Lemon Aid: The Great British Love Affair with Flavoured Beer
From Spanish beach bars to British supermarket shelves, the humble shandy is having a moment. We put our taste buds to work on lemon, peach, orange and everything in between.
This summer, we witnessed something the Spanish have known for years: sunshine is best enjoyed with a cold Clara in hand. The Brits, it seems, have finally caught on. Perhaps the penny dropped somewhere between the third heatwave headline and the realisation that a trip to Benidorm isn’t the only way to enjoy a bit of Mediterranean living. London would certainly feel a little more liveable with a cold cerveza con limon in hand when the pavements start melting.
And just like that- like Carrie Bradshaw would say- flavoured beer was everywhere.
Take a wander down the booze aisle and you’ll find cans in every shade of the fruit bowl, promising everything from a squeeze of citrus to a full-on tropical holiday. Some might say they appeared overnight, but flavoured beer has been quietly bubbling away for years. Shandy has long been a staple of pub gardens and a trusted order among the more seasoned drinkers. It’s just taken the younger crowd a little longer to reach for the lemonade.
For the uninitiated, let’s get one thing straight. Clara, shandy, radler - call it what you like- is essentially beer (usually lager) topped up with lemonade or another soft drink. Ideally cloudy, preferably ice-cold, and absolutely no need to overcomplicate things. The Spanish have their Clara, the Germans their Radler, and the Brits their shandy. Different names, same sunny disposition. But the brits only canned them now.
But once you start mixing beer with fruit, the possibilities stretch far beyond lemon. Peach? Absolutely. Grapefruit? Don't mind if we do. Orange? Why on earth not?
With the shelves suddenly looking like a fruit market that’s taken a wrong turn into the beer fridge, we thought it was time to hold your hand and guide you through this wonderfully fizzy world. Consider this your introduction to flavoured beer, with a little help from our tasting glasses.
The Spanish would be so proud of us.
The line-up
Artwork by jordannaber_art
Damm Lemon- the OG
Every movement needs a founding mother, and in the world of Clara, Damm Lemon is a very good place to start. For years, its butter-yellow cans have been quietly sitting on M&S and Waitrose shelves, waiting for their moment in the spotlight. This summer, they finally got their call-up.
Made with 60% Mediterranean beer, brewed using barley malt, rice and hops and 40% lemon soft drink, featuring Mediterranean Primafiori lemons and a dash of lime, it’s a sweet, citrusy classic that knows exactly what it’s doing.
There’s a reason this one has stuck around. It’s approachable, easy-drinking and instantly recognisable, whether you’re sipping one solo on a sunny afternoon or stocking up for a party. No surprises, no unnecessary theatrics, just a dependable lemony refresher that deserves its cult status.
Sometimes, the classics are classics for a reason.
Tennent’s TOPS- Glasgow in a can
Born and brewed in Glasgow, we were delighted to see our own local favourite getting its moment in the spotlight. The humble pint of Tennent’s with a splash of lemonade, affectionately known around these parts as a “Tops, has officially made its way into a can.
Made with the much-loved Tennent’s lager and a little lemonade, it’s a familiar combination dressed for a new generation. There’s nothing complicated about it, and that’s precisely the point. It delivers the easy, uncomplicated refreshment you’d expect from a shandy, with the reassuring familiarity of a beer you already know.
For the Tennent’s loyalists, it’s a no-brainer. For everyone else, it’s a little taste of Glasgow pub culture without needing to pull up a bar stool.
Local pride, with a squeeze of lemonade. We are proud to be Glaswegian!
BrewDog Peach Lager- A Peachy Little Plot Twist
Who said beer had to taste like beer? Well, plenty of people, probably. But BrewDog’s Peach Lager makes a convincing case for letting things get a little fruity.
Swapping the familiar lemon twist for a softer, rounder peach flavour, this is one for anyone curious about what happens when lager ventures beyond its comfort zone. There’s something about it that reminds us of the fruit-flavoured beers you find in Japan: playful, fragrant and just a little unexpected.
The peach brings a gentler sweetness to the experience, making this an interesting alternative for those who find lemon a little too sharp or simply fancy something different.
Think of it as your gateway beer. One minute you're innocently sipping peach lager, the next you're hunting down every unusual flavour you can find. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Artowork by C’est Elle Art
Jubel- The fruit-flavoured overachiever
Jubel was doing the fruit-beer thing long before it became the cool kid in the fridge. Its signature peach beer helped put the brand on the map, and the portfolio has since grown well beyond its original fruity calling card.
