A shandy, or a radler as the Germans call it, is the ultimate low-key summer drink: beer cut with lemonade or a lemon soda for something lighter, brighter and more refreshing than either on its own. But it only works if you start with the right beer.
Below are eight of the best beers for a shandy, each tasted and rated for the site. There are crisp lagers that stay bright under a splash of lemonade, and soft wheat beers that make a rounder, more characterful radler. Every pick links to its full review and you can grab a case in a couple of taps.
The classic mix is about half beer, half cloudy lemonade over ice, but adjust to taste. A crisper beer wants a touch more lemonade, while a fuller wheat beer can take less. Keep it cold and drink it fresh.
Best Shandy Base Beers at a Glance
| Beer | Style | Our rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stella Artois | Belgian Pilsner | 4.0/5 | Best crisp pilsner base |
| Hoegaarden | Belgian Witbier | 4.5/5 | Best soft wit base |
| Heineken | Pilsner | 3.5/5 | Best easy everyday base |
| Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier | German Hefeweizen | 4.8/5 | Best premium wheat base |
| Corona Extra | Mexican Lager | 3.5/5 | Best light lager base |
| Blue Moon Belgian White | Belgian-Style Wheat | 4.0/5 | Best orange-wheat base |
| Pacifico Clara | Mexican Lager | 3.6/5 | Best crisp refresher base |
| Blue Moon LightSky | Citrus Light Wheat | 3.4/5 | Best low-cal citrus base |
A shandy lives or dies on its base beer. Mix lemonade with something crisp and characterful and you get a bright, refreshing summer drink; use a flat, flavourless beer and you get sugary water. Start with a good lager or wheat beer and you are halfway there.
Stella Artois
A crisp Belgian pilsner with a clean, faintly bitter finish that feels a cut above the macro lagers. Poured cold in its chalice it is an easy, elegant summer drink. Read the full Stella Artois review.
- Crisp and clean with real bite
- Feels a step up in class
- Widely available
- A little bitter for some palates
Hoegaarden
The original Belgian wit, cloudy and soft with orange, coriander and a gentle tang. Light-bodied and endlessly refreshing, it is a classic hot-weather beer that goes down like sunshine. Read the full Hoegaarden review.
- Soft, spiced and refreshing
- Light and very drinkable
- A summer classic
- Delicate, can feel light
Heineken
The green bottle you find everywhere for a reason. A crisp Euro pilsner with a faint hoppy bite, Heineken is a dependable, refreshing pour that a mixed crowd will always accept. Read the full Heineken review.
- Crisp with a little hop bite
- Available everywhere
- Safe crowd-pleaser
- Can skunk in the green bottle
- Cans are the safer buy
Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier
Widely rated the best wheat beer in the world, from the oldest brewery on earth. Banana and clove over a fluffy wheat body, brilliantly refreshing and deeply satisfying. A summer must-drink. Read the full Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier review.
- Classic banana-and-clove hefe
- Fluffy, refreshing wheat body
- World-class quality
- Best fresh
- Pour it properly for the head
Corona Extra
The beach in a bottle. Corona is light, clean and barely there, which is exactly the point on a hot day. Drop in a lime and it turns into the most refreshing thing going. Read the full Corona Extra review.
- Ultra light and crushable in the heat
- The classic lime-wedge refresher
- Everyone knows and likes it
- Very little flavour on its own
- Skunks fast in the clear bottle if left in sun
Blue Moon Belgian White
The gateway wheat beer, and a good one. Smooth and lightly sweet with orange and coriander, Blue Moon is a soft, refreshing crowd-pleaser that suits a sunny afternoon, garnish and all. Read the full Blue Moon Belgian White review.
- Smooth, easy and widely loved
- Orange-peel citrus character
- Great intro to wheat beers
- A little sweet for some
- Best with an orange slice
Pacifico Clara
A crisp Pacific-coast pilsner-style lager built for sunshine. A little more character than Corona with the same easy, thirst-quenching finish, and it loves a squeeze of lime. Read the full Pacifico Clara review.
- Crisp and thirst-quenching
- A touch more flavour than Corona
- Made for hot weather
- Still a light, simple lager
Blue Moon LightSky
A light, low-calorie wheat beer brewed with tangerine. Bright and easy at only around 95 calories, it is a guilt-light option for drinking in the sun without slowing down. Read the full Blue Moon LightSky review.
- Bright tangerine citrus
- Low calorie and light
- Easy all-day drinking
- Thin body
- Light on flavour
- Does a Radler or Shandy Actually Dilute Your Alcohol Intake?
The Gear That Makes a Better Shandy
Beer sorted, now the setup. These three help you build and serve a crisp, cold shandy.
Shandy and Radler FAQ
What is a shandy?
A shandy is beer mixed with a soft drink, usually lemonade or a lemon-lime soda, in roughly equal parts. It is lighter, sweeter and more refreshing than straight beer, which makes it a popular low-strength summer drink. In Germany the same drink is called a radler.
What is the best beer for a shandy?
A crisp, characterful base works best. Crisp lagers like Stella Artois and Pacifico stay bright under lemonade, while soft wheat beers like Hoegaarden and Weihenstephaner make a rounder, fuller radler. Avoid flat or flavourless beers, which get lost in the mix.
What is the difference between a shandy and a radler?
Very little. A shandy is the British name for beer mixed with lemonade, and a radler is the German version, traditionally beer with a cloudy lemon soda. Radlers often use a wheat beer or helles base, while shandies commonly use a lager.
How do you make a shandy?
Mix roughly equal parts cold beer and chilled cloudy lemonade in a tall glass over ice, and adjust to taste. Use a crisp lager or a soft wheat beer as the base, pour gently to keep the fizz, and serve straight away while it is cold and lively.
