Leinenkugel’s, Johnsonville Team Up For Summer Shandy Beer Brat

When you think of Wisconsin food and drinks, the first things that come to mind are cheese, bratwursts, and beer. In one of the most 'Wisconsin' collaborations ever, two giant names in the industry from the Badger State are teaming up for a new creation.

Announced a day after April Fool's Day to avoid any confusion with a food-related joke, Johnsonville of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, and Leinenkugel's of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin announced a collaboration on what they say is the perfect Midwestern summertime combo.

Introducing a unique, new, all-Wisconsin beer brat

As the two companies put it in their press release, "Beer and brats go together better than 'you' and 'betcha'."

The idea of a beer brat is nothing new. But this collaboration definitely is.

Their new collaboration product marries the summertime grilling classic of a Johnsonville Brat and Leinenkugel’s iconic summertime beer, their Summer Shandy, into the new limited-time offering: the Summer Shandy Beer Brat.

How the new beer brat came to be

Johnsonville Press Release

In the fall of 2023, Johnsonville Owner and Chairwoman Shelly Stayer met fifth-generation Leinenkugel and former brewery president Dick Leinenkugel at a Green Bay Packers tailgate. They visited on the idea of a collaboration, wondering how something like this didn't happen sooner.

While fans of the two brands have brought their products together at grill-outs, tailgate parties, and days at the lake, this will bring the two brands together into one product.

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Tony Bugher, President of Leinenkugel’s, commented “Leinenkugel’s teaming up with Johnsonville for the ultimate beer and brat pairing was only a matter of time." in their joint press release with Johnsonville.

What does the Summer Shandy Beer Brat taste like?

While I haven't personally tried one yet, the two companies describe the brats, the companies describe the brats as being infused with the classic summertime beer. The savory sausage has a crisp, lemon finish.

While lemon and sausage might not be the first combination that comes to mind for some, the companies call the hint-of-citrus-infused beer brats a "delectable pairing" that promises a good balance of flavor.

How, when, and where can you get the Summer Shandy Beer Brat?

Johnsonville Press Release

The new, limited-time collaborative Johnsonville’s Summer Shandy Beer Brats will be available in 19 states while supplies last through late July of 2024.

That list of states includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, South Dakota, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Customers will be able to buy them online via the Johnsonville Marketplace or at select retailers in the states mentioned above. You can find stores where these brats will be offered via the Johnsonville product locator website.

LOOK: Best Beers From Every State

To find the best beer in each state and Washington D.C., Stacker analyzed January 2020 data from BeerAdvocate, a website that gathers user scores for beer in real-time. BeerAdvocate makes its determinations by compiling consumer ratings for all 50 states and Washington D.C. and applying a weighted rank to each. The weighted rank pulls the beer toward the list's average based on the number of ratings it has and aims to allow lesser-known beers to increase in rank. Only beers with at least 10 rankings to be considered; we took it a step further to only include beers with at least 100 user rankings in our gallery. Keep reading to find out what the best beer is in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C.

Gallery Credit: Angela Underwood