Now that the weather is getting warmer, it is the perfect time to relax outside with an ice cold Leinenkugel. Leine (Leinenkugel) is one of my all time favorite beers in any flavor. My favorite season that they brew up is the summer variety. The Summer Shandy, Berryweiss, Lemon-berry Shandy, and the newest one Canoe Paddler are all delicious and perfect on a summer day. I know that Leine is not brewed here in Illinois, but I wanted to change it up and give you my opinion on this amazing brewing company.
To give you some background information, Leinenkugel was founded in 1867 by Jacob Leinenkugel and his business partner, John Miller in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. In the beginning, Jacob and John were the only employees at the brewery. Jacob brewed the beer and John was the delivery man using a small cart and a horse they named Kate. Today, the fifth generation of the Leinenkugel family are still brewing in Chippewa Falls with the same family recipes including some new ones. The Leine Lodge, located in Chippewa Falls next to the brewery , is a "place where spirit heritage and flavor of Leinenkugel's lives." Here you can join to receive free brewery tours, a gift shop, freshly brewed samples. The Leine Lodge is a place where their rich family heritage comes together, as long as you are 21 you are welcome to join! Hopefully I get the chance to visit the loge and brewery and see how my favorite beer comes to life.
Today I am going to review Leine's Summer Shandy. This has been one of my all time favorite beers for quite some time. It is refreshing, has the right amount of sweetness, and the right amount of hops to make it a beer you will never tire of. Leine describes Summer Shandy as, "A Shandy is beer brewed with a little something extra. Leinenkugel's® Summer Shandy® is crisp wheat beer brewed with natural lemonade flavor which makes it a perfect summertime refresher for those sun-splashed summer days." In the shandy is made with pale and wheat malts, a cluster of hops and lemonade flavor. On a 1 to 10 scale, the shandy has a 2 for hoppiness and 3 for maltiness. The website also offers what to pair Summer Shandy with and they suggest BBQ themed foods such as italian sausage, brats, BBQ chicken, and hotdogs.
I would strongly suggest trying any Leine brew any time of year. But I would suggest making yourself a little goal this summer and go out to get the Leine Summer Pack and enjoy!
