Watermelon Shandy. Photo by Theresa Stanley
The shandy – a blend of light beer with a non-alcoholic drink such as lemonade or another juice – has become an increasingly popular summertime refresher. Some mainstream shandy varieties seem slightly too sweet or too sour to my palate, so being ever a fan of food and beverage DIY, I ventured to create a homemade shandy that was just right.
This shandy blends fresh squeezed watermelon juice – plentiful in the summer and lauded for its high level of nutrients, including Vitamins A, B6 and C – with lemonade and wheat beer, for the perfect hydrating treat on a hot summer day. Note: cold juice and a chilled glass are key to this cocktail – no one likes warm beer!
Ingredients
• 3 ounces cold watermelon juice (recipe follows; calls for one baby watermelon)
• 3 ounces cold lemonade
• 6 ounces wheat beer, ice cold
• Lime wedge
• Watermelon slice for garnish
• Pint glass, chilled
To a pint glass, add watermelon juice and lemonade. Add beer, squeeze a lime on top and garnish with a slice of watermelon.
Watermelon Juice
Cut a small watermelon in half. Set one half aside to slice, for garnish and snacking; cut melon from rind on the other half and place in blender. Blend watermelon to make a frothy juice (on a high power blender it takes about 10 seconds). If you desire a smoother juice, strain into a glass jar but if you prefer a thick juice, straining is not necessary. Chill in refrigerator. Half a small watermelon should provide enough juice for several shandies.