Leinenkugel's Lakeside Cherry 6Pk Cans

Leinenkugel's Lakeside Cherry 6Pk Cans is a German gose-style ale brewed with real cherry juice, packaged as six 12 oz cans at 4.4% ABV. Inspired by Rose Leinenkugel — who mortgaged her family home to save the brewery after Prohibition — the beer pours a distinctive rose-colored hue that honors her legacy.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.4%  |  Origin: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin  |  Style: German Gose  |  Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company  |  IBU: 12

Production & Heritage

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company has operated out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, since 1867, making it one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in the United States. Lakeside Cherry was originally developed and tested at Leinenkugel's pilot brewery in Chippewa Falls before expanding to wider distribution. Brewed in the German gose tradition, the recipe uses cluster hops (contributing a modest 12 IBU), real cherry juice, and natural cherry flavor, creating a tart-sweet balance characteristic of the style without the heavy salinity found in some gose interpretations.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cherry fruit leads immediately, with bright tart notes layered over a subtle malt sweetness. A faint floral quality from the cluster hops lingers underneath without competing with the fruit character.

Taste: The entry is juicy and cherry-forward, spanning a spectrum from sweet to tart cherry that avoids one-dimensionality. Mid-palate, the gose-style sourness emerges as a crisp counterpoint, keeping the sweetness in check. Mild carbonation carries the flavors without heaviness, and a slight bitterness appears toward the back end to round things out.

Finish: Clean and relatively short, with lingering tart cherry and a dry, slightly astringent close. The low bitterness fades quickly, making each sip reset neatly for the next.

How to Drink Lakeside Cherry

Lakeside Cherry is best served cold, straight from the can or poured into a tulip glass to concentrate the cherry aromatics. Its low ABV and sessionable body make it a natural warm-weather sipper, but it also works as a component in beer cocktails. A Cherry Shandy — mixed half-and-half with fresh lemonade — amplifies the tartness for a summery long drink. A Cherry Michelada uses the fruit-forward profile to offset the savory tomato-lime base with unexpected depth. For a simple twist, a Cherry Radler blended with grapefruit soda leans into the gose sourness and creates a crushable low-ABV refresher.

Best For

• Backyard cookouts and poolside sessions where low-ABV refreshment matters
• Introducing craft beer drinkers to the gose style through an approachable entry point
• Pairing with lighter fare at summer picnics or outdoor dining
• Stocking a mixed cooler alongside wheat beers and lagers for variety

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lakeside Cherry taste like? Lakeside Cherry delivers a juicy cherry sweetness balanced by a tart, slightly sour bite typical of the gose style, finishing clean with mild carbonation and faint bitterness.

How does Lakeside Cherry compare to Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat? Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat is a wheat ale at 5.2% ABV brewed with Michigan cherries and honey, resulting in a sweeter, maltier profile. Lakeside Cherry leans into gose-style tartness at a lower 4.4% ABV, making it drier and more sessionable by comparison.

Is Lakeside Cherry good for beginners? Its approachable cherry sweetness, low 12 IBU bitterness, and light body make it an easy entry point for anyone new to craft beer or curious about tart, fruit-driven styles.

Where is Lakeside Cherry made? Lakeside Cherry is brewed by Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, a brewery founded in 1867 in the heart of the state's Chippewa Valley.

What foods pair well with Lakeside Cherry? Grilled chicken or pork benefit from the cherry tartness cutting through char and fat. Fresh goat cheese salads echo the tangy profile. Smoked salmon finds a complementary partner in the fruit-forward sourness. Light fruit desserts like cherry cobbler or lemon tarts create a harmonious bridge with the beer's natural flavors.

What sizes does Lakeside Cherry come in? Lakeside Cherry is commonly available in a six-pack of 12 oz cans, which is the standard retail format for this expression.

Is Lakeside Cherry worth the price? Lakeside Cherry positions as an accessible, everyday craft beer priced within the mainstream craft tier, delivering genuine cherry juice and gose-style character at a competitive point for the category.

Why Lakeside Cherry?

What sets Lakeside Cherry apart from the crowded field of fruit-flavored beers is its legitimate gose foundation — rather than simply adding cherry flavoring to a standard lager, the brew uses the German sour wheat style as its backbone, creating a more complex and balanced drinking experience. The use of real cherry juice rather than artificial flavoring alone gives the fruit character authenticity that holds up to scrutiny. Developed at Leinenkugel's pilot brewery before full-scale production, the recipe reflects deliberate refinement from a brewery with over 155 years of continuous operation. The tribute to Rose Leinenkugel adds a genuine layer of heritage that connects the beer's visual identity to a pivotal moment in the brand's survival story.