Recipe: Sapporo Shandy

Today is the perfect day to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! What better way to enjoy the glorious Chicago weather than with an ice cold drink? In anticipation for the warmer weather, I decided to play around with a few cocktails using Sapporo premium beer. Sure, you've probably heard of Sapporo before. I know what you were like in college and I know you've done a sake bomb or two. But have you ever used Sapporo to create a cocktail before? I was skeptical too, but the result was delish!

Sapporo is the oldest beer brand in Japan and was first brewed in Sapporo, Japan in 1876. Its crisp and clean taste makes it an ideal cocktail component. I used Sapporo Light for my cocktail recipe which has a light straw color with minimal aftertaste. I really felt it added nice balance and flavor to the cocktail.

Sapporo & Sapporo Light

I decided to create my own take on a shandy using Sapporo Light, simple syrup, muddled strawberries, and lemon juice. It's a simple recipe with a refreshing result. I was kind of impressed with how great this turned out! Check out photos of the cocktail-making process and the recipe below!

Add Your Strawberry Juice 

Squeeze the Juice of Half a Lemon

Add Simple Syrup,  Lemon Juice & Sapporo, Stir & Top With Strawberries, a Straw & Lemon Slice

Sapporo Shandy

recipe adapted from Sapporo

Ingredients:

Juice of 1/2 a lemon 

3 teaspoons simple syrup (or more if you like sweeter cocktails)

8-10 ounces of Sapporo or Sapporo Light

4-5 fresh strawberries

Ice 

Equipment:

Saucepan

Citrus Juicer

Cocktail glass

Mortar and pestle (or fork and bowl)

Spoon

Straw

Directions:

1. To create your simple syrup, boil 2 parts sugar and 1 part water in a saucepan, stir and allow to cool. You can make just enough for one cocktail, or make a larger batch.

2. Squeeze the juice of 4-5 strawberries with a juicer directly into your cocktail glass filled with ice.

3. Remove the strawberries from your juicer and muddle with a mortar and pestle, or use a fork and bowl. Set aside.

4. Add 3 teaspoons of prepared simple syrup (or more if you prefer a sweeter cocktail).

5. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lemon into your glass.

6. Top with 8-10 ounces of Sapporo or Sapporo Light.

7. Give the cocktail a gentle stir, place muddled strawberries on top, and finish with a straw and lemon slice garnish.

Cheers!

Note: Sapporo supplied me with product to facilitate this post; however, all opinions are my own.