I don’t like a lot of beer with fruit – the good ones seem to be few and far between. I tend to think that fake fruit (i.e. imitation flavorings) have no place in beer… I’m a little more liberal with regards to real fruit. Aside from lambics, Fantome has done some good things with fruit juices, New Glarus’ Wisconsin Red and Raspberry Tart are really good and I’ve had at least one or two good blueberry ales. I’ve also had a lot of bad ones.

I made an ale with a Oregon cherry puree and whole, pitted cherries and Abbey yeast and I’ve got to say it’s pretty tasty.

I will agree that a lot of the stuff Leinies had produced as of late (Sunset Wheat, Applespice) has tasted like crap.

Figured a thread about summer seasonals was as good as any to talk about this. As for this being a Minnesota beer site, well considering we post about Bell’s being served on tap at local pubs I figured most of the places around here serve up the Leinies as well. Cheers ;o)

Oh yeah, and like what Ryan said; they’re in Wisconsin, and this is the MN Beer website.

LEINENKUGEL’S TAPS EUROPEAN FAVORITE TO OFFER REFRESHING NEW SUMMER SEASONAL

Continues to innovate its product portfolio while educating consumers about craft beers

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisc. (March 26, 2007) – The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is bringing their version of a favorite European recipe to craft beer lovers this summer. This April, the 140-year-old specialty brewer will add a new summer seasonal, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, to its family of premium craft beers.

A relatively untapped offering in the U.S., the “shandy” (which is short for “shandygaff”) as it’s called in England and Germany, is typically a mixture of beer and soda or lemonade which has been enjoyed across Europe since the 17th century. Another variation of a shandy is the “radler” which is a German term for cyclist. In September 1922, Franz Xaver Kugler developed the radler, when approximately 13,000 cyclists visited his tavern in Munich. His beer supply started to run out, so he cleverly mixed the remaining beer with lemonade and pretended he created the blend especially for the cyclists.

Today, Leinenkugel’s is taking this summer refresher to a new level with its Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, a blend of select malted wheat and barley, lemonade flavor and a hint of Wisconsin honey.

“Summer Shandy is an adventurous and unexpected new flavor from Leinenkugel’s,” said Jake Leinenkugel, company president and fifth generation brewer. “We’re excited to introduce our version of the shandy-style beer and hope to draw interest from our loyal fans and beer lovers in search of an innovative new taste this summer.”

Available April through August, Summer Shandy will officially be Leinenkugel’s new summer seasonal. In June, 2006, consumers overwhelmingly voted for Berry Weiss to become a year-round offering after serving as Leinenkugel’s summer seasonal beer since 1996.

Brewed in small, high-quality batches at Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy features a tangy and citrus character. Its tart lemon flavoring complements spicy and robust summertime grilling recipes.

Leinenkugel’s new Summer Shandy will be one of the cornerstones in a summer sampling program in markets throughout the Upper Midwest, encouraging consumers to “Taste the Adventure.” The program will also feature Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss, Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss and Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, which the company has rolled out into more than 30 new markets across the U.S. based on its success. Leinenkugel Brothers Jake and Dick will tour the Upper Midwest in May to introduce their new Summer Shandy to beer fans personally.

Summer Shandy contains 4.2 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). It will be available where Leinenkugel’s is sold in 6, 12 and 24-pack bottles and on draft in 1/2, 1/4 and 1/6 barrels.