I’ve never been known for featuring a traditional seasonal beer at the appropriate time on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz…and while sometimes I just prefer to fly in the face of convention, every so often it just seems like we should do it right. Today we chose to feature a traditional summer beer, with some really interesting historical roots and sample it right as summer appears to be reaching Northeastern PA.
Our beer today was Leinenkugel’s Summer Shady…and I know before I even type that and before I even speak those words on the radio, the craft-beer and anti-Shandy Armies are amassing at my borders…but wait before you slaughter me for featuring such a beer.
First off, realize that the shandy style dates back to 1922 in Germany. Based on the German Radler, the story goes that a group of cyclists entered a pub in Germany to enjoy a few beers. Not wanting them to drink and cycle, the bartender began cutting their wheat beers with the only thing he had available….Lemonade. The style became an instant classic and in fact the word Radler translates to “cyclist” in German.
Jump forward to 2012 and Jacob Leinenkugel’s introduces their Summer Shandy, and while the originals of the word Shandy may come from a different country, the style is a classic Radler. Summer Shandy is a Wheat Beer with natural lemon flavor and you’ll not only be surprised by how drinkable it really is, but also by how popular it has become.
Yes I know Jacob Leinenkugel’s is backed by 10th and Blake, the craft beer arm of SAB Miller, but even this will surprise you. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy accounts for 40% of ALL sales coming from Leinenkugels. The sales for Summer Shandy have increased by 90% in 2012 and this beer is part of the largest TV advertising campaign ever to come from Leinenkugels. Even though cans and bottles are now available in ALL 50 states…Fasten your seatbelts because I expect you’ll see a lot more of the Summer Shandy Army in the future.
As if that wasn’t enough fun for one show, we decided to make our own Shandy in the South American tradition of cutting beer with lemon-lime soda. We sampled side by side, and while our base beer was different and our soda was not exactly the same as lemonade, it was still pretty interesting and still pretty drinkable.
No doubt Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy wins that comparison and despite what you may think of Leinenkugel’s or the Shandy style, I have no doubt you’ll bee seeing a lot more of it. Try this one for yourself….especially on a hot summer day and see if you agree.
Thank you to, Nancy, LA & Joe for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together. As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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I love a good Shandy. They are refreshing and don't kill me with alcohol. Thanks for highlighting Leinies. Jenna
ReplyDeleteMe too. Some are too lemony but I like most of them I didn't know the story of the name so that was cool. Amy
ReplyDeleteYou know WAY too much about beer. Cool show. Marcus
ReplyDeleteI like lemon flavored beer so I plan to buy this one. Jan
ReplyDeleteIt's an overlooked style of beer. I like a Radler in summertime. Sam makes a good one called Porch Rocker. Cheers! Ed
ReplyDeleteIve said it before. This is NOT beer. Shandy's are terrible. JJ
ReplyDeleteWhy would you promote Miller beer? Next thing you know you'll have Miller Lite on the show. Art
ReplyDeleteTo be honest we promote people experiencing and enjoying beer, and while that almost always leads us to the smaller or "craft" breweries, I don't discriminate if I think it is a beer people will enjoy and/or may not have ever tried. The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery has been around for 150 years and while they are distributed by 10th and Blake (the craft beer arm of Miller) they also make some great beers. I'll admit that a Shandy may not be my go to beer, but whether I drink them or not and whether JJ considers them a beer, we always ask people to keep an open mind and try things for your self. You decide what to call it, you decide if you like it and you decide how much Miller's involvement means to you.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. I guess I'd rather my girlfriend drink a Shandy than a Miller Lite or Martini. Ed
ReplyDeleteNow you're thinking Ed!
ReplyDeleteNice show and very funny on the video. I'll try the beer. Jess
ReplyDeleteI usually don;t like the sweet ones but the lemon sounded interesting to me. I'll give it a whirel.
ReplyDeleteRay
I love their Sunset Wheat. I'm not so sure on the lemony thing but I can try it. Asa in Didmore
ReplyDeleteOn a hot day with a frosty mug I also liked Sunset Wheat.
ReplyDeleteI've added lemonade to my beer for years. It's a nice mix. Jerry
ReplyDeleteI just watched the video and it was really funny even sans Webster. And holly mother of mercy does Bill know a lot about beer. I was amazed at how much he knew about sales and all sorts of facts and he only looked at his notes for the date of the German pub. Now I have a cool Radler meaning story to tell tonight at Happy Hour. Thank you. Mimi May
ReplyDeleteThanks Mimi....and thank you to Karel, Jake, Nancy and LA Tarrone for another fun Friday.
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