Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy East Coasting 2013 Part I

My original photo from hanging with the aunts in 2013

May 27, 2013
Went with three of my aunts to one of the nicer local bars, Break Away, to hang out. We ordered a lot of food and beer and the Lemon Shandy was my second. It's really light, very lemony, almost a natural lemonade as in lemon juice and water. There's no body at first sip but then after you move it around your tongue a bit it blossoms in your mouth and you can taste the wheat behind the lemonade. Definitely perfect for a summer afternoon. Love the lemony flavor and the smooth feel. 

July 4, 2016
I'm a lazy bum and that's why it has taken me so long to post the above. Just to add an addendum, I had a Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy at a gathering yesterday and it is still just as delicious and refreshing as when I first tasted it in 2013, and I think it is the perfect alcoholic beverage for the summer (I didn't copy that from their website, I believe it!). 

A shandy is a beer mixed with another, usually non-alcoholic beverage. Summer Shandy, according to the Leinenkugel's website, is a blend between a weiss beer and natural lemonade flavor. 

Lotus Root Chips at Burma Superstar

I just got back from a weekend in California’s bay area and I had a blast! Did lots of dancing and came across some amazing tastes as well. One notable place in Oakland is Burma Superstar, specializing in Burmese cuisine, which is a mix of neighbor’s influences (i.e. India, China, Laos, and Thailand).



For an appetizer, I shared lotus root chips with my friend (Terrible picture, I know, but its what I got!). Thinly sliced lotus roots, which look like uncooked chicharones de harina, are fried until they turn a golden burnt orange, then seasoned to perfection with chili and salt. Delicious, simple and amazing! You can’t just have 5 or 6 of these chips because with the large holes in the root, you have to eat at 20 to equal a heaping handful of regular potato chips.

We also ordered the Burma Cooler: Ginger and lemon mixed into beer. At first we found all those bitter tastes too much for our palate. In fact, the Burma Cooler was bordering on unpleasant, but I’m not one to waste beer so I was drinking it anyway. After we started on our entrees and adding all the tangy, sweet, salty flavors to our tongue, and especially after the yummy garlic sautéed pea leaves (Say what? Yeah.), the Burma Cooler’s bitterness melted into a yummy, smooth palate cleanser. It was like a ginger-lemon wine cooler, easy to drink and flavorful, but not overpowering.

The rest of the food was great, too. They don’t have a huge selection of beers on their list, but a few microbrews and I don’t remember seeing any of the major brands available.

Burma Superstar!
4721 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
510-652-2900
burmasuperstar.com