The first commercially brewed Shandy in the US

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by pudgym29, Nov 27, 2021.

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  1. pudgym29

    pudgym29 Zealot (634) Mar 14, 2009 Illinois

    @jesskidden Look what I found!
    When did you first encounter a Shandy | Radler in the U.S.A.?
    I suspect many of you would state 2007, and the concoction would have been Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy.
    I think most of you know that I like a number of Leinenkugel's beers - but not the shandies. That does not mean I haven't gotten to taste some of them in Leinie's mixed 12-packs. :stuck_out_tongue:
    However, the truth must emerge eventually.

    The U.S.A.'s first commercially brewed shandy was Evansville Brewing's Bicycle Beer, which was released in May 1993!
    This beer should have saved the brewery. It was fourteen years ahead of its time!
    The (defunct) brewery might have called it a Radler, but there is no denial it was a fruit-flavored beer. [N.B.: If you clicked through {Why did you not?}, you would have spotted a familiar name in American brewing history.]
    Sigh. Another instance of the general American populace not ready for something. :rolling_eyes:
     
    #1 pudgym29, Nov 27, 2021
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  2. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    I first encountered Shandy at an Irish bar/restaurant in DeKalb, IL around 1979 (+/-).

    Note I say "encountered," not imbibed. They poured their own using Harp lager and some insipid kool-ade mix that wasn't at all anything I wanted to drink.

    The drink has been pretty common for eons in the British Isles and Ireland -- well before 1993.
     
    #2 steveh, Nov 27, 2021
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  3. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
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    Kill me, but I can live without radlers or shandy.

    This explains a lot about their failure though: "A lot of people don't like the taste of beer," explains Terry Southerland, director of marketing at Evansville Brewing Co.
     
    #3 NeroFiddled, Nov 27, 2021
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  4. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    #4 jesskidden, Nov 28, 2021
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  5. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    #5 steveh, Nov 28, 2021
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2021
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  6. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    Wait, those guys made that Daves Cave Creek chili beer? Gee, a fizzy yellow beer, in a clear bottle, with a chili pepper in each bottle? What could possibly go wrong?
     
    #6 BBThunderbolt, Nov 28, 2021
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  7. b9d9

    b9d9 Zealot (670) Nov 9, 2020 Germany
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    The average German would say Krefelder (even if this means Alt+Cola). Dimix (Diebels + Cola) and Frankenheim Blue (Frankenheim + Cola) are quite popular beers. There are also some weirdos drinking beer + energy (Veltins v+ energy). Looks like Schwarzbier + Kirsche became popular in the last years. I see a lot of people buying Köstritzer Kirsch and Kirsch Porter.
    I don't like any of them :slight_smile:
     
    #7 b9d9, Nov 28, 2021
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  8. jvgoor3786

    jvgoor3786 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,222) May 28, 2015 Arkansas
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    I enjoyed drinking radlers when I was in Germany. They're very tasty and nice in the summer.
     
    #8 jvgoor3786, Nov 28, 2021
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  9. JohnnyLupulus

    JohnnyLupulus Aspirant (224) Jan 30, 2009 Arizona

    #9 JohnnyLupulus, Nov 28, 2021
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2021
  10. dcotom

    dcotom Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,637) Aug 4, 2014 Iowa
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    Hop'n Gator was introduced back in '69. Doesn't predate Sassy, obviously.

    [​IMG]
     
    #10 dcotom, Nov 30, 2021
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  11. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    #11 jesskidden, Nov 30, 2021
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  12. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Uh... *what* flavored beer? Gator flavored? :grimacing:
     
    #12 steveh, Nov 30, 2021
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  13. dcotom

    dcotom Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,637) Aug 4, 2014 Iowa
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Gatorade.
     
    #13 dcotom, Nov 30, 2021
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  14. PEBKAC

    PEBKAC Pooh-Bah (1,743) Sep 4, 2006 North Carolina
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    #14 PEBKAC, Dec 2, 2021
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