Frozen Lemonade Shandy
A frozen shandy made with lemonade and a light beer — low-alcohol summer slush with tips for blending beer in a Margaritaville machine.
Jump to recipe ↓A shandy is half beer, half lemonade — low in alcohol and very refreshing, which makes it a good all-afternoon drink at a cookout.
Frozen, it becomes a lemony beer slush; wheat beers with citrus notes are especially good.
Because beer foams when it’s blended, add it last, pour slowly down the side of the jar, and keep the total below the jar’s max line.
Frozen Shandy recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 6 oz lemonade
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 6 oz light wheat beer or lager, cold
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Lemon wheel. Glass: Pint glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add lemonade and lemon juice; pour beer down the side last.
- Run the cycle.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lemonade | 4½ oz | 6 oz | 4 oz | 5 oz | 10¼ oz |
| fresh lemon juice | ¾ oz | 1 oz | ⅔ oz | ¾ oz | 1⅔ oz |
| light wheat beer or lager, cold | 4½ oz | 6 oz | 4 oz | 5 oz | 10¼ oz |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- A carbonated ingredient foams when blended. Pour it into the jar last, down the side, and stay well under the fill line — or blend without it and top each glass with soda instead.
- This batch uses about 13 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Equal parts beer and lemonade; lemon juice sharpens.
About frosé & frozen wine
Wine-based frozen drinks need more wine by volume than spirit drinks need liquor, because wine is only about 11–14% alcohol. Choose bold, fruity, low-oak wines — freezing mutes aroma and exaggerates bitterness.
Tips for the best texture
- Add beer last.
- Wheat beer is great.
- Watch the fill line.
- Serve immediately.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with lemon wheel and serve in a pint glass. Wine slushes melt faster than spirit-based ones, so pour into chilled stemless glasses and serve right away. Keep the wine in the fridge until the last minute. Leftover frosé or sangria slush can go in a covered container in the freezer for a day; give it a stir or a short Blend Only before serving.
Variations
- Grapefruit radler: Use grapefruit soda.
- Strawberry: Add berries.
- Ginger: Use ginger ale.
Mocktail swap
Use non-alcoholic beer.
Frequently asked questions
Foam?
Add beer last, fill less.
Strength?
Low.
Which beer?
Light lager or wheat.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
