11 Radlers And Shandies, Ranked Worst To Best

When I was 16 (and going on 17, just like Liesl in "The Sound of Music"), I was an exchange student in Austria and headed to my very first festival. Having only ever tasted sips of beer, I told my host sisters that I didn't like the flavor. They responded by ordering me a radler in a glass that was almost too heavy to hold. It wasn't long before I ordered another.

A radler is a mixture of beer and lemon soda or fruit juice, in roughly equal amounts, though exact ratios vary slightly by brand and bartender. Meanwhile, the closely related shandy is usually composed of beer and lemonade, often in a similar ratio, though some brands broaden that definition to include fruits other than lemon. The type of beer isn't strictly defined (leaving room for creativity), but finding radlers and shandies in wheat beers and blonde lager varieties is par for the course. 

I set out to determine which radlers and shandies available in America are most delightful. If you ask me — and by reading this article, you basically are — these beverages should be refreshing and light. In other words, they're perfect for summertime. Other criteria I used to rank these products included flavor balance, aroma, carbonation, finish, body, and fruitiness.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

When I first started drinking shandies, it was Leinenkugel's Grapefruit Shandy that most appealed to me. However, the company vastly reduced the availability of this product several years ago. I had high hopes that Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy would fill the bottle-sized hole in my heart, but it did not. It was one of the more disappointing products in this review, primarily due to its artificial-tasting lemon flavor.

This weiss beer-based shandy has an ABV of 4.2% and measures an 11 on the International Bitterness Units (IBU) scale. That's a rather low score, and a sip of this shandy confirmed that it wasn't very bitter. I especially appreciated that the aftertaste was light and refreshing. Meanwhile, the aroma was floral and fruity and was not overpowered by bready scents.

Nevertheless, it was the aforementioned artificial tinge that turned me off of it. The fake lemon flavor hit before that of the beer, making it all the more obvious. Instead of offering zesty, tangy complexity, this lemon flavor was only surface-level. On a related note, I wanted slightly more natural acidity, though the shandy was still acidic enough to be crisp.

If you like your radlers to be less sweet, give Samuel Adams' Porch Rocker Lemon Radler a try. It's a good competitor to other citrusy lagers, or even lemon-flavored golden ales like Sloop Cruiser. However, I didn't give it a high ranking in this review because it wasn't quite as refreshing as I think a radler should be. That said, there were several things I did enjoy about this beverage.

For one, the lemon flavor didn't taste artificial, like it did in Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. Plus, the beer itself tasted fuller and more complex, with hops working in its favor. It had a lovely carbonation, too.

But where this golden-hued radler fell short was the balance between beer and lemon flavor. At 4.5% ABV, Samuel Adams' version of the radler isn't even the most alcoholic product on this list. However, it wasn't the alcohol that was overwhelming. It was the extra emphasis on hops that made this product taste too bitter for a radler. It was quite dry, too, which is not necessarily a bad thing — in fact, dry beers are known for being crisp. Even so, I would have appreciated the dryness more if it had been paired with a sweeter lemonade component.

Leinenkugel's Orange Shandy was the only orange-flavored beverage in this review, which didn't surprise me; orange beers are comparatively rare, even among the best fruit-flavored beers. So if you're a fan of oranges, I'd say that this product is definitely worth a try. Nevertheless, I didn't like it as much as most of the other products I tried, primarily because the orange flavor needed to be stronger. Furthermore, this shandy came across as somewhat watery, especially at the tail end of each sip.

There were a few things, though, that I loved about this product. More than anything else, the aroma of this shandy was incredibly inviting, leaning heavily into the sweet and citrusy components. Upon my first sip, I noticed that the orange flavor tasted authentic, not fake like the lemon flavor in Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. Rather than reminding me of orange soda, the flavor of this shandy was reminiscent of fresh orange slices. In other words, it wasn't overbearingly sweet and retained some welcome bitterness.

Overall, this wheat beer-based shandy is enjoyable, but not outstanding in any way other than its aroma. I wouldn't turn it down, but I also wouldn't buy a six-pack of it.

Shock Top's Lemonade Shandy enticed me immediately with its funky, bright, and playful label. It practically screamed summer, so I was interested to see how refreshing it would actually be. This shandy poured out with a nice, foamy head, but it didn't take long to dissipate and left only a very light lacing on the glass as I took each sip. It was one of the bubbliest products I tasted, and though this can be a matter of personal preference, I would have liked slightly less carbonation.

