Shandy
ClassicBeer and lemonade in equal measure — the great British garden refresher.
Light, fizzy and gently sweet. Lemonade softens the bitterness of the lager and drops the strength, leaving a crisp, citrus-lifted drink that goes down like a soft drink with a whisper of malt. Refreshing and undemanding — built for sunshine, not for sipping slowly.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Lager
- 8 oz Lemon-Lime Soda
- Lemon wheel · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Chill a pint glass.
- 2
Pour in the cold lager to fill it halfway.
- 3
Top with an equal measure of cold lemon-lime soda (British "lemonade").
- 4
Garnish with a lemon wheel and serve immediately.
The Story
The Shandy — short for "shandygaff" — is a British pub and garden staple stretching back to the 19th century, born from the simple idea of stretching a beer to make it lighter and last longer. Traditionally it is beer cut with a soft drink: cloudy lemonade, lemon-lime soda, or in some regions ginger beer. Long the drink of choice for a warm afternoon, a lunchtime pint or a lower-strength option at the bar, it travelled across the Commonwealth and mainland Europe, where its close relative the Radler took hold. Low in alcohol and endlessly easy, it remains the quiet answer to a hot day.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
