{{short description|Beer or cider mixed with lemonade}} {{for|the 18th-century novel|Tristram Shandy}} {{Redirect2|Radler|Shandy Gaff|the surname|Radler (surname)|the song|Adapt (Sakanaction album) {{!}} ''Adapt'' (Sakanaction album)}} {{more citations needed|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox drink | name = Shandy | image = Radler Pils Unterschied 01 (RaBoe).jpg | image_alt = | caption = Comparison of a ''Radler'' shandy (left) and a ''Pilsner'' (right) | type = Cocktail | abv = | proof = | manufacturer = | distributor = | origin = | introduced = | discontinued = | colour = | flavour = | ingredients =
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'''Shandy''' is beer or cider mixed with a lemon-flavoured beverage, usually half lemonade or a lemon carbonated soft drink and half beer or cider, resulting in a lower ABV for the finished drink. Shandies are popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Caribbean. In the UK, they are usually ordered as either "bitter shandy" (made of equal parts of bitter ale and fizzy clear lemonade) or "lager shandy" (in which lager is substituted for the ale).{{cn|date=October 2024}}
In some jurisdictions, the low alcohol content of shandies exempts them from laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages.
== Etymology ==
The term (recorded first in 1888) originated as a shortening of ''shandygaff'', from Britain in 1853 and itself of obscure source.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/shandy|title=shandy | Origin and meaning of shandy by Online Etymology Dictionary|website=Etymonline.com}}</ref>
== Variants by name ==
=== Radler ===
''Radler'' ({{IPA|de|ˈʁaːdlɐ|lang|De-Radler.ogg}}, lit. 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://germanfoods.org/recipes/radler/|title=Radler |website=Germanfoods.org|access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>
The term ''Radler'' originates with a drink called ''Radlermass'' ('cyclist litre') that was created by Franz Kugler, an innkeeper, in the small town of Deisenhofen, just outside Munich. During the great cycling boom of the Roaring Twenties, Kugler created a bicycle trail from Munich through the woods that led directly to his drinking establishment.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
While the term ''Radler'' has been widely attributed to Kugler, the combination of beer and soft drink is documented in texts dating from 1912.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php?id=5&xid=318&kapitel=20&cHash=1&hilite=radlerma%c3%9fen#gb_found | title=Radler | publisher=Projekt Gutenberg: Lena Christ, Erinnerungen einer Überflüssigen / 1; first published 1912 | access-date=2008-12-14 }}</ref> ''Radler'' is consumed not only in Bavaria, but also in other parts of Germany, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Bulgaria, the United States, Canada, and Romania.{{cn|date=July 2025}}
In northern Germany, a half-and-half mixture of Pilsner beer and soft drink is known as an ''Alster'' (short for ''Alsterwasser'', {{IPA|de|ˈalstɐˌvasɐ|lang|De-Alsterwasser.ogg}}, German for 'water from the Alster', a river in Hamburg). Regionally the ''Radler'' and ''Alster'' may 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, a ''saurer Radler'' is a mix of lager and soda water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kurier.at/genuss/fussball-weltmeisterschaft-warum-der-saure-radler-immer-beliebter-wird/400051781|title=Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft: Warum der saure Radler immer beliebter wird|date=18 June 2018}}</ref>
In Austria, a variant, sometimes called Almradler, is popular, using Almdudler instead of lemonade. ''Radler'' is very popular during the summer months due to its low alcohol content and reputation for being a "thirst-quencher".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csulb.edu/~parayner/Radler.html|title=Radler (The Bicyclist): Radler (The Beer)|access-date=8 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116090635/http://www.csulb.edu/~parayner/Radler.html|archive-date=16 January 2011}}</ref>
In New Zealand, the word "radler" was trademarked by DB Breweries for their "Monteith's ''Radler''" beer, which is a citrus-flavoured, full-strength (5%) beer.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_5284136">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5284136/DB-wins-its-battle-over-Radler-beer |title=DB wins its battle over Radler beer |author=Krause, Nick |date=14 July 2011 |work=Stuff.co.nz |access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref> This has led to some brewers to use the names "reldar" (''Radler'' spelled backwards) and "Cyclist" (the literal meaning of ''Radler'').<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_2437166">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/2437166/Backward-move-in-brewers-blue |title=Backward move in brewers' blue |author=Law, Tina |date=25 May 2009 |work=Stuff.co.nz |access-date=28 December 2011}}</ref>
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 beverages not exceeding 0.5% alcohol were officially seen as non-alcoholic.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} The classic German Radler is increasingly also sold there as a pre-mixed drink made by most large Dutch beer brewers in a growing number of varieties.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
