhode Island.

If you travel more than ten miles from the state border, no one will know what you’re talking about. Rhode Island is the only place in the world where you can get this drink. If you’re an out-of-stater, then you are asking, “What is coffee milk!?” Simple: It is milk with sweet coffee syrup added, much like chocolate milk is milk with sweet chocolate syrup.

The Best-Tasting Coffee Milk

Coffee milk was introduced to Rhode Island in the early 1920’s. Many creative diner and drugstore operators tried new creations with ingredients they already had. They sweetened leftover coffee grounds with milk and sugar. This created a molasses like extract that became as popular with children as hot coffee was with adults. Coffee milk became an instant favorite among Rhode Islanders and the demand for this coffee syrup started to run high. The first coffee syrup available for retail sale was a Warwick-based brand called Eclipse, which made its debut in 1938 and became known for the slogan, “You'll smack your lips when it's Eclipse.” Autocrat of Rhode Island, one of the largest coffee roasters in New England, soon followed with its version of the syrup. The two companies used to compete for business. Their rivalry ended in 1991, when Autocrat bought the Eclipse brand name and secret formula. Both labels are now produced by Autocrat and are available in stores.

Coffee milk is very easy to make - maybe that’s why Rhode Islanders love it so much. The directions are to simply add 2 tablespoons of coffee syrup to 8 ounces of hot or cold milk. That’s it!

When ice cream is added, coffee milk is called a “Coffee Cabinet.” In other words, a “cabinet” is a local term for a “frappe” which is a regional term for an ice cream milk shake. Indeed an unusual name for a simple milkshake, but then again it wouldn’t be truly “Rhode Island” if it were easy to understand. However, it is thought to be called a “ cabinet” because it unknown originator kept his blender in a kitchen cabinet (mixers were often stored in square wooden cabinets).

An official state drink may not seem like an important issue to debate over, but that is exactly what Rhode Islanders did when coffee milk was chosen over Del’s as the official state drink. Very different from coffee milk, Del’s Frozen Lemonade is equally tasty and equally loved by Rhode Islanders, official title or not. Like coffee milk, Del’s started out small and has made a name for itself here in Rhode Island.

And any Rhode Islander will tell you that you haven’t tasted real frozen lemonade until you’ve had Del’s. However, this one-of-a-kind frozen lemonade wasn’t first created in Rhode Island, or even the United States. Great-grandfather DeLucia made the earliest Del's Frozen Lemonade in 1840 in Naples, Italy. During the winter it is said that he carried snow into nearby caves and insulated it with straw. When summer arrived and the local lemons were ripe and flavorful, he mixed their juice with just the right amount of sugar and snow, making a refreshing drink, which was then sold at the local market.

His son then brought this concept of Del's to America at the turn of the century. During this time, it was a common for the Italians of Federal Hill to make a lemonade-ice cream mixture. Everyone made their own, to their own taste. The DeLucias essentially started Del’s Frozen Lemonade out of an ice cream freezer in their home. However, it was not until Angelo DeLucia, the next to be born, took part in the family tradition that aspirations of a frozen lemonade business began.

Angelo DeLucia became the founder of Del’s Frozen Lemonade in Rhode Island. Angelo began work on a machine to produce the frozen lemonade, as well as a method of mass-production with a regular consistency. Angelo understood the idea of consistency in order to make money. And he also understood lemons very well, and knew that they frequently differ in sweetness and tartness. He created a set pattern of ingredients with help from laboratory workers. DeLucia perfected his lemonade so that every batch tasted the same. It had, and still does have, a smooth, drinkable consistency, but it is not liquid lemonade.

In 1948, Del's Frozen Lemonade acquired its name and became the only product sold at a little stand in Cranston. Angelo also created the first mobile units to dispense Del's anywhere in the state. A few years later, Angelo worked with his son to make the franchise business flourish and grow. Today, Del’s has approximately 45 franchises around the world, including Rhode Island (18 locations), Massachusetts (5 locations), Georgia, South Carolina, Hawaii, Aruba and Japan. But its worldwide headquarters are located in Cranston.

So Del’s may be a bit more accessible than coffee milk, but it is only here for the summer in Rhode Island. Because Del’s franchises only make frozen lemonade, they usually open for the season in late spring and close in the fall. It’s almost impossible to be in Rhode Island in the summer and not have Del’s. Stands, trucks and stores are all over the state in the summertime. You can quench your thirst at the beach, sporting events, or any summer event in the area. Del’s isn’t just for special events, either. Many Rhode Islanders just go to the closest franchise, probably only minutes away.

So, was Del’s Frozen Lemonade more deserving of the official drink title than coffee milk? Try them both, then you decide. It’s hard to determine which is better. But I think most will agree that they are both “wicked good”, and both “wicked Rhode Island.”

Visit Del's Lemonade online at www.dels.com and Autocrat at autocrat.com.

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