Drink Recipes

A Fancy Shandy from Maine

Camper English, contributor

Ginger Diesel from Bar Lola, Portland

Ginger Diesel from Bar Lola, Portland

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The new book Drinking In Maine by Michael Sanders and Russell French lists 50 cocktails from Maine restaurants and spirits producers, divided into sections for each of the four seasons.

The drinks use ingredients from Maine, be they beer and spirits made there or other local ingredients like honey and blueberries. If you don't actually live in Maine, several of the sprits will probably be difficult to source as they're not nationally distributed, but the drink below should be easy enough to recreate. 

The Ginger Diesel is a take on the British shandy (also known as the shandygaff), a mixture of equal parts beer and either ginger beer, ginger ale, or bitter lemon soda. In this recipe from Bar Lola, they've started with a tasty white beer and added the nice-and-spicy Maine Root brand ginger beer, plus a touch of creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to give it a nice berry-flavored twist. 

Ginger Diesel
From Bar Lola, Portland, Maine

6 fl. oz. Maine Root Ginger Beer
6 fl. oz. Allagash White Beer
.5 fl. oz. Crème De Cassis
Lemon wheel garnish

Pour ginger beer into a pint glass. Add the crème de cassis.  Slowly add Allagash White beer, preserving the head.  Garnish with a lemon wheel. No stirring required!

"At Bar Lola, this just-so summer quaffer has a hint of spice from the ginger beer calmed and deepened by the dry but flavorful Allagash. Let bartender Stella suggest which of her husband, Guy's, Philippino, Hispano, or tutto mondo specials might go well with it…."

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