A different response to a sting
Two bee stings in one week could reasonably put a four-year-old off outdoor activities. For Mikaila Ulmer, they eventually became the beginning of Me & the Bees Lemonade. Her parents encouraged her to learn about the insects she feared. Around the same time, her great-grandmother Helen sent the family a cookbook containing a flaxseed lemonade recipe. Ulmer connected the two discoveries: a family drink, sweetened with honey, could become a way to support bees. She began selling lemonade in Austin in 2009, with help from her family. A small stand gave that idea its first customers.
Growing up with a company
The early business was called BeeSweet Lemonade. In 2016, a trademark issue prompted a name change, and Me & the Bees made the relationship between founder and cause even more explicit. Microsoft’s profile of Ulmer described how her parents, Theo and D’Andra, helped her grow the venture, and documented her 2015 Shark Tank appearance and deal with Daymond John. Those milestones are part of the business history, alongside the less televised work of bottling a product, finding buyers and getting it into stores. Ulmer later shared her experience in Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid, published in 2020.
What is in the can now
You can still begin with Classic, but the present lineup also includes Black Cherry, Passion Fruit, Prickly Pear and Very Berry. The company’s current FAQ identifies real lemon juice and honey among the ingredients and explains that it uses both sugar and honey as sweeteners. That detail matters when the honey story is so memorable. The brand has also moved from glass bottles into 12-ounce aluminum cans. Its packaging announcement describes the switch as part of its environmental work. The format has changed while the connection to Helen’s recipe remains central to how the company tells its story.
The purpose travels with it
Bee conservation continues through the company’s support for pollinators and its Healthy Hive Foundation. Ulmer’s book carries another part of the project: encouraging young people to take their own ideas seriously. It is an appealing combination for a grocery brand, connecting something you can share at lunch with an introduction to the person who made it. The official shop offers individual flavors and a variety pack, and the website provides a store locator and retailer links. Follow those current routes to find the lemonade near you, or start with an assortment if your household cannot agree on a flavor.
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Sources & attribution
Microsoft Stories: Mikaila Ulmer founder profile
Penguin Random House: Bee Fearless
Me & the Bees: New Aluminum Cans
Reported from the linked company sources and published reporting. Black Cupboard did not conduct a new interview or product tasting. Independent editorial; no paid placement or affiliate relationship is represented.