Pre-orders are open · 6-packs ship in NovemberFree local delivery in Baltimore on orders over $XXCold-pressed · No added sugar · Juiced with joy!Now booking holiday hydration stations Pre-orders are open · 6-packs ship in NovemberFree local delivery in Baltimore on orders over $XXCold-pressed · No added sugar · Juiced with joy!Now booking holiday hydration stations

Home / Our story

Our story

Born from a simple belief.

Everyone deserves access to heart-healthy hydration.

Joyson BaLisamore making a heart with his hands
Joyson BaLisamore at a Jay's Watermelonade booth

Meet the founder

Hi, I'm Joyson.

I started Jay’s in 2023 with one flavor: watermelon, lemon and a hint of salt. I’d watched sugary drinks fuel diabetes and heart disease in the neighborhoods I love, and I wanted to pour something better.

Three years of festivals, farmers markets, summits and community days later, the mission is the same. Every sip says no to pumping our community full of sugary drinks, and yes to hydration your heart will thank you for.

Add a line or two in Joyson’s own words: a family memory, the first sale, a customer who stuck with him.

Joyson R. BaLisamoreFounder & Chief Hydration Officer

Our mission

Every bottle does three jobs.

01

Promote healthy hydration

A real alternative to sugary drinks, with natural electrolytes from fresh watermelon.

02

Prevent heart disease

Zero added sugar, plus heart-healthy compounds like citrulline and lycopene.

03

Provide jobs for youth

Young people from Baltimore help press, bottle and pour. XX youth employed

The journey

From one flavor to a movement.

Some of the places you’ve seen us:

CIAA Health + Mental Wellness SummitHBCUniverse Summit · Morgan StateCCBCBaltimore farmers markets+ partner logos

2023

The first batch

Watermelon, lemon and a hint of salt, poured at Baltimore markets.

2024

Milestone

First events, catering clients or new flavor.

2025

Milestone

Workshops, summits, youth hires.

2026

A fresh new look

New brand, new labels, and online pre-orders with a monthly hydration plan.

Baltimore's saying…

Real customers, real sips.

Customer at a festival holding a cup of watermelonade
Video testimonial #1
Customer in a yellow blazer holding a bottle
Video testimonial #2
Customer smiling with a bottle
Video testimonial #3
Customers posing with Joyson at a market
Video testimonial #4