Shoppers rush to Tesco and Asda to buy nostalgic 70s drink
With spring around the corner, shoppers are flocking to buy a 70s favourite at the supermarket – for the ultimate dose of nostalgia.
Foster’s Proper Shandy launched this month in Tesco, Asda and Morrisons and the alcohol company says it will give your taste buds a refreshing and well-balanced option for ‘low tempo, relaxed socialising and unwinding occasions’.
The new light and citrus-infused drink has a low 3% ABV – which would have been a deal breaker before the explosion of low and non-alcoholic beers and wines. However, in 2024 it’s a massive selling point.
Were Baby Boomers actually ahead of their time with the beer-and-lemonade combo?
With low and no-alcohol drinks on the rise, shandy `now seems set for a revival.
The memories have come flooding back for all the shoppers who distinctly remember the taste of shandy
On X (formerly Twitter), account user @kev_COYS reviewed the new Foster’s Drink and shared: ‘Decent, I really enjoyed it. Refreshing, but also a decent taste to it. I will be getting involved again, this will be a regular in the fridge at Kev towers, especially in summer.’
While Jason Snell (@Jasonsnell17) wrote: ‘I remember when Fosters brought out Radlers that was a refreshing summer drink similar to shandy and much better that the actual brew. I will be trying this.’
Over on Facebook, Donna Mcelhinney shared pictures of the new drink in Tesco in the Food Finds UK group. Here some of the reviews are mixed but it still sparked a conversation about the revival of Shandy.
‘Remember the Radlers,’ Sammy Forkner wrote in the comments with heart-eye emojis while tagging a friend.
Laura Hibbs shared: ‘Wish they would bring back Shandy Bass…still not come across anything even remotely similar in taste!’
Scotty Ambler commented: ‘They used to make a fosters shandy called ‘Radler’ but they stopped making it ! Glad to see it’s back its really refreshing in the summer!’
And Kerry Barthram added: ‘It’s quite nice actually.’
Shandy was once a popular choice for those who enjoyed the beer aftertaste with a splash of citrus.
It all started in the 1850s in Victorian England when shandy was invented. It was derived from a drink called shandygaff – which was a mixture of beer with ginger beer or ginger ale.
Shandy then became a stalwart in pubs and homes in the decades that followed.
Some Baby Boomers will remember having a tipple back when they were children in the 1970s. For other folks it was the drink they knocked back while out with mates on a hot summer’s day.
But at some point its popularity dwindled, with beer and cider seemingly taking over the market.
When Foster’s introduced its Radler drink, reminding a whole generation about all the shandy drinks they once enjoyed, it developed a cult following. So, when the drink was axed, customers took to social media begging for alternatives.
One Reddit user, named PerezVST, shared: ‘I used to pick up a refreshing beverage called Fosters Radler every now and then but as of over a year ago, I’ve been unable to find it anymore. Be it online or in any of the Supermarkets.’
However, the new 2024 beverage follows in the footsteps of the discontinued Foster’s Radler – which was introduced in 2013 and discontinued seven years later– and caters to the 40% of adults who now say they want to moderate their drinking.
Why Gen Z are shunning Boomer binge drinking habits
There is a quiet revolution taking place among younger generations, with Gen Z opting for beverages with a low ABV or without alcohol, such as non-alcoholic beer and wine.
Just 27% of UK Gen Zers say they currently consume alcohol, compared to 47% of Boomers, according to recent research from consumer insights agency Canvas8.
Supermarkets including Waitrose have made provisions for alcohol-free beverage areas in stores.
The supermarket chain said in 2023 sales of low alcohol and alcohol-free drinks grew 20%, with beer continuing to grow the fastest.
Foster’s Proper Shandy is available as a four-pack (£3.75/4x440ml) and a 10-pack (£9.25/10x440ml). Prices may differ depending on the supermarket.
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