Tropical Rum Shandy Recipe

There are very few alcoholic drinks that are as fantastically refreshing as a shandy. Great for summer sipping, shandies (which are a little different from radlers) combine beer with an often citrus-flavored juice or carbonated soda, making for a tasty, cooling drink that's a little lighter on the ABV. With this tropical rum shandy, I give the classic shandy a bit of an upgrade, incorporating passion fruit juice and sweet-tart pineapple and mango, which pair really well with the yeasty banana and clove flavor of wheat beers or the citrusy, coriander-forward flavor of witbiers. American white or wheats are also banging, almost a best of both with citrus and floral notes that highlight the fruity/coconutty blend we have going on here. The coconut comes from the rum in the mix, which does make this a slightly boozier shandy rendition, but one that still hits those light and refreshing notes all the same.

As someone who is experiencing a very hot summer (we're talking heat wave after heat wave), I wanted to create a beverage that would help me tolerate that heat, or at the very least counteract it with some cool and refreshing notes. This tropical-themed shandy is like air-con in a glass, and the main tropical flavor notes just scream sweet-summery vibes. All of these fruity flavors, the spicy complexity of wheat beer, and the touch of warm booziness from the rum add to the promise of some nice and relaxed summer evenings.

To make this a tropical shandy, you'll need passion fruit juice, fresh mango, and fresh pineapple. If you want to get creative with the tropical fruits of choice, then guava and papaya would work well. Lychee or rambutan would also work, but use those sparingly as they are very sweet. Coconut rum also contributes to the tropical nature of the drink, while wheat beer makes it a true shandy. Really any type of wheat beer works here, with German Hefeweizens, Belgian-style Witbiers, or American white or wheat beers all being good options. For the rim, you'll need lime juice and Tajín, while you may also want some extra lime wheels, pineapple slices, and pineapple leaves on hand for garnishing.

Place the passion fruit juice, mango, and pineapple in the bowl of a food processor or blender.

Blend until smooth.

Thoroughly strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the mash and reserve the juice.

Cover the juice with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Coat the rim of pint or Collins glasses with lime juice.

Sprinkle the juiced rim with Tajin seasoning.

Fill the glasses with ice.

Divide the coconut rum between the glasses.

Fill the glasses ⅓-full with tropical juice.

Top with beer.

Stir to combine.

Garnish the glasses with lime wedges, pineapple slices, and pineapple leaves before serving.

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I just heard this cute term to describe that combination of fruity and spicy — fricy. It is such a palate-piqueing flavor match, with the two working in tandem to make each other better. The sweet tropical fruits zestfully amplify the spicy heat, while the fruit balances and refreshes. The saltiness of the seasoning blend also balances any of the natural bitter or sour notes from the fruit and the beer. Tajín, a seasoning loaded with tangy, spicy, and salty ingredients, has long been used to sprinkle on fresh fruit and fruit salad for just this reason, and it works perfectly here. 

While I do think that Tajín is a great choice for rimming the glass of this shandy, it certainly isn't your only option. For those who want that added flavor element but don't care for heat, you can experiment with infused salts or sugars — citrus, ginger, or lemongrass salt/sugar would all work great here. To make your own infused sugar or salt, simply combine one part flavor infusion (citrus zest, ginger, and so on) with two parts salt or sugar. Blend in a food processor or coffee grinder, then spread the resulting mixture out on a baking sheet to dry. Alternatively, you can skip the rim altogether, as the tropical shandy will still taste fruity, refreshing, and delicious without that contrasting salty or spicy seasoning addition.

To concoct the tropical aspect of this shandy, I combined passion fruit juice with fresh pineapple and mango chunks, blending it altogether to make a homemade juice. I like using fresh as much as possible for that natural flavor and sweetness, and I only went with passion fruit juice as fresh passion fruit can be hard to find. You can absolutely use a fully homemade puree if you can find fresh passion fruit, or you can mix-and-match between fresh fruit and juices to find the blend that works best for you. 

My only word of caution is to try to avoid using sugary juice, as the shandy might become a bit too sweet overall. Obviously, we want there to be a good amount of sweetness in the shandy, but overly-sweet juices will make for a drink that's a little too cloying (especially when combined with a beer that leans on the sweeter side). Making a homemade juice blend is your best bet for adjusting the blend to your liking. Or, at the very least, look for tarter fruit juices that have lower sugar amounts or no sugar added to keep your mix-and-matched juice blend from becoming overly sweet.

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