One of Thomas' favorite drinks to order this time of the year is a Summer Shandy, traditionally a beer mixed with lemonade. Today we're jazzing it up three ways with fresh orange juice instead, plus a Campari version and a watermelon version, because one shandy is never enough. All three scream summer, all three are 5-minute pours, all three belong on a poolside table. If you love a citrus-and-bitter cocktail, my Boulevardier Spritz hits the same orange-meets-bitter register. For a full pitcher option, my Sparkling Citrus Pineapple Sangria is the move when you're feeding a crowd. And if you want to set up a full self-serve drinks moment for guests, my How To: DIY Spritz Bar walks through the build.
Orange Summer Shandy at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 5 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 4 (each variation; easily doubled into a pitcher)
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: American / Summer Cocktail
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Bright, citrusy, and crisp with three flexes: classic orange-and-beer, bittersweet Campari, or sweet-and-juicy watermelon
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains alcohol; gluten-containing (beer); naturally dairy-free
- 📦 Storage Notes: Best built fresh and served immediately so the bubbles stay lively. The juice components can be combined and chilled a day ahead; pour the beer in last at the moment of serving
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: A 5-minute summer cocktail with three personality flexes built in. Whether you want a crisp classic, a grown-up bitter take, or a sweet-fruity riff, you're covered. Beer plus orange juice plus a pinch of salt is the easiest pitcher cocktail on the planet, and the variations stretch one recipe into a whole afternoon of options.
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And we’re not just making 1 jazzed up version of the shandy… we’re making 3. It’s the only way. We’ve got a traditional shandy with orange juice rather than lemonade... it’s more flavorful if you ask me. And then 2 other versions, one with Campari and one with watermelon juice. All of them scream summer…
Anyways - it’s the star of the summer Shandy show!! And you should go grab a carton or two and make these immediately. Happy almost weekend, friends! And if you have a little leftover orange juice - this Orange Bundt Cake needs to be in your life stat!
Substitutions & Swaps
🍺 Beer
- Hefeweizen (recommended) - The recipe's pick; banana-clove notes pair beautifully with citrus
- Belgian wit - Same wheat-beer profile with coriander and orange peel built in; basically a shandy on training wheels
- Pilsner or lager - Cleaner and crisper; my pick if you want the orange to lead
- IPA (lighter session-style) - Adds a hoppy bite; works with the Campari version specifically
- Non-alcoholic beer - Brands like Athletic Brewing make a real lager; same construction, dial-back ABV
🍊 Citrus Base
- Blood orange juice - Deeper color and a slightly more raspberry-like edge; gorgeous in a glass
- Tangerine or Mandarin juice - Sweeter and lower-acid; my pick for guests who find the OJ too tangy
- Grapefruit juice - More bitter, especially good in the Campari version
- Pineapple juice - Tropical pivot; cuts the salt requirement, pairs well with watermelon riff
🌶️ Bitter / Spirit Add-In
- Aperol - Lower ABV and sweeter than Campari; same bitter backbone, more approachable for new drinkers
- Cynar - Vegetal and earthy bitter; surprising and great for cocktail nerds
- Suze - Floral gentian bitter; lighter color, more herbaceous
- Splash of orange bitters - Skip the spirit entirely; 4-6 dashes per pitcher amplify the orange without adding alcohol
🍉 Fruit Juice Extensions
- Fresh peach purée - Blend ripe peaches; sub for the watermelon juice in the third variation, gorgeous late summer
- Strawberry purée - Same idea; pinker and slightly more candy-sweet
- Cucumber-mint water - Muddle cucumber and mint, strain, sub for sparkling water; spa-day energy
- Pomegranate juice - Ruby-red color, slightly tannic; great for shoulder-season shandies
🍺🍊🌞 Tips & Tricks for the Best Orange Summer Shandy
Three jazzed-up summer shandy variations that come together in 5 minutes flat
- Chill everything before you build. Beer, juice, glasses, even the salt. Adding ice to room-temp anything dilutes the drink in 90 seconds and kills the carbonation.
- Don't skip the pinch of salt. A teaspoon per batch sounds like a lot, but it sharpens the citrus and tames the beer's bitterness. Trust me on this one.
- Use no-pulp orange juice for clarity. Pulp clouds the drink and changes the texture. If all you have is pulp OJ, run it through a fine-mesh strainer first.
