Author Notes
Traditionally, a shandy (or shandygaff) is a combination of beer and lemon soda. You could order it in London pub, or even in a Paris café—where it was called a panaché. These days, it seems that beer mixed with any kind of flavored soda or cola is called a shandy. Some beer producers make lemon-flavored beer to evoke the original shandygaff. I tend to shun flavored beers, but the idea of the latter sparked an idea: fresh lemon flavored beer sherbet—basically, a marriage of good beer with homemade lemon sherbet. It would be a great twist on both the sherbet and the shandygaff and super refreshing summer treat for a sultry day.
A shandy for sipping can arguably be made with all kinds of beers, but a sherbet or ice cream made with beer requires a beer with relatively low bitterness—lagers and IPA’s and strong ales need not apply here. —Alice Medrich
Ingredients
-
1-2
lemons, preferably organic or unsprayed (for zest and juice)
-
1
11-12 ounce bottle (1 ½ cups) Belgian (or Belgian style) Wit Beer (I used Hoegaarden)
-
1/2 cup
heavy cream
-
3/4 cup
sugar
Directions
-
In a 2 quart bowl—because the beer will foam up when mixed—zest enough of one lemon to measure 1/4 teaspoon. Squeeze lemons to make 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons juice and add the juice to the bowl with the zest.
-
Add the beer, half and half, and sugar. Stir and let set for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar. Stir again and freeze according to the instructions with your ice cream machine.
My career was sparked by a single bite of a chocolate truffle, made by my Paris landlady in 1972. I returned home to open this country’s first chocolate bakery and dessert shop, Cocolat, and I am often “blamed” for introducing chocolate truffles to America. Today I am the James Beard Foundation and IACP award-winning author of ten cookbooks, teach a chocolate dessert class on Craftsy.com, and work with some of the world’s best chocolate companies. In 2018, I won the IACP Award for Best Food-Focused Column (this one!).
See what other Food52ers are saying.