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If I'm looking for a beer to make shandy with, what should I be looking for, in terms of flavour?

Tom Medley
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2 Answers2

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It seems as though lighter beers are the most popular:

  • In northern Germany, a half-and-half made of Pilsner beer and lemon soda is known as an Alster
  • In southern Germany, a mix of Weißbier and lemon soda is called a "Russ'" (Russian).
  • The Radler (cyclist) Biermischgetränk has a long history in German-speaking regions. It consists of a 80:20 or 70:30 mixture of beer and German-style lemonade (not American-style lemonade, but sparkling lemon soda, similar but not identical to Sprite or 7 Up).

From wikipedia

In general, shandies are meant to be "refreshing" drinks, so the lighter beers makes sense. You can get creative with dark or hoppy beers, but in general you want lighter brews like pilsners, saisons, golden ales, etc.

Fishtoaster
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I've had the Leinenkugel's Orange Shandy recently, which I liked. Most shandys (shandies?) seem to be lemon, this one was orange. I think using orange and something with a distinctly Belgian taste instead of a basic pilsner could be interesting. Think Blue Moon which everybody puts a slice of orange in anyway.

mikeY
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  • @SantaC. Belgian yeast strains create some unmistakable aromas and flavors, primarily funky and fruity. – Xander Jan 30 '14 at 16:05
  • I'm not sure I have the palate or the skills to describe it, but to me many of the Belgian ales have that sort of noisy, cloudy background going on. I've tasted beers that get desribed as "clean", and for me Belgians don't taste clean. I think Witbier has a distinctive taste to it (sharpness? I don't know!) and I think a lot of the Belgian ales use fruit already. It just seemed to me OP was asking for ideas and I think the idea of a shandy that wasn't a clean pilsner and lemon, and maybe was a funky Chimay like thing and some orange would be interesting. One opinion. – mikeY Jan 30 '14 at 16:27
  • @SantaC. Making a note- don't stand between Santa C and a cold Chimay Triple. LOL. – mikeY Jan 31 '14 at 15:41