- Pour the beer last, slowly, down the side of the glass. Tilt the glass at 45 degrees, slow pour. Aggressive pours destroy the head and waste the carbonation that makes a shandy refreshing.
- Stick to a 2:1 beer-to-juice ratio for the classic. More juice and you've got a juice spritzer. More beer and you've buried the orange.
- For the Campari version, build the bitter and citrus first, then top with beer. Stir the Campari, OJ, lime, and salt together until uniform. Then pour the beer over. Skipping this step gives you streaky drinks where the Campari sinks.
- Make watermelon juice fresh. Bottled watermelon juice tastes like cough syrup. Blend ripe seedless watermelon, strain through cheesecloth, done in 3 minutes.
- Express the citrus peel over the glass. Take a strip of orange peel, twist it over the drink, then drop it in. The oils on top of the peel are where the fragrance lives.
- Pitchers, not single drinks, for entertaining. Multiply the recipe and combine everything except the beer in a pitcher. Pour individual glasses, top each with beer at serving. Repeat as the pitcher empties.
- Use a wide stemless glass, not a pint glass. A wide bowl gives the citrus aroma room to bloom. Pints are for straight beer; shandies want the open surface.
Summer Shandy // 3 Ways
A triple take on the summer shandy! One classic, one watermelon and one campari!! These are the simplest and easiest summer drinks!
Ingredients
For the Original Orange Shandy
- 2 cups Florida’s Natural No Pulp Orange Juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup sparkling water
- 3 12-ounce bottles chilled light beer (I prefer a Hefeweizen)
- orange peel for garnish
For the Campari Orange Shandy
- 2 cups Florida’s Natural No Pulp Orange Juice
- 4-6 ounces Campari
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 12-ounce bottles chilled light beer (I prefer a Hefeweizen)
- Lime peel for garnish
For the Watermelon Orange Shandy
- 1 cup Florida’s Natural No Pulp Orange Juice
- 1 cup fresh watermelon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup sparkling water
- 3 12-ounce bottles chilled light beer (I prefer a Hefeweizen)
- orange slice or watermelon slice for garnish
Instructions
- Regardless of the version you are making, combine all the ingredients for the specific shandy in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Chill until ready to serve. No need to serve over ice if served directly from the fridge.
Notes
- Chill everything before you build. Beer, juice, glasses, even the salt. Adding ice to room-temp anything dilutes the drink in 90 seconds and kills the carbonation.
- Don't skip the pinch of salt. A teaspoon per batch sounds like a lot, but it sharpens the citrus and tames the beer's bitterness. Trust me on this one.
- Use no-pulp orange juice for clarity. Pulp clouds the drink and changes the texture. If all you have is pulp OJ, run it through a fine-mesh strainer first.
- Pour the beer last, slowly, down the side of the glass. Tilt the glass at 45 degrees, slow pour. Aggressive pours destroy the head and waste the carbonation that makes a shandy refreshing.
- Stick to a 2:1 beer-to-juice ratio for the classic. More juice and you've got a juice spritzer. More beer and you've buried the orange.
- For the Campari version, build the bitter and citrus first, then top with beer. Stir the Campari, OJ, lime, and salt together until uniform. Then pour the beer over. Skipping this step gives you streaky drinks where the Campari sinks.
- Make watermelon juice fresh. Bottled watermelon juice tastes like cough syrup. Blend ripe seedless watermelon, strain through cheesecloth, done in 3 minutes.
- Express the citrus peel over the glass. Take a strip of orange peel, twist it over the drink, then drop it in. The oils on top of the peel are where the fragrance lives.
- Pitchers, not single drinks, for entertaining. Multiply the recipe and combine everything except the beer in a pitcher. Pour individual glasses, top each with beer at serving. Repeat as the pitcher empties.
- Use a wide stemless glass, not a pint glass. A wide bowl gives the citrus aroma room to bloom. Pints are for straight beer; shandies want the open surface.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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what brand are the glasses? specifically the one the campari shandy is in!
I live in Pennsylvania and am having trouble finding a plain Hefeweizen! What do you use?
I am not Gaby obviously but I do live in PA. One I see in the stores often here is Widmer Brothers Hefe. Maybe keep an eye out for that label?
Are the quantities specified for each drink really only intended to serve 2 people?
4!! good catch
I love how fresh OJ is in the heat of the summer. These drinks will hit the spot at any outdoor gathering!!