PLEASE HELP!!! i like summer shandy

[BadMrFrosty]

and as for the whole "a real shandy is something you make, not buy in a bottle" thing, same thing can be said about a lot of things we the masses drink. it's a matter of convenience. nothing more.

True but how many people buy a premixed Cuba Libra? Mojito? Not many I guess. Sometimes quality is sacrificed for convenience. I would never buy a microwave meal for the same reason, it may be quick but cannot beat homemade.

 

[LBussy]

True but how many people buy a premixed Cuba Libra? Mojito? Not many I guess. Sometimes quality is sacrificed for convenience. I would never buy a microwave meal for the same reason, it may be quick but cannot beat homemade.

I believe if you research pre-made drinks like that you will both find them available, and find that the reason they are not more widespread is the laws surrounding liquor. Things like how much alcohol can be in a prepared drink, the handling of said drink (a Jim Beam and Coke is subject to the same strict laws as Jim Beam), and even where the alcohol comes from are all issues. Starting with an "ultra-filtered malt beverage" (beer) and flavoring that is often how things like Zima are made because beer is subject to different laws.

I did not see this mentioned regarding the OP's question though:

I make my Shandy with whatever beer I happen to have, plus some carbonated Skeeter Pee. It does NOT meet the OP's original intent:

cant handle booze very well

... because if you mix it half and half even with MBC is turns out to be a 6.5% ABV panty-dropper, but it is very good.

There's also a somewhat "mainstream" cocktail called a "Hop, Skip, and Go Naked" that is very close in character.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

True but how many people buy a premixed Cuba Libra? Mojito? Not many I guess. Sometimes quality is sacrificed for convenience. I would never buy a microwave meal for the same reason, it may be quick but cannot beat homemade.

and sometimes quality & convenience can be had thanks to the efforts of those with discerning taste.

 

[sfrisby]

I've been in other shandy threads and have run into the same problem (some of the same folks on this thread) that feel it very important to them to put down any attempt at a premixed shandy. Never really understood it. If its not your thing, you have every right to that, so why not choose to not participate in this thread. Like this thread, conversations get derailed by trying to justify what we are doing and not spending time comparing recipe ideas.

 

[unionrdr]

Well said. After having Leini's offering & having read about the first/original shandy on the German beer institute site,I decided to give it a try. I posted one recipe that tasted like lemon blossom herb tea in a pale ale. But that'll get updated when I get back to it. Too busy with wheat beers & my new IPa style to get to it atm. But my new twist,my Berlin leomonweisse will be ready for a week's fridge time on 8/1. I figured the lighter wheat beer with it's characteristic organic sweetness might mix better with the Trulemon in the priming solution. I used the same amount (12 packets) of Trulemon in this one for comparison's sake,if nothing else.

 

[BadMrFrosty]

I've been in other shandy threads and have run into the same problem (some of the same folks on this thread) that feel it very important to them to put down any attempt at a premixed shandy. Never really understood it. If its not your thing, you have every right to that, so why not choose to not participate in this thread. Like this thread, conversations get derailed by trying to justify what we are doing and not spending time comparing recipe ideas.

I'm not putting anyone down. However being English I grew up ordering a good shandy in the Rugby club after a game, always draught beer mixed with draft lemonade, after a hard game that was a very refreshing experience. I have also bought just about every premixed version of it and nothing comes close.

Since moving to the Czech Republic the German style shandy called Radler has become very popular and is heavily marketed to women here. Thinking that maybe I could get proper shandy in a bottle I tried most brands, again none can come close to a draught Shandy and these are made by some of the most respected Czech breweries.

At the end of the day you might make something that is a reasonable shandy and if that's your thing then good luck. Personally I have never had a professionally made pre mixed shandy that meets my expectations so doubt I could make one. Maybe someone here can but I will be following the KISS principle and mixing in the glass.

 

[unionrdr]

Nothing wrong with the original. It'll be hard to brew a "pre-mixed" version that'll compare to it,but it's a bit of fun to try. Gotta get some more Trulemon to continue my experiments. Maybe some wheat malt in a pale ale shock top sort of thing will do? Regular pale ale was darn close to the commercial one according to my son. I guess being the artist,I'm never trully satisfied.

 

[Pratzie]

Prob a bit of an unorthodox shandy but something i like to do in the summer time for parties... Make a BIG picture of magaritas and top off my beer with a big splash of margarita mix. Ive heard them called all different things from chelada's to bulldogs (margaritas with a Corona upside down inside).

Whatever you wanna call them they are DAMN GOOD DRINKING!

And here's a pic of how ive been finishing off a case of Bud light Lime a rita's that someone left at my house after one of those parties.

 

[NTexBrewer]

Here is a recipe I made up to try to make an all in one Shandy. I do counter top mashing so this recipe made 2.5 gallons. The taste is more tart than sweet but it is very good. I carbonated it high and it gives it a very effervescent feel. My goal with this beer was to have it around the 2.125 gallon range with ABV of 2.5% to use my Mr. Beer fermenter. I was assuming an efficiency of 60% and did better so I added water to keep ABV around 2.5%. I ended with it at 2.6% I had been collecting the Coors Light and Bud Light 7oz ponies for this beer. Here's the recipe:

Saison Shandy:
1 lb 2-Row
0.5 lb Malted Wheat
0.5 lb Crystal Malt 10L
0.25 lb Dark Candi Sugar (15 Min)
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 Min)
2 Cups Fresh Lemon Juice (Flame Out)
Zest of 2 Lemons and a few Lemon Slices in Fermenter

0.5 oz Chech Saaz (60 Min) (Used whole leaf as that is what store had)

WYeast 3724

3.5 oz Lactose (At Bottling)
3.0 oz Priming Sugar

Mashed at 152 Degrees. Batch sparged to have 2.5 gallons in brew pot.
Fermented for 5 days and then bottled.

If I do this recipe again, I would probably add more lemon juice and up the amount of Lactose.

With a Witbier, I have also made a few bottles of shandy with crystal light lemonade. Just added equal parts beer and lemonade to the bottle. No added sugars from crystal light and it still carbonated fine in the bottle.

 

[Camping57]

If you live in Wisconsin go and find a New Glarus Berliner Weiss. I have a wife who is a Lienies Shandy drinker and this is one of the very few craft beers that she loves. My new assignment is to try to figure out a clone recipe.

 

[unionrdr]

That berliner weisse recipe was discussed in the lambic forum a while back. It does use some souring.

 

[bscott1011]

I have been mixing cream ale and skeeter pee too. Not a true shandy but tasty