Peach remains the obvious starting point, but grapefruit, mango and elderflower offer plenty of reasons to keep exploring. Whether you're after something citrusy, tropical or delicately floral, there's a good chance Jubel has been busy putting it in a can.
Grapefruit gets a particular nod from us. It brings that lovely balance of fruitiness and bitterness, making it a great option if you want something with a little more bite than your standard sweet shandy.
The range is a reminder that flavoured beer doesn't have to mean one-note sweetness. There's room for variety, experimentation and the occasional surprise.
The only problem? By the time you've worked your way through the range, there'll probably be another flavour waiting for you.
Cruzcampo Sevilla Orange Beer- When life gives you oranges
Lemon and orange are practically siblings, so it was only a matter of time before someone invited the latter to the party.
Enter Cruzcampo Sevilla Orange Beer, bringing a softer citrus character to the flavoured-beer line-up. Where lemon tends to deliver a sharper, more familiar tang, orange offers a rounder fruitiness, with a gentle acidity that keeps things feeling fresh rather than overwhelmingly sweet.
It’s easy to see why this one catches the eye, too. Its bold orange packaging makes it practically impossible to miss on the shelf- a little slice of Sevilla among the usual sea of lager cans.
If lemon is the dependable friend who always turns up, orange is the one who arrives in a bright outfit and suggests doing something different.
And honestly? We're listening.
So, what's behind the fruity takeover?
From Madrí Cerveza con Limón to German favourites such as Schöfferhofer Grapefruit and the many Radlers that have been around for decades, this isn't exactly a new phenomenon. What feels different is how visible flavoured beer has become and how confidently it has stepped into the mainstream.
Is it a shift away from the craft-beer boom, with drinkers looking for a new direction? Are younger consumers simply after something lighter, fruitier and a little less serious? Or are we finally embracing the idea that beer doesn't need to be bitter, boozy or served in a pint glass to be worth drinking?
We put the question to Cameron Johnston, Innovation Manager at Tennent’s, who has a front-row seat to the changing tastes of British drinkers.
“Fruit flavoured beer is now one of the fastest growing segments in our industry,” Johnston explains. “A major driver in this has been younger consumers increasingly moving away from traditional lagers and towards lighter, sweeter, fruit-forward options in search of refreshment.
“Flavoured beers are drawing in new consumers and appealing to those who may have traditionally favoured other drinks, such as cider and spirits. With an average ABV of 4% or lower, they also provide another option for those who are perhaps moderating but still looking to enjoy a refreshing alcoholic drink.”
It makes sense. Flavoured beer offers an easy entry point for people who might not naturally gravitate towards a traditional lager, while giving familiar beer drinkers something new to explore. And with moderation increasingly part of the conversation, lower-strength options have another reason to find their way into the shopping basket.
Of course, a lower ABV doesn't make a drink alcohol-free, nor does it mean you can forget about how much you're drinking. But it does offer a different way to approach that after-work drink, weekend gathering or afternoon in the garden.
Summer might be over, but the shandy isn't
There's something wonderfully uncomplicated about a flavoured beer. It doesn't demand a tasting notebook, a perfectly curated cheese board or a lengthy conversation about hops. It asks very little of you beyond opening the can and having a good time.
And while we'd happily spend a sunny afternoon pretending we're somewhere along the Spanish coast, there's no reason to pack the Clara away once the nights draw in. A crisp citrus beer can be just as welcome beside a roaring pub fire as it is on a sun-drenched terrace. Peach, grapefruit and orange don't suddenly stop tasting good because the clocks have gone back.
Perhaps the real appeal of flavoured beer is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's familiar enough to feel comfortable, different enough to feel exciting, and refreshingly free of the rules that sometimes surround what we drink.
So, the next time you're browsing the beer aisle, give the butter-yellow cans a nod, venture beyond the lemon, and let a little fruit into your life.
The Spanish have been onto something all along. We just needed a few decades, a handful of heatwaves and a very convincing supermarket display to catch up.
Our verdict? Clara, shandy, Radler- whatever you choose to call it, there's a fruit-flavoured beer for every palate. And if anyone asks, we're conducting very important research.
¡Salud!
