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Demi Peche

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Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 07/11/21
amber-colored Demi Peche cocktail with white foamy head, served in a pilsner glass
Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Beer and cocktails are both great. There is no refuting this fact, nor a reason to argue supremacy of one over the other. There is, however, reason to combine the two into a synergistic drink that gives you the best of both worlds. Enter the Demi Peche, a beer cocktail by New Orleans bartender Thomas Thompson that’s part shandy, part radler.

A shandy is beer mixed with lemonade or lemony soda—usually in equal parts—resulting in a beverage of ultimate refreshment. A radler is essentially the same thing, as it also combines beer with lemonade, citrus soda or juice. Typically low in alcohol, these light and refreshing drinks were popularized in Europe during the early 20th century and can still be found today in cans, in bottles and on draft.

Back to the Demi Peche, Thompson begins with wheat beer, dosing it with a measure of peach syrup, which he makes by caramelizing ripe peaches and then combining them with sugar and water. While shandies and radlers tend to feature large pours of the fruit component, the Demi Peche calls for one ounce of the concentrated, sweetened peach syrup. That’s all you need for a fresh and fruity drink. Mix one yourself for backyard gatherings, porch swing sessions and other warm-weather activities.

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Ingredients

  • 12 ounces wheat beer or lager, chilled

  • 1 ounce demi peche syrup*

Steps

  1. Add the beer and syrup into a pilsner glass.

  2. Stir gently and briefly to combine.

*Demi peche syrup: Peel, pit and slice 4 ripe peaches and lightly salt with a pinch of kosher salt. Heat in a saucepan over medium high heat, allowing peaches to lightly caramelize. Add 2 cups refined sugar and 2 cups water and stir. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain (preferably through a cheesecloth) and refrigerate.