Review: Summer Shandy, Leinenkugel

Summer Shandy
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. — Chippewa Falls, WI

Stats:

• Style:  Shandy (Beer with Lemonade)
• Bitterness:  13.5 IBU
• ABV:  4.2%  
• Malts:  Pale and Wheat
• Hops:  Cluster
• Sampled:  12 oz. bottle 

Description:  "Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy® is our take on a traditional German radler. Crisp, refreshing and brewed with natural lemonade flavor, it's perfect for the sun-splashed summer months." — Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.

Random thoughts:  According to Wikipedia a Shandy is "Beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, or cider. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste, normally half-and-half."  I first tasted a Leinenkugel back in my undergrad days in Illinois. One of my fraternity brothers was from Chippewa Falls and introduced his home town brew. I didn't care much for it, nor any of the of the other macro brews my peers were drinking. This will be my first Leinie in a long time. I've never tasted a Shandy. It seems like an intriguing combination, so I thought it would be worth a try. I also picked up a bottle of Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss.

The tasting:  Pale yellow in color, cloudy, with a white head that dissipates fairly quickly. Aroma is dominated by juicy lemon and bright lemon zest.  f I was tasting this blind, I would definitely expect this to be lemonade. It starts with lemon flavor. It's quite prominent, but doesn't have any acidic tartness. In the middle, the tangy wheat comes through. Hop bitterness and alcohol are not noticeable in flavor. Since this beer is part lemonade, I was surprised to find that it has very little sweetness. Summer Shandy is light bodied, moderately carbonated, and finishes dry with light notes of lemon.

Rating:   3 star.  Good I would drink this again if someone gives it to me.  This beer is brewed with "natural lemonade flavor". Maybe someone can tell me what that means. Anyway, if you're looking for something different, Summer Shandy is worth a try. It's light, easy drinking and would serve you well on a hot summer day. Personally, I wish it had a bit more sweet and tart flavor. I'm now more intrigued by the concept of a Shandy. Maybe I'll make my own this summer with a good hefeweizen and my favorite lemonade.

Have you tasted Summer Shandy?  What do you think of beer and lemonade combined?

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