Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

Rarely is there a cheap beer that one continues to buy not because it is cheap but because it actually tastes good. I've never been blown away by Leine's offerings, but they have consistently been a solid choice in the $6-$7 6-pack price range. A few weeks ago at Jewel I noticed a flavor I hadn't seen before - Summer Shandy. As the weather was flirting with warm, it seemed a reasonable time to bust out the summer-inspired brews so I purchased some. Since then, I have been back, too many times, to buy more and more. I've introduced this beer to many of my friends with a resoundingly positive response (sans two weirdos, pete and shannon, that find it girly). After drinking copious amounts of it, I've come to realize that its taste is only part of its goodness.

There are some beers that I drink because of the fun times with which I associate them (Old Style - Cubs games, High Life - caps at Phi Psi) (longer musing to come on another day regarding Old Style). They often aren't necessarily the greatest tasting of beers, but they are drank because that's what do at that event. Seasonal beers sometimes fall into this category. You can always tell the changing seasons based on what new beers are on tap, winter ales in the winter, pumpkin flavored beers in the fall. Each of these is specifically designed to match (or counter, as appropriate) the environment in which you are drinking. In the winter, a heavier, almost warming beer is desired. Conversely, the summer inspires much lighter beers that cool you off from the summer heat. Being able to pair a beer with a mood or your surroundings makes it more than just a vehicle with which to get drunk, but enhances the drinking experience as a whole. This unique sensory association creates the potential for a beer to be better than the sum of it's ingredients.

Lemonade, a summer essential, is the driving force behind Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. Shandy, derived from the British word "Shandygaf," is created by combining beer with lemonade or soba, a combination popular in Europe. It can also be found in many other forms, such as Biermischgetränke, panaché , or rock shandy. In Leine's version, something which resembles their Honey Weiss style is brewed and then before its finished it's mixed with lemonade and other citrus flavors to give it a real lemony kick. That taste is abundantly apparant in the beer. It's hard to discern which flavor comes first, the beer or the lemonade. Of course, as I have previously talked about, this is a key factor in evaluating fruit-flavored beers and determining whether or not it can be branded with the dreaded "girly beer" label. I can definitely taste the beer, but the shandy provides a refreshingly sour and sweet taste, making it very light and tasty. These qualities can please fans of both Guinness and Smirnoff Ice (not that I ever condone drinking the latter). It's sweet to be sure, but not in a sweet, alcohol-taste-free shortcut to teenage girl levels of "drunkeness" kind of way. While I greatly enjoyed the taste, this is not a beer to pick up for drinking games or to use to get drunk. It's one to enjoy in the summer with friends playing bocce ball or grilling out.

Quality is all about context. "Good" is meangingless term unless there is some idea as to what constitutes "bad." Going a level deeper, a good/bad dichotomy is troublesome when evaluated out of context. Summer Shandy, in and of itself, isn't the greatest beer. In the context of a refreshing summer drink, it's great. Judging it through the lens of a high quality expensive import or even in the context of Bud or Miller Lite is foolish, because that's simply not what it is. Something that really irks me about myself and others it trying to judge things out of context. People complain way too much about things (in general) and most of the time these complaints are inaccurate and short-sighted. If one can judge things for what they are, and not what you want them to be, one can avoid the pitfalls of constant disappointment.

• Some bands are good, but when evaluated in the context of the "greatest" bands, they are clearly inferior. Does this mean they don't make enjoyable music? Of course not.
• In sports, not everyone can be as good as ARod or Johan Santana (or Zach Greinke), but trying to pretend that players will be is a foolish and pointless exercise.
• The new Indiana Jones movie was an OK movie - not very good in the context of the other previous three, great classics, but despite having a mostly uninspiring plot it was an entertaining movie.
• "Northwestern hot" is a label I heard often during school. It's meant to imply that a girl (or guy...) is hot, in the context of Northwestern, whose student body is allegedly not up to par. I've never liked this phrase because it attempts to attach unnecessary caveats. Northwestern hot is still hot. Nothing more needs to be said. ("Northwestern ugly"...well that's a whole different story)
• In my research for this post, I came across the beeradvocate's review of Summer Shandy (it's the plentiful existence of sites like this that push this blog to be 80% rants and thoughts and 20% beer). The commenters reviews are exactly what I am talking about regarding context. I am not quibbling with the poor rating as most of the comments are valid and accurate. However, comments like this one annoy me:

"Pretty drinkable. I'm sure these wouldn't be too bad on a hot day for refreshment, but there are many other "real" beers I'd take over this any day.Notes: If I'd never had a nice hefe before I tried this out, I'd say this is pretty refreshing and nice for a hot day. I just think there are a lot more viable options for summer drinking."

• Clearly there are better beers. Does the mere existence of something better make this item bad. Certainly not.

Things can be very valuable and/or enjoyable when thought of in the proper context, and this is why Summer Shandy is a beer I will continue to drink.