What Exactly Is A Beer Shandy, And What Goes Into Making One?

If you've ever been out for a beer with friends during a summer happy hour, you may have overheard someone ordering a shandy and thought to yourself, "What is that?" The bartender lays down a pint glass filled with a light, fizzy liquid that looks incredibly refreshing, and you wonder if you made an error by ordering a plain old lager. The truth is, if you wanted a beverage with an extra burst of flavor, you may have.

A shandy is a simple two-ingredient mixed drink comparable to a beer spritz cocktail. It consists of mixing together a one-to-one ratio of beer and lemon-lime soda, and the outcome is a crisp, effervescent refreshment that makes your taste buds glad you chose to try something new. The citrus from the soda accents the subtle flavor of lighter brews, similar to how a lime wedge compliments a Mexican lager like Corona. Only containing half a beer's worth of alcohol, a shandy is an ideal sipper when you need to keep your wits about you at social gatherings and summer brunches.

With the added flavor of the sweet soda, preparing a shandy is one creative way to make cheap beer taste better if you have some discount brew hanging around. However, while you can really use any suds you like, you shouldn't substitute the lemon-lime soda when mixing the traditional version. Though simple at its core, some folks are adamant that there is a right and wrong way to make a shandy.

Occasionally, bartenders in America will create a shandy using lemonade, but this is a mistake derived from a misinterpretation of what the term "lemonade" means in the U.K. Across the pond, people refer to lemon-lime soda as "lemonade", and this is what they use to make a proper shandy — not the un-carbonated refreshment we call lemonade in the U.S. The bubbly citrus soda is paramount for a traditional interpretation, but there is more leeway regarding what kind of beer you can use.

Light lagers and pale ales commonly compose the other half of a shandy, but wheat beers and hoppier ales also pair well with the tart soda flavors. For occasions when you don't want to become too intoxicated, a product with lower alcohol content will allow you to go about your day after meeting friends for a summer brunch. If you're putting the work week to bed and want a beverage with more horsepower, use a brew with a higher ABV or modify the ratio and add more beer than soda.

It doesn't matter which ingredient you pour into the glass first, but you will want to pour slowly because both beverages are carbonated. Tilt the glass as you pour so you don't get too much foam. After both ingredients are in the glass, take a cocktail stirrer and give the drink a gentle stir. Don't stir overzealously because that will make the potation lose some of its invigorating fizz.

Leinenkugal's Summer Shandy is a staple warm weather sipper for some, but the commercial version of the drink isn't quite the same as the traditional cocktail. However, it's a refreshing treat on a hot day, and in the end, that's all that matters. Though not something you are likely to see done in a pub across the pond, you can make a shandy with any ingredients that suit your fancy.

One appealing variation utilizes Newcastle Brown Ale for an extra malty, nutty flavor mixed with the sweetness of sparkling pear juice. Another enticing recipe could be your go-to mimosa alternative. Instead of popping a bottle of champagne for a single mimosa on a lazy Sunday morning, crack open a beer that already contains some citrus notes and mix it with orange juice. If summer has flown by before you know it, but you still crave a tart cocktail with fall vibes, you can make your own version of a pumpkin shandy by blending a pumpkin ale and ginger beer. There is a wealth of captivating pairings you could experiment with, and as you practice mishmashing various combinations, you may just create your new favorite summer cocktail.