Not familiar with the shandy? Allow me to introduce you. Liquor isn't the only alcohol that can make a mean cocktail.
There are plenty of fun recipes that are a lot more complex, but the shandy is easy and refreshing. Just combine 50% beer with 50% juice or soda. It's much lower in alcohol content, so you can enjoy more of it. It also is lower in calories by not being 100% beer.
For those who don't know, I have over 9 years’ experience working for a sampling company (which just means, we send out samples to members in exchange for their feedback). For 5 of those years, we were one of those start-up companies that boasted a cool, fun environment where you'd play ping pong at the end of the day and go out after work for social bonding events. This, of course, was back when working in-office was a thing. We had a budget for snacks throughout those years. Because of my passion for sharing the joy of mixology with all, I asked for a small budget to mix drinks for the office on Fridays. We were buying beer and wine for employees to enjoy after hours anyway. So this wasn't much of a stretch to ask. I was granted the budget of $50 per week (we were a small team, and I know how to stretch a budget to fit my needs) and each week I would create batch drinks for all to enjoy. They even made me a sign, a la the Cheers logo.
I'm obsessed with all things autumn and given the budget and limited tools; a cider shandy was just the thing to check all the boxes. I find that Belgian wheat beers make excellent shandies, at least with the lighter ingredients. An IPA (India Pale Ale) would work also. For my tastes, they are too hoppy and bitter to drink alone, but when cut with juice or soda, they are much more palatable. I recommend giving it a try for yourself.
I have published other posts about cider drinks, as well. But I want to throw in a little note here. Not all ciders are created equal. The standard darker cider that you most often see at haunted hayrides and other seasonal events is great for mixing with darker spirits. Bourbon, dark rum, gold tequila. If you're lucky, you can also find other ciders. Wegmans (one of my favorite brands) makes a few specialty apple ciders including sweet tango and honeycrisp. Those are lighter, fruitier, and better suited for light spirits. This is the cider I recommend using to make a shandy.
Instructions:
6oz Blue Moon beer (Hoegaarden and other Belgian-style wheat beers work well, too)
6oz apple cider (preferably honeycrisp or another light cider)
Fill a pilsner with chilled beer and chilled cider. No garnish necessary, but I would never stop you from getting fancy and floating a thin apple slice or clove studded orange slice on top.
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