![Red Clay Michelada](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/c9WhixU9mfklMV98zQhM0LI7zqI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Red-Clay-Michelada-XL-RECIPE0623-2552c4d513f94a1cac8317dc449a95d2.jpg)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
It’s widely expected that pouring a beer over ice and serving it to someone will at the very least get you the side-eye and at worst, a beer dumped over your head. But add a dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lime to that ice-filled glass? Now we’re talking. That’s no mere beer — that’s a cocktail. And for me, a spritzy, subtly bitter beer cocktail signifies that summer’s here. You could make one with your hazy, super-hoppy imperial IPA, but ... nah. Go simple. The Champagne of Beers, for example, Miller High Life, is a perfect beer-cocktail base. (Though admittedly, any good pilsner or lager will do.) While classic beer cocktails like a Michelada or a shandy can handle more potent brews, at its modest 4.6% ABV, beers like Miller lend themselves to refreshing, simple, unexpected cocktail pairings—think of them as a lighter and slightly more bitter alternative to Cava or prosecco.
One good option: Give beer the aperitivo spritz treatment. Beer holds up to sweet liqueurs and juices, adding a bready savoriness, gentle bitterness, and that all-important fizz. And that’s just one possibility. With a few ingredients, a good low-ABV bottle can yield something surprisingly special, like these seven beer cocktails for easy summer sipping.
Yuzu Shandy
![Yuzu Shandy](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/T9yI9eH5MXC--1NvsznVK6ZSkds=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Yuzu-Shandy-FT-RECIPE0623-8e389577a855428b9243b088aefc57ed.jpg)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Bursting with citrusy notes from Japanese yuzu and fresh lemon, this shandy riff swaps a traditional lemon-lime-flavored mixer with sparkling lemonade for an invigorating and fizzy twist.
Bitter Lemon Spritz
![Bitter Lemon Spritz](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/kktAieRrvDnWIvC0xfpZ8N183tc=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Bitter-Lemon-Spritz-XL-RECIPE0623-818a17282b5b4f84b887c4fc6f93201a.jpg)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Lemon, amaro, and something bubbly are the markers of a classically bittersweet Italian aperitivo. Full-bodied, sweet, and smooth amaro liqueur might not be the first ingredient you think of to pair with beer, but swapping sparkling wine with beer adds a layer of bitter interest to this playful riff. Serve this cocktail in a massive wineglass to channel aperitivo hour, or in a standard highball.
Red Clay Michelada
![Red Clay Michelada](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/c9WhixU9mfklMV98zQhM0LI7zqI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Red-Clay-Michelada-XL-RECIPE0623-2552c4d513f94a1cac8317dc449a95d2.jpg)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Inspired by the michelada at Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop, this South Carolinian take on the popular Mexican drink leans on Charleston-based Red Clay hot sauce for tingling heat with a bracing backbone of sherry vinegar. Feel free to substitute your favorite vinegar-based hot sauce here, and add as much or as little as desired.
Blackberry-Chipotle Michelada
![Blackberry Chipotle Michelada](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/EK1s-BD0PKF_7kN4xiIABp_XDE8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Blackberry-Chipotle-Michelada-FT-RECIPE0623-66bbac1c8390490a8d207eecdd08f9b8.jpg)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Tangy blackberries and smoky chipotle flavor are offset by effervescent beer in this cocktail. A wooden spoon works as an alternative to a muddler to open up the fragrance and release the juices of fresh blackberries.
It's Bitter To Be Hoppy
![It's Bitter To Be Hoppy Cocktail Recipe](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/XIJmR6wUh4JIqQoZSW_5OTRHvG8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Its-Bitter-To-Be-Hoppy-FT-BLOG0523-1ed570a7e2634cb89cecef119ead643a.jpg)
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
This beer cocktail gets its bright orange tint from Aperol.
Spaghett About It
![Spaghett](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/E7IDwBbeRiMopZgXy70T2JoYOGk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Spaghett-FT-RECIPE0622-5cc43258f8694a8a990d0d448de88d44.jpg)
This summer’s easiest cocktail is an Italian take on a shot and a beer.
Michelada Gingembre
![Michelada Gingembre](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/Ts5YKNgdl4AtlPGYndwXtbyAPCM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/HD-2012-c-michelada-d9f2de44364449889329d4e068311b33.jpg)
Damian Windsor's favorite low-alcohol cocktail had been the Shandygaff (citrus soda mixed with lager) until he created a version with fresh ginger juice and a hoppy IPA; it was delicious. Adding a dash of hot sauce made the drink even better.