Tastemakers: Gaylord Alpenfest/Leinenkugel‘s Summer Shandy

July 18, 2007

Gaylord Alpenfest
July 17-21, 2007

Over the past 43 years, Alpenfest in Gaylord has grown from a small community-based celebration over a couple of days into a five-day festival that attracts visitors from all over. Despite its growth, Alpenfest has remained true to its community roots by celebrating the traditions of its German and Polish settlers. The festivities begin on Tuesday, July 17, and with more than 80 events, including several concerts (see our article on the Nelson Brothers), there is a lot to do - and a lot to eat. Food has always been at the center of Polish and German culture, and Alpenfest honors that spirit throughout the festival. What is really cool is once you buy a $3 Alpenfest pin you have all sorts of opportunities for “free food.”
To kick off the free food frenzy, the Michigan State Police Post in Gaylord is offering the Wurst Wagon with the best “wurst” in town at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning Die Groeste Kaffe Pause (“The World’s Largest Coffee Break”) takes place at 9:30 a.m., with free coffee and donuts sponsored by the Gaylord Downtown Development Authority. At noon there is free Pontresina Suppen Mahlzeit (soup). If you like seafood, try the goldfish-eating contest at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. On Thursday the Alpine Country Breakfast at 8 a.m. sponsored by Big Boy features free biscuits and gravy. Later that night, Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream and Alpine Chocolat Haus are offering an ice cream social with banana splits. Friday morning is the Pfannekuchen Und Wuerstchen (pancake and sausage breakfast) at 8 a.m., sponsored by Gaylord Community Schools. For dinner, Independent Bank is serving up sauerkraut and sausage. The Gaylord Alpenfest is the best meal deal in town - for $3, you can feed yourself for five days. To see a list of all the activities and food offerings, check out gaylordchamber.com. Proscht (Swiss German for cheers) to Gaylord and Alpenfest.

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

Seasonal beers continue to grow in popularity. Larry Bell from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo introduced Sol Sun 15 years ago (now called Oberon) and the citrusy wheat brew served with a wedge of your favorite citrus fruit quickly became a summertime favorite in Northern Michigan. Recently, Miller Brewing (see the BottomsUp archive online
at www.northernexpress.com) introduced Miller Chill, and the beer has been flying off the shelves.
Last summer, Leinenkugel’s (Leinie’s) from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, released their Summer Shandy. Shandy is lemonade and beer. In England, where many believe it was developed, a shandy is half beer and half lemonade. Shandy evolved from a popular British drink called Shandygaff, which was a blend of ginger ale and beer. Some European commercial shandys are 10 parts lemonade and one part beer, making them legal for kids.
Here in the U.S., shandys have been slow to take off, but Leinie’s entry into the marketplace has created a buzz for this beer style. This beer has all the elements of a summertime thirst quencher. The brewmaster has done a great job of blending lemonade and beer flavors. Kudos to Leinie’s as they celebrate their 140th birthday this year for coming out with their Summer Shandy. When they sold to Miller Brewing Company, some thought it would be the death of this family brewer, but the family has maintained creative control and Miller continues to give the Leinenkugel family freedom to experiment in the marketplace.
Leinenekugel’s Summer Shandy pairs perfectly with spicy foods (the beer has a hint of sweetness to it) and is great for those summer work projects around the yard. To read more about the full line-up of great brews from the Leinie family visit
www.leinie.com.