Shandy

For the 18th-century novel, seeTristram Shandy.

"Radler" and "Shandy Gaff" redirect here. For the surname, seeRadler (surname).For the song, seeAdapt(Sakanaction album).

Shandy

Comparison of aRadlershandy (left) and aPilsner(right)
Type	Cocktail

Shandyisbeermixed with a lemon flavoured beverage, oftenlemonade,usually half lemonade and half beer, resulting in a lowerABVfor the finished drink. Shandies are popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand,South Africa,and Canada.

In somejurisdictions,the lowalcohol contentof shandies exempts them from laws governing the sale ofalcoholic beverages.

Etymology

The debated origin of the term (recorded first in 1888) is shortened fromshandygaff,from Britain in 1853 and itself of obscure source.

Variants by name

Shandyis a popular drink in UK and is usually ordered as either "bitter shandy" (50/50 bitter beer and fizzy clear lemonade) or "lager shandy" in which lager is substituted for the ale.

Radler

Radler(German:[ˈʁaːdlɐ],German for 'cyclist') has a long history in German-speaking regions. It commonly consists of a 50:50 mixture of beer and a lemon-flavoured soft drink.

The termRadleroriginates with a drink calledRadlermass('cyclist litre') that was created by innkeeper Franz Kugler in the small town of Deisenhofen, just outside Munich. During the great cycling boom of theRoaring Twenties,Kugler created a bicycle trail from Munich through the woods that led directly to his drinking establishment.

While the termRadlerhas been widely attributed to Kugler, the combination of beer and soft drink is documented in texts dating from 1912.Radleris consumed not only inBavaria,but also in other parts of Germany, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Bulgaria, the United States, Canada, and Romania.

In northern Germany, a half-and-half mix ofPilsnerbeer and soft drink is known as anAlster(short forAlsterwasser,German:[ˈalstɐˌvasɐ],German for 'water from theAlster', a river in Hamburg). Regionally theRadlerandAlstermay refer to shandies made with either citrus or orange flavoured softdrinks, with the two terms either contrasting or referring to the same drink. In Austria, asaure Radleris a mix of lager and soda water.

In Austria, it is common to useAlmdudlerinstead of lemonade for the Radler.

Radleris very popular during the summer months due to its low alcohol content and reputation for being a 'thirst-quencher.'

In New Zealand, the word "radler" was trademarked byDB Breweriesfor their "Monteith'sRadler"beer, which is a citrus-flavoured, full-strength (5%) beer.This has led to some brewers to use the names "reldar" (Radlerspelled backwards) and "Cyclist" (the literal meaning ofRadler).

In the Netherlands, shandy and Radler are largely seen as two different drinks, shandy being a 0,5% alcohol drink popular as a children's drink during the 70s, as not >0.5% was officially seen as non-alcoholic.The classic Radler, known from Germany, and since a decade or soalso sold as pre-mixed drinks in increasing popularity by most large Dutch beer brewers in increasing variants.

Russ

InBavaria,the southeasternstateofGermany,as well as in the countryside of Austria, a mix of 50%Weißbierand 50% lemonade is called a "Russ". There are three different theories about the origin of this name:

• Due to a shortage of raw materials that occurred duringthe great inflation between 1921 and 1923,Weißbier became more popular. To further reduce material efforts, the Weißbier was thinned with lemonade. The name "Russ" may derive from the popularity of the drink among Russian workers in Germany at that time.
• Another theory of the name's origin is that the drink initially was called "Riesen-Maß"(Riesen = giant),as the drink mixture frothed heavily.
• The most popular theory is that the drink was first served in theMathäser-Kellerin Munich afterthe 1918 Revolutionwhen Communists came together.

Shandygaff

AShandygaffis an older British name for beer mixed withginger beerorginger ale;the earliest written record of the word dates back to 1853.InH. G. Wells’comic novelThe History of Mr Polly,Wells refers to Shandygaff as "two bottles of beer mixed with ginger beer in a round-bellied jug".

Lager top

In England, Wales and Scotland, a lager top is a lager with a dash of lemonade on top, the latter of which reduces the lager's hardness.

Panaché

In France, Switzerland and parts of Italy, a mix of beer and soda (Sprite) is called a Panaché.This name was also adopted in Portugal due to the influence of French culture in the area.

Monaco

In France, a 50/50 mix of lager and carbonated lemonade with a dash ofGrenadineis called aMonaco.

Clara

In Spain, aclarais typically any mixture of beer with a sweet-tasting carbonated soft drink (in order to reduce the bitterness of the hops).The addition of soda lightens the color of the beer, hence its name (clara means "clear" in Spanish). It is usually served as a refreshment in the hot summer months, being a very popular drink.Other regions have different names for the mixture, and there is a debate over whether a clara refers to beer with lemon, or beer with a soft drink.

See also

• Beer cocktail
• Michelada
• Queen Mary (beer cocktail)