Narragansett and Del's Mix Up New Black Cherry Shandy

Del’s Lemonade is known for their legendary yellow iced lemonade that comes in a cup you squeeze — no spoon, no straw, just slurp.

While the iconic green and white-striped brand built its empire out of lemonade, Del’s owners, savvy as they are, knew that not everyone likes lemonade. So they offered black cherry as a flavor alternative, offering a twist on the old axiom “when life gives you lemons” — get a black cherry instead!

Enter Narragansett Beer. Last year, they cleaned up when they rolled out their Narragansett Del’s Shandy, in tall cans that combined the smooth-drinking flavor of Narragansett Lager with a twist of the classic Del’s recipe.

The cans flew off store shelves and social media was alive all cookout season long of people sporting their green pinstriped cans of Rhode Island beer brewed with Rhode Island’s favorite iced lemonade flavor. Sales were so strong that cases were hard to come by after their initial release and Narragansett Beer stepped up production to meet the demand.

So it follows that this year, there’s a second flavor. Enter Narragansett Del’s Black Cherry Shandy — it’s now available in stores and marks the latest mashup in Narragansett’s “Hi Neighbor Mash Up” series of local collaborations. The overseer of this alchemy is Brewmaster Sean Larkin.

It doesn’t get much more Rhode Island than this.

“Last summer, Narragansett Del’s Shandy took the country by storm and we wanted to build on that excitement,” said Mark Hellendrung, president of Narragansett Beer. “With this year being Narragansett’s 125th anniversary, we were excited to create something truly special for Rhode Island with a fellow Ocean State institution by releasing our second flavor of Del’s Shandy available only in our home state for the time being.”

To celebrate the release of Del’s Black Cherry Shandy, Narragansett Beer will offer Rhode Island faithful a first taste at the Hope Street Block Party in Providence on Saturday, June 6, 2015. The 4.7 percent ABV Del’s Black Cherry Shandy will be available in six packs of 16-ounce tallboy cans for $8.99-$9.99 SRP per six-pack and will be distributed throughout Rhode Island during the months of June and July or until the limited edition beer sells out.

Named one of the top 50 craft breweries in 2014 by the Brewers Association, Narragansett Beer has steadily expanded since its 2005 revival, most recently securing distribution in Maryland, Delaware, and Pittsburgh, Erie, and Reading Pennsylvania. For additional information about Narragansett Beer or to find a retailer near you, visit www.narragansettbeer.com.