Lemon Shandy
When the sunshine hits, there’s nothing better than cracking open a fizzy, refreshing Lemon Shandy. The store-bought versions can be overly sweet, though, so if you’re looking for something you can control and will taste exactly the way you like it, you’re in the right place.
A Lemon Shandy Is The Perfect Summer Cocktail
Summer is for beaches, boating, and relaxing, and what better way to do that than enjoying a beer with lemonade?
Lemon shandy beer has exploded in popularity in the last few years, with a lot of commercial options available, like Shock Top Lemon Shandy and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, but those are just too sweet for my taste. I get halfway through a bottle, and I’m about done.
That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a crisp beer lemon shandy at home!
By whipping up a fresh batch of sparkling lemonade to mix with your favorite beer, you can easily control the sugar content and final result and have a whole batch of shandies to enjoy with your friends and family.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Lemon Shandy Beer
- Lemony but not too sweet. You won’t get heartburn from a drink with too much sugar!
- Made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- Easy to prep in advance. Make the simple syrup ahead of time and you’re all set to stir up your shandies whenever you’re ready.
Lemon Shandy Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- sugar – regular granulated sugar is what will add sweetness to the shandy.
- water – please note that you’ll need regular still (tap) water AND a bottle of sparkling water to make this lemonade shandy.
- lemon juice – freshly squeeze it from real lemons, none of that bottled stuff!
- wheat beer – you’ll need four 12 ounce bottles of wheat beer for this beer and lemonade beverage. More on this below.
How To Make A Beer Lemon Shandy At Home
1. MAKE SIMPLE SYRUP. Heat sugar and water to a boil in a sauce pot and cook until all sugar is dissolved. Transfer the syrup to the fridge to fully cool before making your shandies.
2. ASSEMBLE. Stir together the simple syrup, sparkling water and fresh lemon juice. Pour one bottle of beer into each pint glass, then divide the lemon mixture over the beers.
Beer And Lemon Home Chef Tips
- Feel free to experiment with sweeteners. Instead of granulated sugar, try an equal amount of honey or agave nectar in the sugar syrup for a twist.
- Try a flavored sparkling water to add another layer of flavor to beer with lemonade. Stick with lemon flavor, or try it with lime or grapefruit sparkling water.
- If you can, chill your pint glasses in the freezer for a couple of minutes before serving your shandies so you have chilled glasses.
- Serve the shandies garnished with lemon wedges and mint sprigs for color if you want (but totally not necessary).
How To Store Leftover Beer And Lemonade Beverage
If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
The simple syrup can be made and refrigerated up to 1 week before serving.
Because sparkling water loses its fizz quickly, don’t stir up the pitcher of sparkling lemonade until just before serving.
Can You Freeze A Lemon Shandy?
These don’t freeze well on their own, unless you want to make lemon shandy popsicles, which – we won’t judge. But a better option if you’re into frosty drinks is to pick up a Slushy Machine for your kitchen. They aren’t cheap, but they are so worth it!
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Lemon Shandy FAQ
A shandy is beer-based cocktail where beer is combined with a non-alcoholic beverage like lemonade or citrus soda. This beer with lemon concoction originated in Europe but has gained popularity in the United States thanks to how delightful it is!
If Meyer lemons are in season, they are perfect for a lemon shandy beer! Their sweet and slightly floral flavor pairs nicely with wheat beer.
This really isn’t the time to experiment with dark beers like porters or stouts, or heavily hopped or complex-tasting beers. Our favorite is wheat beer (Weihenstephaner Hefe is one we prefer), but pilsners and saisons are also great choices for a lemon shandy.
Shandies are best with a wheat beer, but a lager will work for beer and lemonade in a pinch!
Some recipes call for serving lemon beer over ice, but we don’t think it’s needed, as long as your beer, sparkling water and simple syrup are all well chilled before you stir them together.
Eat These Snacks With Your Beer With Lemon
Who doesn’t love an ice-cold beer with some salty snacks? Even better when there’s a splash of lemonade involved.
Our Favorite Snacks To Serve With Lemon Beer Are:
More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites
Lemon Shandy
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 ⅓ cups chilled sparkling water
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 bottles chilled wheat beer (12 ounces each) (we used Weihenstephaner Hefe)
Instructions
- In small saucepot, heat sugar and 1/3 cup water to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When all sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to jar and refrigerate until chilled.
- In small pitcher, stir together sparkling water, lemon juice and sugar syrup until well combined.
- Pours beer into chilled pint glasses and top each glass with sparkling lemonade. Serve immediately.
I LOVE a good shandy in the summer. It’s so refreshing and light and perfect for beating the heat. These Pringles sound pretty tasty too. They are such a delicious snack….yum!
Yesssss, a fellow shandy lover! I think they are sort of polarizing, because I know some people who hate them. But in my opinion, beer + lemonade = what’s not to love?
I haven’t heard of a shandy until you told me about them. I need to try this next time I’m snacking on some Pringles!
Oh, you MUST try a shandy! I’ll see if I can find you one this weekend 🙂
so awesome! and so good with chips too! <3
Thanks so much for stopping by, Kelsey!
Can you make me one of these tonight after class? It looks delicious. I think the use of a wheat beer was a great idea. And the brand you used for this post – we’ll call it Shmoegaraden – seems like a perfect choice. I tested the pringles for you earlier and I think they do have a good limey salty quality to them that pairs well with a cold brew.
Oh wow, this looks so refreshing!! Meyer lemons are so good. And so are pringles!
Thanks for stopping by, Dorothy!
This looks perfect for a sunny day!!
Thanks so much, Gerry!