The Sankaty Shandy

~Nantucket Island~

THE BEST BEACH BEER! There is nothing quite like an ice cold, thirst quenching drink at the beach on a hot summer day, while lazing away the hours with friends and family. The perfect prescription for this is a SHANDY, a traditional beer cocktail, a “beer tail”, which generally consists of a 50-50 mixture of a lager beer and a fizzy, a carbonated “something”, such as a sparkling lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, fruit juice or cordial, served in a glass. Through the years, this popular drink took Western Europe by storm with exciting creations emblematic of the geography and associated traditions, such as the Singapore Kip Lin (lager + tonic water) or the French Monaco Beer(lager + lemonade + grenadine) or the Italian tango…ooh, la la, (lager + gooseberry cordial) or the German and Portugese Diesel (lager + Coco-Cola.) In honor of our Nantucket Island, I’ve created the SANKATY SHANDY, a mix of my personal favorites, lager + cucumber with mint or lime!

On the island of Nantucket, we pay great homage to the legendary Cisco Brewers, a winery, brewery and distillery that produces an impressively awesome selection of world sought-after wine, spirits and beer. Their popular Sankaty Light Lager is delicious for a day in the sun. I’ve paired it with one my all-time favorites, but difficult to come by, the NEW sparkling Cucumber & Mint Presse’ from the wonderful Belvoir Fruit Farms.  This delicious “bubbly” is made from 100% organic ingredients and is non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan, with no preservatives, sweeteners or artificial colors. Mixing it 50-50 with a slice of cucumber, lime or mint sprig on the side, yields an invitingly colorful icy “beer tail” that will have you smacking your lips with delight and probably reaching for another!  Plan in advance, as this is a seasonal product not always available. But, fear not....there is always a backup....

Equally as delicious, and more readily available on the island is DRY Sparkling in cucumber flavor. You always have to have a Plan A and Plan B when “on island”!  The only thing we never need a plan B for is the BEER from Cisco Brewers, which deliciously and plentifully flows day after day, week after week, year after year, decade after decade……And that you can be sure of!