DINING

Ways to experiment with craft beer this summer

TONY RUSSO
DELMARVA NOW CORRESPONDENT
Radler was delicious at the 2016 Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival in Scottsdale on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Summer beers have been on the shelves for awhile as we hoped that the cold, rainy weather finally would break.

It looks as if it has and as the heat of summer comes on, you're going to see a lot more Radlers and shandies on the shelves at your local beer store.

If you're not familiar, these are lower alcohol beers that have soda, lemonade or fruit juice of some kind mixed in, but widely distributed Radlers and shandies are relatively new.

Traditionally, they were a DIY kind of beer. Even though craft beer has made a name for itself messing around with flavors and ingredients as a way of make traditional beer tastier.

People like experimenting and molding a beer to their personal preferences.

Traditionally, Radlers are made with a citrus soda (lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.) but over the years they've become interchangeable with shandies. There's a popular brand that makes an iced tea Radler, for example.

Diluting your favorite beer

At first blush, it seems odd to dilute beer, especially given that low-alcohol alternatives like session IPAs and low-alcohol sours that continue to trend.

Instead, think of making a shandy more as augmenting and extending your beer drinking experience. Beyond changing the taste of your beer, adding soda or fruit juice also reduces the alcohol content while allowing you to dictate your beer experiences.

A bier cocktail, Hessen Grapefruit Radler Rita, with Stiegl grapefruit beer and Jose Cuervo tequila.

Getting started with a really basic beer probably is the best way to see how much of which additive you want, but there are a couple other best practices to consider when you're making a Radler or shandy. At the top of the list is a gentle reminder that if you're using better beers, you also should use better additives. There's nothing wrong with adding Sprite to a Miller Lite or Country Time Lemonade to a Budweiser, in fact, that probably would be pretty awesome.

If you're going to get a better beer, though, maybe spring for sodas and juices that taste a little less syrupy. But whatever you choose to do with your mixer, may want to dial back the amount you add, trying a little at a time until you're happy with the flavor combination.

More:18 essential places for craft beer this summer around Delmarva

More:Russo: Why not try a beer with your next beer? It's the fun of blending

Also, don't be afraid to throw in a little fruit if you have some around. Mike Piorunski the head brewer at Dundalk's Key Brewing muddles a few blackberries into a traditional lemonade shandy he makes with Undertow Gose, a beer Key collaborated on with Salisbury's Evolution Craft Brewing Co. 

Similarly, if you're into watermelon, dropping a few chunks into a pale ale or Berliner Weisse that's been cut with lemonade or maybe a strawberry soda is a super refreshing alternative.

So much more than lemon

The reason citrus is so popular with brewers is that the flavors complement hops really well. In fact, many of the more popular kinds of hops have a citrusy aspect to begin with so leaning on that is another great way to make a shandy.

Adding grapefruit soda to a regular IPA, or even a double IPA can really change the beer in a way that makes all the flavors sing. 

Similarly, orange juice can sweeten a super-bitter beer while still preserving the essential flavors.

Made from Peligroso Silver Tequila, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Stiegl Grapefruit Radler and a citrus twist.

On the savory side of the palate, ginger beer or iced tea can help preserve the bitterness of a beer while amplifying a beer's sweetness. For example, in the "juicy" New England Style IPAs, it can put the breaks on the citrus a bit.

The only real rule, though, is that it is all about taste, and people who have developed a taste for Radlers and shandies tend to swear by them.

They're a great way to be able to enjoy some of your favorite beers as a refreshment while staying active and enjoying the sun.

Contact Tony Russo at tonyrusso@ossurynot.com 

Keep reading:

Spring beers to get you ready for summer cheer: Russo

New craft beer style signals change for industry: Russo