You say panaché (clara or radler)... I say Shandy

This is how NOT to make Shandy.



I discovered Shandy in Madrid - where it's called Clara.
It's basically beer and lemonade (but not the yellow cloudy made out of fresh lemon juice lemonade, the closest thing we have in the US is Sprite).

Apparently, we (US) seem to be the only ones (or part of a very short list of people) who don't have a proper "Lemonade" drink. It should be clear, sparkling, well-balanced, refreshing and not too sweet. So to compensate, I've been buying Lorina French Limonade from Whole Foods - it comes in such a pretty reusable bottle.

I've been eyeing this San Pelligrino product for a while and I was so sure that it would make a good alternative to Lorina's. Boy was I wrong. Definitely NOT a "limonade" it was too sweet and sort of sour/tart and just ruined a good bottle of London Pride (my favorite beer for Shandy, at least here in the US).

So give it a try, the proportion of beer to "lemonade" is really up to you. I'm notoriously light-weight when it comes to alcohol, so I definitely put less beer than "lemonade". It must be the Asian blood - missing enzyme crap - it's not fair! Oh and when I say Asian, I mean South East Asia type of Asian. I'm aware that the use of the term varies by country and person. For example, in the UK, it's more commonly associated with people of South Asian origin, particularly Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladesh and Sri Lankans. Just had to clarify that =). If you can't find Lorina's, Sprite is a decent alternative but don't even think about using 7Up, Fresca or any other lemon-lime sodas (been there, done that and they're no good). Oh and as far as beer choices, London Pride (I can get it at Whole Foods too) is the best, I'll consult with the English Muffin and see if there are other good beer options.