| It will likely come as no surprise to you, but I feel like the surest escape from summer’s sweat and swelter is a cold beer (but not too cold). By the pool, in the kayak, at the grill, on the golf course, or even atop the lawn tractor, safely of course, there’s nothing more refreshing for a beer-lover than a crisp lager, a golden wheat or a lighter IPA. Or is there? Americans tend to see beer, like non-sparkling wine, as a solitary beverage, its integrity sacrosanct. We think nothing of mixing spirits, coffee, tea, milk, soda or water with each other and other ingredients, yet many of us do a spit-take at the mere mention of blending our brew. Cocktail culture been changing this, with mixologists starting to subtly shake and stir stouts and pale ales into their concoctions. Tipplers in other countries have long appreciated beer as the base for an array of mixed drinks, many of which just happen to be the perfect summertime thirst slakers. Adding lemonade or fruit juice, salt and even Tabasco or flavored syrups can exponentially up the Refreshment Factor on a hot, sweaty day. Of course, we’re talking about the wonderful world of shandies, radlers and cheladas.  In the market for a new ice chest? The Anker Solix EverFrost2 electric cooler is essentially a portable mini-fridge/freezer on wheels. Photographer: Frank Frances for Bloomberg Businessweek Radlers and ShandiesLegend has it that back in the 1920s, a group of thirsty bicyclists stopped at a Bavarian inn looking for rehydration. The German riders wanted beer, the innkeeper had little to spare. But the owner had plenty of lemon soda, and he used it to stretch what lager he had, creating a crisp, slightly tart treat for the cyclists, or in German, “radlers.” Over the years, the definition of radler has continually expanded to include pale lagers mixed with all sorts of sodas, syrups, cider and fruit juices. One of the most popular radlers you’ll find is mixed with grapefruit juice.  Stiegl grapefruit radler is a best-seller. Source: Vendor “That tartness of the grapefruit plays really well,” says John Haggerty, brewmaster at Dayton, Ohio’s Warped Wing Brewing Co. and graduate of the Versuchs- und Lehranstlalt für Brauerei (VLB) brewing institute in Berlin. “It lightens the body of the beer while adding acidity, which makes it more refreshing.” The most traditional radler, however, harkens back to its (possibly apocryphal) origins: pale lager with sweeter lemonade replacing lemon soda. This also happens to be the modern definition of a shandy. The term “shandy” has its own murky history, probably a tweak on Shandygaff, a Victorian-era English cocktail of beer and ginger ale. Once again, lemonade somehow squeezed its way into the picture, eventually becoming the quintessential partner instead. “All shandies are radlers, but not all radlers are shandies,” says Haggerty, setting the record straight. Still, he says, Americans make up their own rules anyway, including using a variety of beers in their potions.  Spoetzel Brewery’s Shiner makes a seasonal Lemonade Shandy. Source: Vendor Lighter pale American lagers are his ideal base for any added juice, cider or soda. He humbly recommends his own Warped Wing Trotwood light American lager but says any craft light lager should work. (You could, of course, use a leftover macro-lager, but remember: The flavor you put in is the flavor you’ll get out.) “The pale lager is already lighter and brighter than an ale,” he says. “And the cold-fermenting lager yeast will eat certain compounds that produce fuller flavors in ales that would compete with any fruit juice. Lagers are just natural partners in these drinks.” Speaking of partners, lemonade and grapefruit juice are still the go-to mixers for radlers, but I’ve seen recipes calling for everything from tea to peach nectar to margarita mix to Campari (which, to me, feels like a violation of the spirit, but to each their own).  This ginger mint lemonade recipe feels like it could also be a great starting point. Photographer: Heami Lee for Bloomberg Businessweek; Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero When it comes to making his own shandy at home, Haggerty generally keeps the mix no more than 30% lemonade to beer. He prefers a more sugary lemonade but insists it’s all about mixing to taste. “Beer is still hopefully the primary ingredient,” he says. “Otherwise, it just becomes an alcoholic lemonade.” Haggerty also says it’s more than acceptable to add ice to keep it chill, especially on a hot day. Adding a dash or two of salt can also reduce the bitterness and make the drink smoother and even sweeter. Plus, you know, electrolytes. Cheladas and MicheladasOf