This wheat beer-based shandy has a 5% ABV, and it wasn't overwhelmingly bitter. Instead, it tasted robust and sharp before mellowing out and revealing more of its lemon flavors. Nevertheless, I wanted the lemonade component to be slightly stronger. Specifically, it could have been tangier and zestier. Not to mention, the aroma gave away hardly any scents of lemon, which was disappointing.

This creamy beer was golden and hazy in appearance, and it had a lovely bready flavor that didn't overwhelm the citrusy flavor profile. That's certainly not something I can say for every product on this list. If it had been sweeter and had a more complex lemon flavor, it would have scored higher. Furthermore, the finish wasn't quite as clean as it could have been; the breadiness remained with me long after I swallowed.

Paulaner is famous for its contribution of festbier to Oktoberfest celebrations, so I was excited to see if the brand's Grapefruit Radler is equally as satisfying. The verdict? Not quite. Don't get me wrong: This is an easy-drinking radler that can be delightful on a hot summer's day. But there were a few aspects that needed improvement.

Firstly, the carbonation left something to be desired. The foamy head dissipated quickly and the beginning and end of each sip felt flat. While I like sweeter radlers, I was disappointed to find that this one was sickly sweet. I yearned for a more hoppy complexity. Instead, this product tasted more like a beer-flavored soda. The bold grapefruit flavor itself was nice, though, and not too bitter. It was vibrant, but left a refreshing aftertaste. That's primarily what helped boost this product to the middle of this list.

Folks often overlook aroma when tasting foods and beverages, but this radler reminded me how crucial of a component it is to the drinking experience. Despite the aforementioned domineering grapefruit flavor, I could hardly detect the citrus fruit in this radler's aroma — just a gentle scent of beer. Some citrus notes would have made it more enticing.

The aroma of Del's Shandy, a collaboration between Del's Lemonade and Narragansett Beer, was nothing short of divine. It reminded me of summers as a kid — that sweet, tangy scent of fresh lemonade sipped while walking through the park. Nevertheless, this is very much an adult beverage with an ABV of 4.7%.

When I first poured this drink out, it was accompanied by a great head of foam. The perfectly effervescent shandy was amber in color, crisp, and refreshing. It had a stronger beer flavor than most radlers on this list, though that didn't entirely mask the complexity of the lemon. That component, like the aroma of this shandy, was distinctly reminiscent of old-fashioned lemonade. In fact, I thought this before I even read about the history of Del's Lemonade, a Rhode Island-based brand that can trace its Italian roots all the way back to the mid-19th century.

My primary critique of this shandy was its finish, which I found slightly lackluster. I would have preferred if it were a tad punchier and put the natural lemon flavor more in the spotlight. Even so, it's safe to say that this product will please folks who don't like their shandies sickly sweet. The maltiness of the beer is readily detectable, but the can is clearly not filled with added sugar. This gave it more complexity than the radlers that approach soda territory, like Paulaner's Grapefruit Radler.

It's not every day that you can find a rosé radler, but that's what Two Pitchers Brewing has brought to the table with Disco Queen. This radler is sure to please fans of rosé wine, even if it doesn't contain any actual wine. Still, you could very well be tricked into thinking it does. It has a floral, grape-like aroma, and I found that the notes of white grape and apple were especially noticeable in the radler's flavor. If you're paying close attention, you can detect gentle notes of hibiscus surfacing in the aftertaste, too. Though the finish of this radler was still pretty clean, its fruity notes lingered lightly on the palate in a pleasant manner.

Still, this radler couldn't quite break into the top few spots in this review because it was a bit too experimental for me. The mix of wine and beer flavors confused my palate. Sourness and bitterness mingled together to the point that I couldn't decide which one to pay attention to. In other words, there was just too much going on, even if I liked all the elements individually.

Trader Joe's Josephsbrau Bavarian-style hefeweizen once topped a fellow writer's ranking of Trader Joe's beers. Could the brand's Grapefruit Radler, which combines the famous hefeweizen with grapefruit soda, be worthy of similar recognition? I picked up a can to find out.

