11 Most Refreshing Summer Shandy Recipes

Basic Summer Shandy

The shandy began sometime around the 1850s as the "shandy gaff," a beer and ginger ale drink that quickly became a British favorite. Over the years, it's been transformed many times, using citrus sodas and still or sparkling lemonade. There's also a German counterpart, the radler, which tends to use grapefruit soda.

Today, the basic summer shandy recipe is nothing more than equal parts of beer and lemonade. Lager, pilsners, and wheat ales are among the most popular beers to pour, though any of your favorite brews can work just as well. Have some fresh-squeezed lemonade in the fridge and you can enjoy the shandy all summer long!

Grapefruit Shandy

Fresh grapefruit juice is transformed into a tart and sweet grapefruit-ade that is just as easy to make as lemonade. It forms the base for this fantastic grapefruit shandy recipe and gives it a taste similar to the radler.

This shandy is a perfect backyard barbecue beer alternative and it will pair well with whatever you're cooking up on the grill. Plus, you will find that a grapefruit shandy made from scratch outshines any of those bottled options you'll find at the store.

Lilac Shandy

A unique way to kick off shandy season is with the lilac shandy. It can only be made in spring when lilacs are in bloom. The tiny, fragrant flowers are harvested to create a fascinating syrup to flavor homemade lilac lemonade. Add your favorite light beer and you will have the most interesting beer mixed drink possible.

Basil-Rosemary Orange Shandy

When you're ready to add an extra dimension to your shandy experience, turn to the basil-rosemary orange shandy recipe. The orangeade base is sweetened with a homemade syrup that offers the fresh taste of basil, rosemary, and orange zest. It's invigorating on its own and spectacular when paired with a nice wheat ale.

Spicy Pineapple Shandy

Tropical fruit meets spicy pepper in this shandy and it's a ton of fun! The spicy pineapple shandy brings tequila into the mix, features a jalapeño simple syrup, and ramps up the juice component with a blend of lemon and pineapple. Top it off with a pale ale and you're ready to get the summer party started!

Cranberry Ginger Shandy

Shandies are typically a summertime drink, but this cranberry ginger shandy can be served any time of year, even during the holidays. It's a nice low ABV alternative to a boozy punch. With tart cranberry juice, lemon, spicy ginger beer, and pale or wheat beer, it's a festive and balanced cocktail. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Watermelon Beer

Watermelon is the ultimate summer fruit, which would naturally make watermelon beer the ultimate summer cocktail! Another great use for a citrus-kissed wheat beer (always a favorite for shandies), this recipe uses fresh watermelon juice. The two flavors are married vanilla syrup, which also lends a wonderful richness to the drink and makes it tempting to mix up another round.

Rock Shandy

Shandies are typically very light on the alcohol, but if you really want to take it easy, the rock shandy is a great option. A favorite in South Africa, this shandy skips the beer entirely, opting instead to create a sparkling lemonade flavored with Angostura Bitters. Doesn't sound like anything special? The bitters are actually measured by the teaspoon—not the dash typically used in cocktails—so the impact is great and the drink's flavor is amazing.

Edna's Lunchbox

Got orange juice and amaretto? Then you have the makings for a fun and simple Edna's lunchbox. This cocktail is as easy to mix up as any other shandy and that hint of flavor from the almond liqueur is fantastic. It's all the rage in Oklahoma City and has even received the acclaim of Jimmy Fallon, so why not give it a try yourself?

Red Beer

This is not the typical shandy, but it does follow the beer-fruit juice formula. Plus, when you need an extra boost of vitamins and want to drink a beer, the red beer recipe is a perfect fit.

This drink is even better, lighter, and more refreshing if the tomato juice comes out of your own garden. Simply pick a few ripe tomatoes, juice them up, and add whatever beer is in the fridge. Talk about a reason to celebrate the summer harvest!

Raspberry Snakebite

The snakebite typically mixes beer and cider, so it's also reminiscent of the shandy. The raspberry snakebite adds one more element to the mix, taking advantage of fresh raspberries (they're easy to juice) to put a refreshing twist on a luscious vanilla porter. It's a fun transitional beer cocktail that can bridge the gap between summer and autumn.