Summer is a great time for beer. This is especially true for IPAs, pilsners, wheat beers, crisp lagers, and salty Gose-style beers. But it’s difficult to beat the appeal of a classic shandy or radler when it comes to pure refreshment.
Both are beers mixed with citrus juice or soda. The shandy, with its mixture of beer and lemonade or citrus soda, has been around since the mid-1800s in England, where it was first called a “shandygaff” before being shortened to the shandy we know today.
The radler, which is often a mix of beer and citrus juice like grapefruit, lemon, or lime, was first created in the 1920s in Germany. Legend says that is where a Bavarian innkeeper named Franz Kugler at The Kugler-Alm invented the drink when he began to run out of beer after a large group of cyclists wandered into his bar. Not wanting to disappoint the thirsty bikers, he stretched what was left by mixing the remaining beer with citrus juice to make what we now know as the radler. The name even means “cyclist” in German.
Today, there’s a wide range of both options to choose from. These are the best shandies and radlers to drink right now.
Short’s Soft Parade Shandy
This 4.2% ABV seasonal brew is a mix of the brewery’s flagship fruit ale (featuring blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries) and homemade lemonade. Pink in color, it’s the beer equivalent of a citrus and berry fruit salad. Perfect for summer, it’s lightly tart, sweet, thirst-quenching, and loaded with citrus and berry flavors. This is the kind of summer beer that needs to be tasted to be believed.
Buy (6-pack): $9.99
Schofferhofer Hefeweizen Grapefruit
When it comes to pure radler refreshment, it’s tough to beat the appeal of Schofferhofer Hefeweizen Grapefruit on a hot summer day. This 2.5% ABV, highly sessionable beer is a mix of a wheat beer and a grapefruit-flavored drink. It’s a 50/50 split, making it an outstanding summer beer featuring a surprisingly balanced, wheat-forward palate with a kick of tart and tangy citrus. It’s the kind of beer you’ll want to pair with yard games and hazy summer nights.
Buy (4-pack): $9.99
Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
No summer is complete without Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. The bottle is adorned with a classic summer lake scene and one sip makes you feel like you’re sitting on a dock with your feet in the water and the summer sun on your back. This award-winning shandy begins with a base of the brewery’s traditional weiss beer and natural lemonade flavor. The result is a complex, crushable beer with a nice kick of tart lemon flavor.
Buy (12-pack): $18.99
Jack’s Abby Blood Orange Wheat
When it comes to lagers, Jack’s Abby makes some of the best. Don’t sleep on the brand’s Blood Orange Wheat. Originally a summer seasonal, this 4% ABV radler became so popular it found a spot on the year-round list. It gets its refreshing citrus flavor from being made with a flavorful wheat beer and blood orange oils.
Buy (12-pack): $23.99
Narragansett Del's Shandy
Narragansett Del's Shandy is a collaboration between the well-known Rhode Island beer brand and Del’s Frozen Lemonade Stand, which opened in Cranston, Rhode Island (but now has many locations) back in 1948. While many shandies and radlers opt for a wheat beer for a base, Del’s Shandy starts with a base of the brewery’s award-winning lager and adds all-natural lemon puree to give it a refreshing, citrus taste of summer.
Buy (6-pack): $9.99
Stiegl Grapefruit Radler
No shandy and radler article is complete without Stiegl Grapefruit Radler. This exceptionally sessional 2.25% ABV beer is summer refreshment in a can. This blend of lager and 100% real grapefruit juice is tart, tangy, and well-balanced enough to become your new summer go-to. Add it to your garage fridge and bring it on your summer camping trip. You’ll be happy you did.
Buy (4-pack): $10.99
Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler
This 4.1% ABV take on the classic radler goes one step further than most. Instead of simply pairing a balanced, crisp beer with citrus juice, the folks at Boulevard decided to up the ante by adding ginger into the mix as well. The result is a refreshing summer beer with a ton of bright, tart citrus flavor and a nice kick of spicy ginger to tie everything together.
Buy (6-pack): $8.49
Saugatuck Blueberry Lemon Shandy
Another brewery that decided to level up its shandy is Saugatuck. Its Blueberry Lemon Shandy is a 5% refresher with a crisp beer base that’s kicked up a notch with the addition of blueberries and tart lemonade. The result is a summery thirst-quencher loaded with berry goodness and tart, sweet lemonade.
Buy (6-pack): $9.99
