What is a Shandy and why is it called that?

[dranderson]

My and I picked up some orange shandy at WallyWorld just to try it out. She loves and wants to brew some. I was able to find a summer shandy in the recipe section that called for orange zest. Are they the same thing?

And is shandy a style of wheat beer, just curious about the name.

Thanks

 

[chocotaco]

It's beer mixed with a soft drink - like sparkling lemonade (or in your case something like Orangina).

It's called that because... uhm, isshandy when yerv *hic* had a few too many real beers ?

Actually I have no idea why it's called that.

 

[dranderson]

So what kind of beer is it?

Thanks again.

 

[Bennywisest]

They usually use a very basic beer (think BMC type). I believe there are some German regional variants that use Pilsner or Wheat beers.

 

[angrysparrow]

I'm no expert, but I always thought that:
Shandy = Ginger Ale + Beer
Radler = Carbonated Lemonade + Beer

Either one tastes great IMO. I like a wheat beer mixed with Sprite for my own version.

 

[unionrdr]

I read the origin story on the German beer site. Let me see if I can pull it up.
History of shandy;
http://www.christies-shandy.co.za/?q=node/1
The story on the German beer institute seems to be gone?...

 

[skw]

The story on the German beer institute seems to be gone?...

This one?
http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Radler.html

 

[unionrdr]

That's it!!! I couldn't remember the inn keeper's name to find it. Wasn't in the history section. Thanks loads man! I wanted to save it again after a browser fubar a couple years ago.

 

[skw]

Radler is an excellent summer drink. I love it especially when made with a malty Munich Dunkel.

 

[unionrdr]

I just thought of mixing Leinenkugel's Hoppin' Helles with a craft lemon soda to make it. The site says that you can mix a 6'r of pils,Dortmunder or Helles with a few cans of lemon soda in a pitcher,mixed 50/50. Add a few ice cubes & stir. I thought that a good craft lemon soda would most closely imitate Herr Kugler's drink.

 

[Bennywisest]

For a good Radler I highly recommend.

 

[dranderson]

Cool thanks for the help. Do we have a recipe here?

 

[unionrdr]

Well,many of us have tried to brew the flavors together. But it's what is now known as a beer coctail. You mix pils,dortmunder or helles 50/50 with lemon soda. A real lemon soda,not 7up or the like in a pitcher. Those Stiegels look interesting.

 

[DavidJP]

I'd highly recommend a bitter shandy, standard bitter with lemonade.
Its a common childrens drink although i think many commercial versions take even more of the alcohol out. But 50% mix of lemonade with a standard Uk bitter which is at 3.5% usually drops you pretty far down the alcohol scale.

http://www.benshawsdrinks.co.uk/our-drinks/bitter-shandy/

Though looks like a 10yr old schoolkid got into some trouble for drinking it but totally legal
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...cluded-school-drinking-shandy-playground.html

Definitely has a bit more flavour than a more usual lager shandy.

 

[dranderson]

OK just thinking out here but would like some input from you guys:

Brew a light beer as normal...add orange zest at the fifty min mark...Cool and pitch yeast and let ferment as normal...Rack to secondary until time to bottle...Then prime as normal but add flat ginger ale 50/50 and cap it off to carb.

What do you think?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

You could do that, but why not brew a blonde ale or light lager, then mix a shandy in the traditional manner? Seems you're creating a solution where there is no problem.

 

[Justdrumin]

I'm thinking around summertime I'll brew up a batch of this with biermunchers centennial blonde I think that would be a great candidate for this one. Also, I've had a leinenkugel summer shandy which seems like a light wheat ale with some lemon added. I've seen a clone of it floating around using lemon cool aid.

 

[unionrdr]

My version I posted uses Trulemon. But I think I'll just brew up my hybrid lager next time & mix in lemon soda.

 

[dranderson]

I'm thinking mixing may just be easier, but add the zest to the boil as the only change.

 

[unionrdr]

That'd certainly add to it,done in the last 10-15 minutes of the boil. The colored zest only,not the white pith. The white part is really bitter.

 

[dranderson]

Thanks Uniondr, I looked at your recipe and was wondering if that was one of those cooper extract kits that you bashed to make your shandy.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,it's based on Cooper's OS Lager can with other extracts,hops & Trulemon added.

 

[dranderson]

Ok Never thought about using a commercial kit and changing things up.

Thanks again.