The Best Summer Beer Cocktail (Homemade Shandy)

Summer Beer is the perfect cocktail for hot summer days! Similar to a summer shandy, it’s made with with light beer, lemon and lime soda, and vodka. It’s a refreshing summer punch recipe! 

If you need a refreshing drink for summer, look no further than this easy summer beer recipe! It’s the perfect summer cocktail for those super hot sunny days when you need something extra cool and hydrating, and your favorite beer just won’t do. Even if you aren’t much of a beer drinker, I think you’ll love this recipe! 

A traditional shandy recipe is a beer cocktail! It’s a mix of beer, tequila (or vodka), lemonade or lemonade concentrate, and sometimes a bit of simple syrup or sugar for extra sweetness! For this summer brew recipe, I deviated just a little bit.

This recipe still has beer and vodka, but instead of lemonade, I used lemon lime soda! The soda added the citrus flavors, a bit of sweetness AND some carbonation, which I love. 

I think that the best shandy is not too sweet AND not too alcoholic tasting. This makes this a great drink for those who aren’t beer drinkers normally! Below, I include instructions to make a cocktail for one, or an entire batch for a group.

Substitutions and Modifications 

There are plenty of modifications you can make to this summer brew recipe! Here are a few ideas:

• Use Diet 7Up or any diet lemon-lime soda to save calories! 
• Substitute ginger ale for some or all of the lemon lime soda 
• Add a few extra ounces of vodka for a stronger mix
• In place of the lemon lime soda, you can use lemonade, orange juice or even a bit of lime juice!
• Add a tablespoon of lemon juice for an extra lemony drink

What type of beer should I use for Summer Beer?

The perfect summer beer is light with a crisp finish, so keep that in mind. You will definitely want a lighter beer for this, and you definitely don’t have to spend your hard earned money on craft beer since this is a punch. Here are a few beers that I’ve successfully tried with this great drink recipe: 

• Busch Light (or any light body pilsner)
• Blue Moon or Boulevard Wheat beer 
• Samuel Adams Summer Ale
• Allagash White
• A light Mexican lager, like Corona Light 

You can also use a pale ale or IPA, but it will add more of a hoppy flavor! 

Serving Suggestions

Summer barbecues are ideal for refreshing cocktails like this Easy Summer Beer. Or, you can make a batch of  this summer beer for a picnic or day at the beach! If you need more cocktail ideas for warm beach days, check out this list of Frozen Cocktails for Beach Day!

If you are looking for more refreshing cocktail recipes, I recommend my Pineapple Moscow Mule! 

Saving Leftover Summer Beer 

You can store leftover summer beer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days. Since the beer will have been exposed to oxygen, it will start getting stale tasting and the carbonation will evaporate. This is a recipe that will not be as delicious as time passes, but it’s certainly drinkable. Just make sure to stir it up first! 

If you think you might have leftovers, refrain from adding ice to the mixture until it’s in the glass for serving! This will make sure it doesn’t get watered down as the ice melts. 

I hope that you enjoy this Easy Summer Beer cocktail recipe, and get to spend a lot of time with friends and family this summer. Cheers!