Refreshing beer shandy with lemon slice
Photo: Shutter Shoalwater / AI Generated

The Story

So there I was, Fourth of July 2021, absolutely slammed behind the bar. A guy in boat shoes—and I'm not being judgy, this is Nantucket, everyone wears boat shoes—orders a Whale's Tale. Standard request. I pour it, slide it over.

He takes a sip, makes a face, and says: "This is fine, but it's just beer. Can you make it... fancy?"

His girlfriend laughed. His buddy laughed. I did not laugh.

"Fancy," I repeated.

"Yeah, you know. Elevated. Like those craft cocktails you guys are always making." He gestured vaguely at my bar setup like it was a magic trick factory.

Now, here's the thing. I love Whale's Tale. It's Cisco's flagship. It's an excellent pale ale. And this man had just implied it needed improving. In front of witnesses.

"Twenty bucks says I can make this beer 'fancy,'" I said. "And you'll like it better than the original."

He put a twenty on the bar. His girlfriend put another twenty down, betting against me. The buddy just sat there grinning, sensing entertainment.

I grabbed a fresh pint glass. Added an ounce of Triple Eight vodka. Squeezed half a lemon. Poured in homemade lavender-honey syrup—I always keep some around. Topped it all with fresh Whale's Tale. Gave it one gentle stir.

The guy took a sip. Didn't say anything. Took another sip. Still nothing.

Then he pushed both twenties across the bar to me. "Okay," he said. "That's fancy."

His girlfriend ordered one immediately. She didn't even want her money back.

The Recipe

Glass Pint Glass
Prep Time 2 min
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • Cisco Whale's Tale Pale Ale 10 oz
  • Triple Eight Vodka 1 oz
  • Fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz
  • Lavender-honey syrup* 1/2 oz
  • Lemon wheel for garnish

*Lavender-honey syrup: Combine 1 cup honey, 1 cup water, and 2 tbsp dried lavender. Heat until honey dissolves. Steep 30 minutes, strain. Keeps refrigerated for weeks.

Instructions

  1. Build in the glass. Add vodka, lemon juice, and lavender-honey syrup to a pint glass.
  2. Add the beer slowly. Pour the Whale's Tale gently down the side of the glass to preserve carbonation.
  3. Stir once, gently. Just to integrate. Don't agitate it like a cocktail—you'll kill the fizz.
  4. Garnish. Float a lemon wheel on top.
  5. Serve immediately. This is best cold and fresh. Waiting is for lesser drinks.

Porter's Notes

The lavender-honey syrup is what makes this "fancy." Without it, you've got a strong shandy—good, but not special. The lavender plays off the floral hops in Whale's Tale in a way that shouldn't work but absolutely does.

If you don't have lavender syrup, regular honey works. It's less fancy, but the guy in boat shoes probably wouldn't have known the difference anyway.

The Cisco Connection

Whale's Tale Pale Ale is the beer that put Cisco on the map. Balanced, approachable, with enough hop character to stand up to cocktail treatment without getting lost. It's what I reach for when someone says they want "something local but not weird."

The Triple Eight Vodka adds body without changing the flavor profile. It's doing the heavy lifting so the beer can stay recognizable while the whole drink goes somewhere new.

Serve This When...

  • It's 4pm on a summer Saturday and the sun is still high
  • Someone claims beer can't be sophisticated
  • You're at a backyard barbecue and want to show off
  • The regular shandy just isn't cutting it anymore

The Honest Truth

This drink requires Whale's Tale. I've tried it with other pale ales, and it's not the same. There's something about the specific hop profile that works with lavender—I don't fully understand it, but I respect it.

If you can't get Whale's Tale on the mainland, save this recipe for your next Nantucket trip. Some things are worth waiting for.