Yes, pink beer. It’s a sweet party punch that’s shamelessly simple to stir together. It may draw a few giggles from partygoers but that’s okay. Pink beer drinkers have more fun. Here’s how to make it.
Contents
Yes, pink beer. It’s a shamelessly sweet party punch that’s incredulously simple to stir together. If you’re familiar with the shandy—the British cocktail made with half beer, half lemonade—then you already have a sense of what this is like. “Pink beer is like the shandy’s fizzier and funnier little sister,” explains Peggy Wang, who concocted this little number. We don’t disagree.–Renee Schettler
Pink Beer
Ingredients
- Ice
- Two bottles Bud Light or Bud Light Lime chilled
- One can Sprite or Sprite Zero chilled
- One container frozen pink lemonade concentrate thawed
- 3/4 cup vodka chilled
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries sliced (optional)
Instructions
- In a punch bowl or pitcher filled halfway with ice, combine the beer, Sprite, lemonade concentrate, vodka, and strawberries, if using.
- Serve immediately, preferably in glasses filled halfway with ice. [Editor’s Note: The ice not only keeps your bevvie cold, it helps cut the sweetness of what could, arguably, be a cloying cocktail.]
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I cannot wait for shandy season to come around again! In our house, shandy season is from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and I promise you, we will take full advantage of this version of a shandy in the years to come. Pink beer is sweet and tart with just the right amount of fizz. Serving it over ice is imperative—the drink is a tad syrupy without it. (If you do the math, you notice that you don’t add quite enough liquid to dilute the pink lemonade adequately.) We’re not big fans of the particular beer suggested, so there’s a chance we’ll try it with our favorite lager and an extra squeeze of lime. The drink takes less than 5 minutes to make as long as you remember to thaw the pink lemonade overnight. Technically, it should serve 8, but 6 servings are more our speed—we’re pint glass beer drinkers! If the men in your life balk, like mine did, at the pink, just use regular lemonade.
This punch is a perfect holiday party drink. I also think it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, bachelorette parties, baby showers, or any other gathering for that matter! I used fresh strawberries. I particularly liked how the strawberries formed a shape that looked like a flower when the drink was poured into a wine glass.
This pink beer recipe allows you to make a really quick cocktail that screams summertime, backyard barbecues, and friends. It really lightens the beer taste while getting a kick from the vodka. I loved the fruitiness of the fresh strawberries. This is the kind of drink that sneaks up on you!
Originally published August 25, 2016
Call me un-American, but I’m not a fan of beer. I never have been. I do like beer in chili and I love a good beer margarita. I seem to like anything that doesn’t involve me actually drinking the beer on its own. When I saw pink beer, I knew I had to try it. I took a few minutes to slice some surprisingly ripe strawberries to add to the mix. I filled up a nice clear pitcher halfway with ice, added the beer, regular Sprite, pink lemonade concentrate, vodka, and the strawberries and mixed it all up. The strawberries added to the nice pinkish hue. I enjoyed the pink beer very much.The beer added more of the carbonation effect and the lime in the beer helped dull the bitterness of regular plain old beer. The Sprite added additional carbonation and sweetness. The pink lemonade concentrate was the sugar kick and the vodka acted as the punch. I liked that it was cold and crisp and the strawberries added a nice freshness to the drink. It was pretty sweet for my taste. I liked the pink beer but I don’t think I could drink more than a glass or two. Definitely a fun little cocktail!
Definitely fun, Kate, and perfect for a hot summer day. Thanks for reaching out.