Clara
Spanish beer mixed with lemon-lime soda (clara con Casera) or lemonade. Lighter, lower-alcohol, the default Spanish summer drink.
A clara is the Spanish version of a shandy: beer cut roughly half-and-half with lemon-lime soda or lemonade. In Spain the soda of choice is usually Casera (a Spanish brand of lemon-lime soda), so the order at the bar is often 'una clara con Casera' rather than just 'una clara.' The drink is lighter and lower in alcohol than full beer, mildly sweet, and refreshing in the way only a cold sparkling drink can be in 35°C summer heat. The most common Spanish summer drink alongside tinto de verano. Don't confuse it with the Mexican or American 'shandy', which often uses ginger ale or different proportions; the Spanish version is specifically with lemon-flavoured soda.
How it's served
Cold, in a tall glass over ice, half beer and half lemon-lime soda. Ordered at the bar as 'una clara' (default with Casera) or 'una clara con limón' (with lemonade instead). Standard summer drink at any Spanish bar or terrace.
Regional variation
Most of Spain orders 'clara con Casera' (lemon-lime soda); some bars offer 'clara con limón' (with lemonade) instead. In some regions, especially Catalonia, 'shandy' or 'lemon shandy' shows up on menus translating the same drink for tourists. The Italian birra con limonata and German radler are structurally similar but use different sodas.
- Origin
- Spain
- Etymology
- From the Spanish clara ('clear' or 'light'), a reference to the drink's pale colour and lighter character.
Where to try it in Barcelona
3 restaurants on Guidavera mention clara in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
What is a clara?
Spanish beer mixed roughly half-and-half with lemon-lime soda (usually Casera) or lemonade. Lighter, lower-alcohol than straight beer, mildly sweet, very refreshing. The default Spanish summer drink alongside tinto de verano. Ordered at any bar by asking for 'una clara.'
What does 'clara con Casera' mean?
A clara made with Casera, the Spanish brand of lemon-lime soda that's the default for the drink. 'Clara con limón' is the alternative, with lemonade instead. In most Spanish bars, just asking for 'una clara' gets you the Casera version automatically; some bars in coastal areas serve the lemonade version as default.
What's the difference between a clara and a tinto de verano?
Both are Spanish summer drinks built on lighter alcohol. Clara is beer + lemon-lime soda. Tinto de verano is red wine + lemon-lime soda. Same soda often, completely different base. Tinto de verano is the wine-drinker's summer drink; clara is the beer-drinker's. Both are cheap, cold and refreshing.
Related terms
- SangríaSpanish wine punch of red wine, chopped fruit, sugar, brandy and citrus, served cold by the jug. Touristy in Spain, hugely popular abroad.
- KalimotxoSpanish drink of cheap red wine and Coca-Cola, mixed half-and-half over ice. Invented in the Basque Country in 1972; now ubiquitous at festivals.
- VermutAromatized fortified wine. In Barcelona it doubles as a midday social ritual: a glass of vermouth on tap, an olive, a snack, around noon.
- TapeoThe social act of going for tapas: walking from bar to bar, eating a few small plates at each, with no plan and no rush.