Fresh Grapefruit Radler (Shandy) Recipe

By
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a longtime food and drink expert whose recipes and cocktail-making tips can be found on her newsletters What to Drink and The Dinner Plan. She is the author of  The One-Bottle Cocktail and Batch Cocktails, both published by Ten Speed Press.
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Updated April 08, 2025
20170608-radler-cocktails-grapefruit-vicky-wasik-3.jpg
Photographs: Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Maceration allows grapefruit rinds to express their natural oil, creating a more aromatic and flavorful drink.
  • This no-cook technique dissolves sugar without any need for firing up the stove.
  • A bit of fresh lemon juice guarantees that the grapefruit soda doesn't wind up too sweet.

A radler is the German word for what is sometimes known as a shandy: a mix of light, cold beer and sparkling lemonade (or, in this case, Grapefruit-ade). You can buy a premixed grapefruit radler but it lacks the pop of juicy flavor you get from this fresh version. Here, the grapefruit soda is made not just with the juice but also the citrus oils from the citrus skin; a dose of lemon juice ensures it's tart enough.

Recipe Details

Fresh Grapefruit Radler (Shandy) Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Active 30 mins
Infusing Time 3 hrs
Total 3 hrs 15 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Fresh Grapefruit Soda:

  • 2 pounds ruby red grapefruits (about 3 medium)

  • 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar

  • 3 ounces (90 ml) fresh lemon juice from about 3 whole lemons

  • 12 ounces cold sparkling water

For Each Radler:

  • 9 ounces chilled beer (265 ml), such as pilsner

  • 6 ounces Fresh Grapefruit Soda (175 ml)

Directions

  1. For the Fresh Grapefruit Soda: Bring grapefruits to room temperature, then roll firmly against the counter to soften their rinds. Halve or quarter and juice one grapefruit; set aside others for juicing later. Pour juice into a sealable container and refrigerate. Cut juiced grapefruit rind into 1-inch chunks. Toss with sugar in a large nonreactive mixing bowl, cover tightly with plastic, and let stand at room temperature, stirring once every 45 minutes or so, until sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 hours. (You can let the mixture stand up to 12 hours, if desired.)

  2. Measure reserved grapefruit juice and juice additional grapefruits to yield 10 ounces (1 1/4 cups) of fresh juice. Add to sugar mixture along with lemon juice and stir well, then strain through a nonreactive fine-mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth into a glass or ceramic container. At this point, the concentrated grapefruit syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

  3. When ready to serve, add sparkling water to concentrated grapefruit syrup. Adjust to taste with additional sparkling water, grapefruit, or lemon juice; bear in mind that a tart soda tastes best when mixed with beer.

  4. For Each Radler: Add beer and Grapefruit Soda to a 16-ounce pint glass. Serve immediately.

Special equipment

Cheesecloth or nonreactive fine-mesh strainer, 2-quart pitcher

Notes

Our favorite version of this radler starts with pilsner, but feel free to experiment with other types of beer.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
134Calories
0gFat
14gCarbs
1gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories134
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 15mg1%
Total Carbohydrate 14g5%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 12mg1%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 73mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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