=== Russ ===
In Bavaria, the southeastern state of Germany, as well as in the countryside of Austria, a mix of 50% ''Weißbier'' and 50% lemonade is called a "Russ". There are three different theories about the origin of this name:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bayerisches-bier.de/bier-wissen/russ/ |website=Bayrisches Bier |title=Russ |language=de |access-date=15 December 2018}}</ref>
* Due to a shortage of raw materials that occurred during the 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.{{cn|date=October 2024}} * 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 the Mathäser-Keller in Munich after the 1918 Revolution when Communists came together.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
=== Shandyade === Scottish manufacturer A.G. Barr produces a soft drink known as "Shandyade". Shandyade is a non-alcoholic, carbonated soft drink flavored to mimic the taste of a traditional shandy. This is done through using malt flavouring.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shandyade |url=https://barrflavours.com/products/shandyade |access-date=2026-02-07 |website=Barr Flavours |language=en}}</ref> Shandyade prior to 2022 was branded as "Barr Shandy"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-28 |title=Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris On their New Series Road Tripping |url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/15352/paddy-mcguinness-road-tripping |access-date=2026-02-07 |website=Beyond The Joke |language=en}}</ref> and contained a small amount of real beer. === Shandygaff ===
A ''Shandygaff'' is an older British name for beer mixed with ginger beer or ginger ale; the earliest written record of the word dates back to 1853.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shandygaff|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shandygaff|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> In H. G. Wells’ comic novel ''The 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.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Getting to the bottom of lager tops | url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/getting-bottom-lager-tops-3504457 | work=Liverpool Echo | date=24 September 2007 | access-date=11 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Lager top | url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/lager-top | work=Collins Dictionary | access-date=11 June 2014}}</ref>
=== Panaché ===
In France, Switzerland and parts of Italy, a mix of beer and soda (Sprite) is called a Panaché.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Larousse |first=Éditions |title=Définitions : panaché - Dictionnaire de français Larousse |url=https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/panach%C3%A9/57539 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=www.larousse.fr |language=fr}}</ref> 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 of Grenadine is called a Monaco<ref> Knorr, Paul ''11,000 Drinks: 27 Years' Worth of Cocktails Kindle Edition'' Union Square & Co. 2 December 2016</ref>.
=== Clara ===
In Spain, a ''clara'' is typically any mixture of beer with a sweet-tasting carbonated soft drink (in order to reduce the bitterness of the hops).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-08-01 |title=Las bebidas más sanas para ir de terrazas - CLARA (CON LIMÓN): 72 ... {{!}} Zen {{!}} EL MUNDO |url=https://www.elmundo.es/album/vida-sana/bienestar/2016/08/01/5798a9aae5fdeaf95d8b456f_10.html |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=ELMUNDO |language=es}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Felipe. |first=Lescure Beruete, Luis |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/433953617 |title=Diccionario gastronómico : términos, refranes, citas y poemas |date=2005 |publisher=Vision Net |isbn=84-9821-137-9 |pages=69 |oclc=433953617}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-30 |title=Dime como pides una "clara" y te diré quién eres |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/es/cultura/dime-pides-clara-dire_526170_102.html |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=ElNacional.cat |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cómo nombrar la cerveza con limón en diferentes lugares - Rentabilibar MSM |url=https://www.rentabilibar.es/historia-cerveza-con-limon |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=Mahou - Rentabilibar |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-08-17 |title=La clara, ¿con limón o con gaseosa? |url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/yes/2019/08/17/clara-limon-gaseosa/0003_201908SY17P7991.htm |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=La Voz de Galicia |language=es}}</ref>
== See also == {{portal|Beer}} * Beer cocktail * ''Michelada'' * Queen Mary (cocktail)
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Wiktionary}} {{Commons category|Shandies}} {{Alcoholic beverages}}
Category:Types of beer Category:Cocktails with beer Category:Two-ingredient cocktails