Why the shandy is making a comeback

The part-beer, part-lemonade drink adored by pensioners is having a modern-day revival, given a fresh twist for a new generation of drinkers.

Jim Gold with Anna Streater drinking the Felons Mid Crush. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The shandy was the drink of decades past, but now the part-beer, part-lemonade beverage which originated in 19th century England and became a hit with Aussie women in the ’70s, ’80s and’90s, is set to return with a twist for a new generation.

Considered the original low-alcoholic beer, it is set to tap into the desire for less boozy and sweeter, more fruity ales, with brewers creating pre-mixed versions, while others are trying to mimic its benefits in new and inventive ways.

Mia Horner from Coles Liquor Group said she expected the drink to be a hit in 2025, following in the footsteps of the UK where 193 million pints of shandy and lager top (beer and a splash of lemonade) are sold each year.

“Going back to good old shandies, I think is going to become a trend in 2025 because you’ll see more consumers looking for more easy-drinking beer styles without being too hoppy and lemonade gives you that ability to have a lighter style beer,” she said.

Brisbane beer guru Matt Kirkegaard

She revealed the trend had already begun with Stone and Wood releasing a citrus radler on tap, while there was now the Carlton Draught lemonade, and in the UK the Foster’s Proper Shandy had become a massive hit, as too the Bintang radler in Bali.

“It’s refreshing, it’s crisp, it’s ideal and it’s perfect for outside,” she said.

Brisbane beer guru Matt Kirkegaard said he expected to see new twists on the radler and shandy emerge as brewers targeted younger demographics with a palate for sweeter drinks.

“A lot of craft brewers are looking for beers that have much broader appeal and a beer like that does,” he said.

Beer columnist Rory Gibson said we were now seeing the old-fashioned shandy take new forms with a move towards more lemon-flavoured brews like the Solo-inspired Hard Rated and the Four Pines and Brookvale Union Lemon Shandy.

“Essentially, the drink industry has taken that shandy concept and basically it’s gone nuclear by bringing out all these different styles and giving them some marketing oomph and you know selling it to a newer generation who are just following on from something that started back in the 1920s,” he said.

Brisbane’s Felons Brewing Co at Howard Smith Wharves don’t serve too many shandies over the bar these days, but brand director Dean Romeo said there was a definite demand for lower-alcohol, easy-drinking beers like the shandy.

“The flavour landscape of beer and the options for consumers is just so broad these days and there’s such a wide range of lower ABV beers that scratch that itch for people,” Mr Romeo said, noting that the Felons Mid Crush, with just 3.5 per cent ABV and a citrus, lemonade-like flavour and aroma from Cryo Cascade hops, was almost a modern-day shandy.

“That would be one of our products that is reminiscent of how a shandy drinks and is really, really quite popular in the brewery and local wholesale as well,” he said.

Originally published as Why the shandy is making a comeback