Not sure how nobody had thought of it before, but a partnership last grilling season allowed you to fire up your grill and enjoy Leinie’s Summer Shandy two ways.
In addition to popping the top of a can of the Leinenkugel’s favorite – a traditional weiss beer juiced with a boost of lemonade – you could also grill some Summer Shandy Beer Brats, made in collaboration with Johnsonville.
Now, the limited edition salsicc is back and is going national as the Summer Shandy-infused Johnsonville brat will expand its reach to all divisions of Kroger and the majority of Albertsons Companies, spans across the East Coast through Ahold Delhaize, and Walmart, Meijer and Hy-Vee in the Midwest.
You can order the brats online at the Johnsonville Market Place.
However, while the brats were available last year at J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard, they will not be on tap there in 2025.
“We knew this would be a hit in the Midwest, but the national demand was a happy surprise,” said Johnsonville's Associate Director of Dinner Sausage Luke Wacek, who has perhaps the best job title ever.
“We owed it to consumers to bring the brat back in a bigger, broader way. And we owe it to them to keep making flavors of sausage that no one else will.”
The idea was hatched at a Packers game in Green Bay – natch – in 2023 when Johnsonville’s Owner and Chairwoman Shelly Stayer met former Leinenkugel’s president Dick Leinenkugel.
“Some things just belong together, and beer and bratwurst are no exceptions,” said Stayer. “As a family-owned company that takes great pride in our products, developing a beer brat with Leinenkugel’s to bring the flavor of Summer Shandy to our fresh grilling sausage is a match made in Wisconsin.”
“Leinenkugel’s teaming up with Johnsonville for the ultimate beer and brat pairing was only a matter of time,” added Leinie’s President Tony Bugher.
“We’re thrilled to bring folks the Summer Shandy Beer Brat, which adds a new flavor to our fans’ lakeside get-togethers. With our strong innovative history, the Summer Shandy Beer Brat encourages everyone to enjoy Summer Shandy in a whole new way.”
Additionally, a Leinie x Johnsonville Summer 2025 Sweepstakes kicks off on April through and runs through July 31. Twenty-five grand prize winners will each nab a Charbroil gas grill, a branded cooler, a year’s worth of Johnsonville products and $200 of Leinenkugel’s beer money.
Another 175 “instant win” prizes will be given away, too.
Details are at leinie.com/summersweeps.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
