Shandy Land

A shandy is a perfect summer drink that is a cinch to make…and drink (especially on the hot summer days that we’ve been suffering through!).

The drink is simply a mixture of beer and lemonade, but my version also includes ginger ale. I like to use Blue Moon beer because the citrus undertones harmonize nicely with the lemonade and the ginger ale gives the drink a spicy little zip. The traditional recipe calls for just beer and lemonade in equal proportions.

The Shandy’s relatively low alcohol content makes it a popular tavern beverage and from my minimal research, it seems to have originated in Europe. There are many variations of this concoction and my two favorites (just from the descriptions, otherwise I would not be able to write a coherent post!) are the Texan Honeymoon which consists of lager beer and lime juice and a Chilean version, the Fan-Schop, which is a mixture of draught beer and Fanta orange soda.

So, my version is called a Ginger Snap Shandy

½ Glass beer
¼ Glass of lemonade, homemade or store bought, or lemon soda
¼ Glass of ginger ale
1 teaspoon of molasses

Fill a glass half way with the beer. Add lemonade, then Ginger Ale, add the molasses, give it a little stir and float a lemon slice on top. Crisp, refreshing, delish and easy as could be…a Ginger Snap Shandy.