There’s more to a UM baseball game than the game itself. For some fans, a trip to see the Hurricanes isn’t complete without one of vendor Mitch Freedman’s famous milkshakes. This season, two new flavors will be added to the hundreds of combinations that are already on the menu.
The first newly introduced flavor is the Grandma Debbie, a shake named after Freedman’s wife of 42 years who has been making homemade cream-cheese brownies for years. She has even shipped the baked goods to Super Bowls and the Masters Golf Tournament.
“We decided to use her recipe and make a cream-cheese brownie shake,” Freedman said.
This will be the first cake shake on the menu, so Freedman also added red velvet because of its general popularity.
Freedman has been selling milkshakes to the lines of fans waiting at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field for more than 30 years. He says the experience has been a central part of his life.
“We started making shakes and 31 years later we are an overnight success,” Freedman said.
His personal favorite is the Nestor Special, a mocha and hot-fudge shake. He said the shake was named after one of his earliest and best customers, Nestor Leon.
“He has since passed away, but his son and namesake have started coming to the games and he moved me to tears last year, thanking me for naming that shake after his dad,” Freedman said.
As for the home of Freedman’s shakes, he says Mark Light is a venue that offers unique relationships with fans.
“It is truly a family experience. Those of us who work there work hard to keep it that way,” Freedman said. “The shake phenomenon is just an outgrowth of that. People love to be involved with shake flavors and future names.”
Info Box:
Freedman’s Milkshakes
Where: Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field
New Flavors: Grandma Debbie and red velvet
Cost: $6 and up