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BBQ BUDDIES
Shandys, Hard Cider & Spritzers
Cooking by the BBQ can be hot work. Why not cool of with these easy to make, low alcohol drinks. Take your beer and wine to new heights and add a little twist to the usual.
SHANDYS
Both the American Heritage® Dictionary and UK legislation have defined the "shandy", short for "shandygaff," as a mixture of beer and ginger beer, gingerale or lemonade. This drink gives all the pleasures of beer with the refreshment of lemonade - a tangy, tasty drink.
This old English tradition dates back to the 17th century. Although the origin is not clearly known, some believe that is was named after a local English pub where the beer was not of the best quality and was "flavored" with a sweet lemon mixture.
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barFACT Germans who have stayed extremely loyal to their lager since it was invented will often drink it as shandy - or 'radler' as it is known in Germany. Interestingly enough downed 29 million gallons of shandy in the first half of 2002!
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SHANDY RECIPE
- 1 part beer. Preferably a good lager.
- 1 part Schweppes ginger ale, ginger beer, or lemonade.
Fill a pilsner or beer mug with lager and top with ginger ale, ginger beer or lemonade. If you are a bit more adventurous, try a Shandy with limeade. Don't be afraid to add ice to this drink. You can't do that with your beer.
Serving Notes
When picking foods for shandy's, remember Citrus, citrus, citrus. Light foods are a perfect complement to the Shandy. Try serving it as an accent to seafood and poultry dishes, or even a spicy barbecue. It's strong enough to hold up to all of these flavors, and its distinctive taste will bring out new accents in old food.
CIDER
RULES
According to the bar magazine "Impact", Irish Cider is one of this years "hot brands". An alternative to beer without the cloying sweetness of some mixed drinks, hard cider offers a unique refreshing taste. Ciders have been popular alternatives to beer in Europe for years. Ciders are a less filling though tasty alternative to the usual lagers, ales, and stouts.
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barFACT In Europe, "cider" refers to fermented apple juice that contains varying levels of alcohol. In North America, fermented apple juice is known as "hard cider;" unfermented, freshly expressed juice is called "sweet cider."
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What
is cider?
Most cider is made from fermented apple juice. Natural
cider has nothing added and relies, for fermentation, upon the wild
yeast present in the apples. Although much of today's cider is produced
from apple concentrate, many traditional cider-makers such as Magners
use only cider apples, cultivated specifically for the purpose.
Cider can be enjoyed chilled, with or without ice or as part of a CIDER SHANDY.
CIDER SHANDY RECIPE
- 1 part hard cider, such as Magners Irish Cider.
- 1 part Schweppes ginger ale, ginger beer, or lemonade.
Fill a pilsner or beer mug with lager and top with ginger ale, ginger beer or lemonade. If you are a bit more adventurous, try a Shandy with limeade. Don't be afraid to add ice to this drink. You can't do that with your beer.
SPRITZERS
Every bartender and host should be familiar w
ith the spritzer, a light drink for people who want a dash of summer refreshment without much alcohol. The spritzer is usually made with white wine.
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barFACT A spritzer is a combination of wine - usually German Rhine wine or other white wine - a club soda or seltzer. The name comes from the German word spritzig, meaning fizzy, bubbly, and lively, which is what a well-made Spritzer should be.
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SPRITZER RECIPE
- 1 part white wine
- Schweppes Club soda to fill. Remember to always use a quality mixer
- Lemon Twist
Fill a highball, or wineglass, with ice. Pour wine to half way and top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon twist.