course, if we’re talking about salt and citrus in beer, we should probably consult my brew-savvy neighbors down south. Through clever marketing, Corona has made its clear bottle seem naked without a wedge of lime, but the addition of lime juice and salt to Mexican lager dates much further back. While the exact origins of the cheleda are perhaps more obscure than even those of the shandy, there’s no question that it has been a mainstay in Mexican beer culture for decades, and it has spread throughout Latin America. “For me, I grew up thinking of the chelada as just a salted rim with lime, lime juice and a light-colored lager on ice,” says Jorge Ringenbach, brewer, recognized Beer Judge Certification Program judge, and founder of Cerveceria Escollo in Mexico City. “Using a beer like Tecate Light is almost like a soda, and the ice lightens the alcohol to make it more refreshing.”  Michelada shop in Zipolite on Mexico’s Oaxaca coast. Photographer: Justin Ocean/Bloomberg But as with the radler, people soon started riffing on the chelada, adding sauces like Worcestershire and Tabasco for a Cubana, and maybe a couple ounces of tomato juice or V8 for the michelada that Americans have come to know as a sort of Mexican Bloody Mary, with salt or even zesty Tajin on the rim. And Ringenbach says that Mexican tipplers have taken it a step further with the Gomichela, adding sweet gummies as garnish to the Michelada. Still, Ringenbach suggests keeping it simple with the basics: Light Mexican lager, ice, lime juice and a salted rim. After all, it’s hot out—who needs the extra work? Beer Run: Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan | I travel a lot, for work and play, and wherever I go, I like to survey the local beer scene. Been to a good beer town lately? Do you live in one? I’m always looking for new destinations and breweries and bars to add to my itinerary—I’d love your recommendations. Here are mine from a recent getaway to Michigan (and a previous business trip to Indianapolis). Michigan is place for beer lovers. Grand Rapids even dares to dub itself “Beer City, USA,” and as the birthplace of Founders Brewing Co., one of the best-known craft brewers in the US, it can make a strong case. The state is also home to two other craft OGs in Bells and New Holland, and exciting new brews continue to bubble up in the Great Lake State from Arvon to Old Nation to Wax Wings. But the southeast corner of the Lower Peninsula, home to the state’s biggest city (Detroit) and its biggest college (University of Michigan) doesn’t get a proportionate share of that love. On a recent visit, I found that to be unfair. Here are a few beer bar highlights from Motown and Ann Arbor: Detroit metro has a few outstanding spots, including Eastern Market Brewing (great for hazy IPAs), Florian East (building a rep for solid lagers), and Batch Brewing Co. (eclectic tap list with well-regarded food). But I enjoyed most this vibrant and funky community gathering place in Ferndale, an inner-ring suburb. It specializes in New England IPAs and fruited sours, including this Cherry Confetti, which leads with tart cherry before softening into sweet vanilla and brown sugar—all without feeling heavy. Bonus: It’s also a cafe, so it opens early if you want a beer for breakfast (don’t judge me).  Cherry Confetti fruited sour from Ferndale Project. Photographer: Tony Rehagen/Bloomberg College towns can be tricky when it comes to quality beer, as if students are somehow less discerning about the alcohol they consume (if they drink at all these days). Forty-five minutes west of the Motor City, Ann Arbor seems to hold its brewers to higher standards. Homes is essentially two breweries in one. The main label puts out the latest spins on traditional styles, like New Zealand-hopped imperial IPAs and bitter-finishing West Coast pilsners. Then there’s the offshoot Smooj, Homes’ separate line of unique hard-seltzer smoothies. I tried the Prickly Pear Piña Colada, which at just 5% alcohol was thick, fruit-packed and lightly carbonated for a delightful treat.  Prickly Pear Piña Colada smoothie seltzer from Smooj. Photographer: Tony Rehagen/Bloomberg Also in Ann Arbor, next to the airport, this sleek spot brews with grains and hops from Michigan farmers to create a nice lineup of IPAs, crisp lagers and decadent stouts. But on a warmer day, I opted for Boysenbarrel Mist, a rare barrel-aged Berliner Weisse sour that blends a light berry-sweetness and lemon-rind sour with just a hint of whiskey from the barrel for what might pass as a breezy (if boozy, at 8.5% ABV) summer cocktail.  Boysenbarrel Mist from Mothfire Brewing Co. Photographer: Tony Rehagen/Bloomberg | 
