Del's Lemonade announces new flavors

Del's Lemonade may have icon status here in Rhode Island, but it doesn't mean the Cranston company rests on its laurels.

So here come two new flavors of frozen delights - blood orange and coconut.

The blood orange will arrive first.

"It's very citrusy and very refreshing for when it gets hot," said Barry Volson, manager of research and development. "And it has tons of vitamin C."

He said people have specifically asked Del's to add blood orange, a trendy flavor among chefs. Now, after a few years of development, Del's version is ready. Look for it in stores by late July/early August, he said. After Del's posted the news on their Facebook page, orders have been coming in, he said.

Coconut will be added to the Del's line in August both as a frozen drink and in the powdered mix that fans can use at home.

Volson said Del's food scientist, Demetrios Kazantzis, vice president for research and development, has been at work on the flavor for as long as anyone at the company can remember. The problem is coconut fruit is oily and oil and water don't mix, he explained.

But eventually he hit on the right formula. Over what Volson calls "winter break," Del's staff started tasting and testing and found the drink smooth and thirst quenching. It also contains good fatty acids.

Last year, Del's added lemon tea and blueberry as their two newest flavors. They also collaborated with Warwick Ice Cream for a Del's ice cream.

Lemon remains the most popular Del's flavor with watermelon coming in second, said Volston.

Still to come, two sorbets.

"Early reviews are very good," said Volson. "The R and D deparment is buzzing along."

Fans on social media greeted the announcement with excitement:

However, many more seemed to think that the original lemon flavor would always reign supreme: