A Radler is a beer diluted on purpose, and it is better for it. Half a wheat beer or light lager, half cold lemonade, garnished with a lemon wheel and served over ice on a hot afternoon. If you’d rather buy one ready-made, our Leinenkugel Summer Shandy review covers the category’s best-known bottled version.
The name comes from German cyclists who wanted something refreshing and lower in alcohol to drink mid-ride, which explains why it is built to be sessionable rather than strong. Using cloudy lemonade rather than lemon-lime soda keeps it closer to the traditional version and less sugary-sweet.
This is the easiest beer cocktail on the list to make and the easiest to batch for a group: mix a full pitcher of half beer, half lemonade, and top up glasses as needed.
| Style | Beer and lemonade shandy |
| Base beer | Wheat beer or light lager |
| ABV (approx) | 2-2.5%, roughly half the base beer’s ABV |
| Serves | 1 |
How to Make It
Radler (Beer and Lemonade Shandy)
Ingredients
- 6 oz wheat beer or light lager a German-style wheat beer or crisp lager works best
- 6 oz lemonade cold, cloudy lemonade rather than lemon-lime soda for a more traditional radler
- 1 wheel lemon for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a tall glass halfway with the beer.
- Top with the lemonade, pouring gently so it does not foam over.
- Stir once, just enough to combine.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel on the rim and serve immediately over ice.
Want more beer picks for the summer? Check our best beers for a shandy, best wheat beers for summer, best summer beers for hot weather guides.
Beers Worth Trying in This One
Gear That Helps
Making a batch for a crowd? A beverage dispenser from our shop keeps a pre-mixed pitcher cold and ready to pour.
FAQ
Is a Radler the same as a Shandy?
They are close cousins. A Shandy traditionally mixes beer with lemonade or lemon-lime soda, and a Radler is the German version of the same idea, usually made with a wheat beer specifically.
What beer works best?
A German-style wheat beer (hefeweizen) is traditional, but any light, crisp lager works if that is what you have on hand.
Can I use lemon-lime soda instead of lemonade?
Yes, it makes a slightly sweeter, fizzier drink closer to a British-style Shandy. Cloudy lemonade keeps it closer to a traditional German Radler.
More beer cocktails: see the full Beer Cocktails guide for every recipe in this collection.
Curious how much alcohol this actually cuts from your beer? See Does a Radler or Shandy Actually Dilute Your Alcohol Intake?.
