Auburn students and fans agree: The “Auburn experience” is not complete without a trip to Toomer’s Drugs. But not just a trip—a sip.
Toomer’s is the oldest running business in Auburn, its roots dating back to 1896. Today, Toomer’s sells more Auburn merchandise than antibiotics (the company shut down its pharmacy in the late 1990s). But it’s not the T-shirts, stuffed animals, and pencils that make Toomer’s Drugs iconic. It’s its location—they don’t call it Toomer’s Corner for nothing—and yep, its lemonade.
I asked Toomer’s employee Hannah Marxen, an Auburn University sophomore, about her experiences working at Toomer’s on home gamedays—specifically how they prepare for quenching the Auburn family’s literal thirst for tradition.
Before home games, Marxen says Toomer’s employees typically squeeze anywhere from 60 to 90 gallons of lemon juice. (I’m not kidding when I say the lemonade is popular!) They also restock the store with with freshly-bottled lemonade, which Toomer’s began selling a few years ago.
Toomer’s also makes sure it has plenty of Bluebell ice cream, which has recently become another customer favorite. The most popular flavor? “Cookies ‘n’ Cream or Dutch Chocolate,” Marxen says. “We recently got coffee ice cream, too.”
Although the hours are long on game days, “we all come together and have a good time with the fans and each other,” Marxen says.
And it’s not just Auburn fans who share in the good times. Marxen says that many rival fans come in to get to get a taste of Auburn.
Marxen says her best experience working at Toomer’s was after Auburn’s 2010 BCS National Championship win: Having her picture taken holding the crystal football.
Toomer’s Drugs is always a cool spot to relax, eat some ice cream, catch up on the latest football news, or investigate the seemingly endless supply of Auburn car stickers.
But whether you’re an Auburn aficionado or a curious newcomer, Toomer’s Drugs is always worth the visit for a taste of the Auburn experience—especially on game days.
Related: Esquire Magazine ranks Toomer’s lemonade as the No. 1 reason it’s good to be an American man.
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