Classic Summer Drink

Summer in Houston is HOT!  We've been hovering in the upper 90's lately and the humidity has been around 60%!!!  And with the move in high gear, I've been doing my fair share of sweating and stressing.  The answer: a refreshing summer cocktail!  I got hooked on Shandys for the first time at Hay Merchant here in Houston, a bar known for it's craft beer assortment.  The addiction grew when we were in Germany and light beer/lemonade concoctions called Raddlers were my drink of choice in the Bavaria region.  My shandy recipe is inspired by the original Hay Merchant version I tried, which was notable for their homemade ginger lemon soda.

Ginger Lemon Shandy (makes 2)

1/4 cup ginger syrup - see recipe below
10 fl oz club soda (one mini bottle from a six pack)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 can beer of your choice (lighter beers work better.  We used Karbach's Weisse Versa Wheat)

Pour ginger syrup and club soda into a pint glass and stir with a whisk until combined.  Add the lemon juice and stir.  This is your homemade ginger lemon soda.  Now pour half of the ginger lemon soda into another pint glass, both glasses should be half-full.  Top off both glasses with the beer and voila, your ridiculously tasty and refreshing homemade Ginger Lemon Shandy is ready!

Ginger Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 inch of peeled ginger, sliced thinly

Combine all three ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.  Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Take off of heat and let cool.  You can make ahead of time and store in a sealed container in the fridge.  Leftovers work great in this Watermelon Ginger Fizz drink, or in this Strawberry Watermelon Fruit Salad!

Also of note this week, I made Shrimp with Avocado Mango Salsa last night for dinner and it was 1) super easy and quick to make, 2) used minimal dishes, 3) is very healthy, and 4) was absolutely delicious!  S was actually pretty bummed that I didn't make more...