Immediately, I was struck by the delightful grapefruit aroma wafting off this amber-hued radler, and thereafter by its subtly smoky flavor. At the same time, this radler was more floral than many of its competitors and offered a more complex, fruity flavor profile. In addition to grapefruit, banana was readily apparent. I found the drink remarkably refreshing, sweet, and easy to drink. Not only was each sip an experience for my taste buds, but the cooling sensations even rose all the way up my nasal passages. 

So what held this beverage back from the top three? I found it a hint too sweet, especially in its lingering finish. Furthermore, the carbonation just missed the mark. While there were plenty of bubbles, they weren't small enough and interfered with what could have been smooth summer sipping.

When I poured out a can of Two Pitchers Radler, I immediately noticed an impressive head sitting atop the hazy golden liquid. I was disappointed, though, by this product's aroma. The scents wafting off this radler were well-balanced, but they could have contained more striking citrusy notes. After my initial impressions, however, Two Pitchers' Radler received almost nothing but high marks from me.

This beverage was bubbly, but not aggressively so, and I loved the blood orange twist that distinguished it from other radlers on this list. The lager's body was slightly fuller than most other products in this review, and it left a pleasant heat on the back of my throat. Meanwhile, the grapefruit and blood orange components simultaneously offered bright, citrusy characteristics, especially at the front end of each sip. This radler was sweet without being cloying.

After swallowing, I noticed more bready flavors and a finish that should have been a bit cleaner. The finish was the only component that held this radler back from the top two spots and what prevented it from being as refreshing as a radler should be.

Stiegl's Grapefruit Radler narrowly missed out on the number one spot in this list, and if you prefer grapefruit over lemon, it may very well be your favorite. Though I felt the aroma of this radler could have been a hair stronger, it was nevertheless divine, reminding me of tropical punch. To be clear, this radler goes down almost as easily as a tropical punch, too. In fact, it has an ABV of only 2.25%. Fruit soda makes up 60% of each can, while the other 40% is Stiegl's signature Goldbräu.

Right away, I noticed this radler's excellent carbonation. These tiny bubbles created a tingly sensation on my tongue and the roof of my mouth, leaving my palate feeling cleansed and uplifted. Without being blatantly bitter, the zesty, zingy finish likewise refreshed my palate. True to the nature of grapefruit, this clean finish was accompanied by a very subtle citrusy tartness.

However, as someone who finds grapefruits too tart and bitter to eat in their unprocessed form (I would never have survived the Hollywood Diet), I can confirm that none of the fruit's overbearing nature comes through in this radler. Instead, this radler is perfectly acidic, and the grapefruit flavors play nicely with that of the golden Austrian lager.

The moment I tasted the Bitburger Radler Naturtrüb, I felt like I was back on the German-Austrian border, wearing lederhosen under the golden light of a festival tent. This radler had the lowest alcohol content of all the products that I tested at 1.9% ABV. In fact, it's more lemonade than beer; each can is composed of 60% naturally cloudy lemonade (hence the "naturtrüb" descriptor) and 40% Bitburger Premium Pils.

This radler was light, refreshing, and only gently bitter. One of the folks I tried it with, who hardly ever drinks alcohol, was even asking to open another can. Despite this product's sweetness, the beer in this radler had more complexity than many others in this review. The lemon was aromatic and fresh, with notes of zest in addition to juice, and it complemented the somewhat malty flavors of the pils. This radler had a light aftertaste and just the right amount of fizz. Sometimes the carbonation of beer makes me queasy, but here, it kept me coming back for more.

If you're especially fond of beer's hoppy, malty flavors and want to taste them in every can (or bottle), you might prefer other products on this list. But I, and several others in my family, found this to be the clear winner for its supremely refreshing nature.

I judged each product on this list based on its balance of flavors, aroma, carbonation, finish, body, and fruitiness. However, because a shandy or radler is more than a sum of its parts, I primarily looked at how refreshing and invigorating each product was. 

More specifically, I gave products that offered fruity aromas, ample amounts of fine carbonation, clean finishes, real fruit flavors, and natural sweetness higher scores. While the beer flavors shouldn't overwhelm the fruity flavors of a radler or shandy, I still wanted the beer component to be complex and mildly bitter. Most radlers and shandies have light bodies, contributing to their refreshing nature, but sometimes I found a slightly fuller body to be a welcome characteristic.