Low-Alcohol Refreshment: The Shandy

Drinkers in the UK looking for a beverage without a lot of alcohol know what to order at the pub: a shandy! This mix of beer and sparkling lemonade is lightly alcoholic and very refreshing.

In a traditional shandy, beer is mixed in equal parts with sparkling lemonade or a citrus-flavored soda like 7-Up, or with ginger beer for a drink called a shandygaff. Germany has its own version of the drink, called a Radler, and France and Italy call the combination a panaché.

Because the drink is so low in alcohol, it's ideal for cook-outs, poolside parties or anywhere you need a little hydration with your buzz. And although the classic is hard to beat, try playing around with other citrus mixers, like raspberry lemonade or raw lime cordial and a little soda water.

Do you ever drink shandies?

(Image: Flickr member svensonsan licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (33)

Shandy is a wonderful drink and it's also consumed in Souther Europe. We call it "clara" in certain parts of Spain. You can either have it with lemonade (called "gaseosa" here) or with Fanta Lemon or any lemon-flavoured soda (Schweppes is my favourite).

A Nancy -- pineapple juice and beer -- is also very tasty.

Radler is an amazing drink!

You can also get a shandy in pubs in Ireland too, which is a nice option when you want to pace your alcohol consumption.

Um, can someone get those frites to me, stat?

I'm so sad that the weather is so humid... I'm dying for some homemade mayo or aioli!

I LOVE a Shandy but cannot find a good fizzy lemon mixer here in the U.S. Any suggestions?

This sounds great. What kind of beer are you supposed to use?

I love it with San Pelegrino Limonata, the fizzy very tart lemon soda they make. That and a lighter, slightly fruity beer (Magic Hat #9 is a favorite, also Strawberry Abita) is my summer drink of choice.

@Jezebella, I second Erizein's Limonata suggestion. It's the least sweet lemon soda I've tried.

@caitlin926 I've usually seen it made with a light lager beer.

I love shandy a lot! I used to drink it all the time during my trip of 6 months in UK. Very nice for someone who doesn't really like beer.

Throw in a shot of vodka and it wakes the whole thing up... super crisp and refreshing! I've always known the variation with the vodka as "summer beer".

I am from the UK and love ginger beer but have never heard of the shandygaff! Must investigate!

Thanks, piealamode!

7-up?! "Shandygaff"?! Are you pulling my leg? Lager and lime, on the other hand...

You guys haven't had the Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy? C'est bon.

in Germany, there's also another very popular variation: beer and coke

and in Bavaria, a Radler is served a 1 liter / 4 cups glass. so much for "less alcohol" ;-)

Thanks for the tip re: the Limonata. Will have to keep an eye out for it. Abita's Purple Haze is also a nice fruity summer beer, and it's available year-round, unlike the (delicious!) Abita Strawberry Harvest.

Is my favorite !!

I make it with beer, lemonade, and grated ginger; a trick I learned from Burma Super Star in San Francisco.

@Jezebella, I'd also recommend Trader Joe's French Style Lemonade. I've seen similar sparkling lemonades at Whole Foods as well.

Oh I love Shandys! Also, if you want a bit more beer, its called a lager-top which is 3/4 parts lager 1/4 part "lemonade" (normally I got something like Sprite in a pub).

I've also had this in Burmese and Vietnamese restaurants. Yum!

I was introduced to the Radler as the German sports drink.

I tried this in Germany and it was awful. Not refreshing at all, it tasted like sugary, watered-down beer.

I drink shandys all the time because I can't ever seem to drink a full pint of beer before everyone else is ready to move on to the next round or pub if it's a pub crawl, but I find it easier to drink a shandy.

I'm a little grossed out by shandies but probably because of one too many disgusting canned shandies when I was a kid (yeah, they let, or at least used to let kids, drink that stuff in the UK).

But shandygaff?! I'm all over that. And count me as another UK native and ginger fiend who has never heard of it.

here in Kansas, we make our Shandy with just plain non-sparkling lemonade. it is how my irish-ancestry farming family has been drinking them for generations. yum!

Or another drink popular in certain parts of Western Canada.. beer and tomato juice.

No I don't get it either.. but I've got relatives that swear by it!
There is also a variation with beer and clamato juice... has anyone else ever heard of this?

@Miss Moshi

I'm from BC, and live in alberta now, and beer and clam is always a popular drink (I actually learned it called a Chelada, but I've only heard that a few times, usually "beer with a side of clam") barf, regardless. actually, it brightens up some terrible beers if you don't mind the mild fishiness of clam with the mild yeastiness of beer.

I was taught that a "Shanty" was beer and ginger ale, but I appear to be wrong on all counts.

Nice to hear this drink is not just an insane Prairie drink ;)
I've always wondered what shandy is.. now I know.

I'd also recommend a slight dash of grenadine on top!

The Leinenkugel Summer Shandy is one of all-time favorite summer beers! Just a hint of lemon, enough to make it interesting and easy enough --- just pop one open and enjoy!