BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Grandma Val’s Lemonade and More is turning lemons into a legacy and is now offering bottled OG Lemonade and TaéBerri Raspberry-Lime which will be sold at many local neighborhood markets, restaurants and more.
With this exciting expansion, Valarie Canady — also known as “Grandma Val” — said her story of owning a growing and thriving business started with a home business selling lemonade, and a goal of growing out of her circumstances.
“It’s a long story that brought me where I am today,” she said. “But to sum it up — I was inspired to want to come out of poverty and be more productive [and] instead of just surviving — thriving. In my early 60s, I had a revelation about lemonade, and it started in my home, then I started a commissary kitchen, then I went into my own commissary, then I did creative recipes that were inspired by all my grandchildren and then went from there to the cup experience — vending on college campuses, different businesses, catering and everything. And then my children came on board, maybe a year ago, and that’s how Grandma Val’s Beverage Company is coming into play.”
Valarie’s daughter, and CEO of the Grandma Val’s Beverage Company, JeQuetta Canady, said the goal of bottling Grandma Val’s beloved drinks is to help establish the company so one day Valerie can rest and enjoy her sweet flavors.
“The bottling experience has kind of been the idea from the beginning — to get to a place where we can really scale the business,” she said. “So we’re taking the essence of Grandma Val’s flavors, and we’re bottling them in a convenient packaging that we can mass-produce and send out to the world. [We’re working] to come in at this point, while Grandma Val is still having her cup experience, still having that personable, face-to-face experience with people — but then we’re also able to establish a business that can kind of go a little bit further than that. But the ultimate goal, really, is to allow Grandma Val to be able to sit in her rocking chair and drink her lemonade and not necessarily have to work behind the business — she’s the legacy of the entire family.”
With a multi-generational impact, JeQuetta said the legacy of Valerie has shown the Canady children and grandchildren what is possible through hard work and determination.
“It’s been amazing — it’s been a long journey,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of head bumps, but it’s all [done with] the goal of [developing] the legacy, to pass that down to the grandkids and future generations. And to be able to show what Grandma Val did — so the kids can do it and [they] can take this on. So looking back to see where we’ve come from to where we are now is amazing. And I see nothing but a future of hopeful possibilities and great things to come.”
For those interested in purchasing bottled lemonade from Grandma Val’s, JeQuetta said there are many ways the community can get involved, there are opportunities for influencers, resellers, partnerships, wholesale and even fundraisers. For more information, visit gvlbevco.com.
Valerie said there are other exciting developments in store for Grandma Val’s, including other products inspired by Grandma Val’s unique flavor combinations.
“Upcoming [we have] syrups, and we’re looking at [offering] purées and sorbets,” she said. “Hopefully, by the spring, we’ll have the serves ready. But right now, that’s on Grandma Val’s side — on the beverage side, the kids will be getting the other flavors out, because it’s 16 grand babies — and each one has their own flavor… Some of the grandkids were present when we created the recipe, and for some of them, it came in a revelation… Every flavor has a story, which we will be building on the website, that will enlighten [readers] about why each flavor [was created], what it means and how it came about.”
Ultimately, Valerie said the growth of Grandma Val’s Lemonade has given her the opportunity to share her faith within her community and with those she meets while selling lemonade, and she said she wants to encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and follow their dreams, too.
“This was God,” she said. “I want to have a platform to spread the word of God. I want to have a platform to use my lemonade to bring the community together — and to [help others] know that lemons are sour, but we can make it sweet — squeezing the lemons into a legacy for real… God is your source, and everything else is your resource, and also face the fear and know the fact that you can do all things through Christ’s strength. No matter how young or how old, even babies are creative and have ideas. And I say to the seasoned group, such as myself, it’s never too late. God gave us gifts, and it’s up to us to cultivate and demonstrate who God truly is through us — by allowing the gifts to be used.”
For more information on Grandma Val’s Lemonade and More, visit www.gmavalslemonade.com.
