Ingredients
Drink
- 250 mlcold lager
- 250 mlcold limonade, clear lemon soda
Also
- a chilled tall glass
Optional
- a slice of lemon
Directions
- Use French or Swiss limonade, which is a lightly sweet clear sparkling lemon drink rather than the cloudy British kind.
- Chill the beer, the lemonade and the glass thoroughly before you start. Everything must be genuinely cold.
- Use a light lager or a pilsner rather than anything hoppy, dark or bitter. Pouring down a tilted glass is what stops it foaming over the rim within seconds.
- Let the head settle, then top up with the lemonade. Do not stir it at all, or give it one gentle turn at most.
- Add a slice of lemon if you like, though most cafés do not. That low strength is the point: it is what people drink when they want something long and cold in the middle of the day.
Technique
- The German Radler is the same idea and the story attaches it to cyclists at a Bavarian inn in the 1920s.
- A demi is the standard café measure of beer, about 250 ml.
- Ready-mixed panaché is sold in bottles and cans across France and Switzerland.
Substitutions
- Sprite or any clear lemon soda in place of limonade.
- Any pale lager or pilsner.
Variations
- Monaco, with grenadine added.
- Tango, with grenadine and no lemonade.
- Radler, the German version, often with a higher beer proportion.
History
A standard order in Swiss and French-speaking cafés, the francophone counterpart to the German Radler.
Frequently asked questions
What is Panaché?
Panaché is a cocktail from Switzerland: lager mixed half and half with lemonade, ordered in summer. A standard order in Swiss and French-speaking cafés, the francophone counterpart to the German Radler.
How long does Panaché take to make?
Panaché takes 2 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Panaché?
Yes, within limits. Sprite or any clear lemon soda in place of limonade. Any pale lager or pilsner.
What is the most important thing to get right in Panaché?
Use French or Swiss limonade, which is a lightly sweet clear sparkling lemon drink rather than the cloudy British kind.
