what is a shandy beer

A shandy is a beer cocktail that is usually made of equal parts beer and citrusy lemon-lime soda. It is a refreshing and light drink that originated in Europe, specifically in Britain in the mid-1800s. The original name was shandygaff, which refers to a beer mixed with ginger beer or ginger ale. Today, it is very popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and is sometimes known as the French name Panaché. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste but are usually half lemonade and half beer/cider, resulting in a lower ABV for the finished drink. Shandies are popular in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada. In some jurisdictions, the low alcohol content of shandies exempts them from laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages. A traditional British shandy is a mixture of beer and lemon soda, most commonly a 50/50 ratio. The original shandy used ginger ale, but today, if you order one at a bar in Britain, youll likely get beer mixed with lemon or lemon-lime soda.