In some jurisdictions, the low alcohol content of shandies exempts them from laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages. Shandy is beer or cider mixed with a lemon or a lemon-lime flavored beverage. The citrus beverage, often called lemonade, may or may not be carbonated. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste but are usually half lemonade and half beer/cider, resulting in a lower ABV for the finished drink. Shandies are popular in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada. lemon soda, lime soda, lemon-lime soda, orange soda, blood orange soda, grapefruit soda (e.g. San Pellegrino – that’s my favorite) The Big Shark Lemon Radler is a result of this brewing philosophy and its related brewing process. The beautiful golden lager is perfect for the height of the summer heat, as the refreshing mix between the crisp lemonade and original UCBC lager results in an alcoholic drink that cannot be matched in terms of refreshment. What Foods Are Best Paired with a Radler Use a light beer like a Helles Hefeweizen (light wheat beer), a light Pils or a light, crisp Lager.

The 10 Barrel Brewing Company makes a perfect blend of beer, tartar lemon taste, and refreshing grapefruit. It contains 4.5% ABV. 3. Stiegl Radler Grapefruit The zesty and citrus aligned flavours that accompany a Radler make it perfect for enjoying the exotic, sunbathed foods of Mexico. Eating a taco or nachos with meatballs and guacamole is the perfect pairing for a drink that is spritzy, colourful, and balances a fine line between bitterness and sweetness.

The Best Radlers

Early on, I was introduced to the traditional German Radler (or Alsterwasser, since I was living in the North at that time) – a mix of half beer and lemon soda that’s delightfully fizzy and only lightly alcoholic. Get all the insider tips, best places to visit, where to stay, what to eat, and how to have your best and most memorable trip in Germany. If the saga of Franz Kugler is too vague, let’s simplify things. To make a radler, mix equal parts lager and citrus-flavored soda. That’s a radler: half beer, half lemonade (or exchange the lemon for grapefruit), and all delicious. That’s all there is to it! If you’re enterprising, you can easily make your own radler at home or have your favorite bartender make one for you. Or, if you’re lazy, you can buy canned radlers from a brewery. Easy peasy lemon (or, again, grapefruit) squeezy. Wait, Why Would I Even Bother Mixing Lemonade and Lager? Photography courtesy of Bottlemakesthree.com Ask anyone in Germany and they’re likely to tell you that it’s called a Radler because “radeln” means to cycle in German…so it’s a beer drink you can enjoy while still being able to cycle home after drinking!

But alas, I’ve come a long way and now, there is one German drink that you’ll find in my hand on a hot, summer day. A Radler! Here in Germany, it’s easy to just go buy a delicious bottle of this “German lemon beer” but in the US it’s a bit harder to come by. And no, it is NOT the same as a shandy! Because Radler is made by combining equal parts beer and sparkling German “Limonade” (which isn’t like American “lemonade”– more on that in a bit) it’s a sweeter beverage compared to straight beer. Ok, so now that we’ve got that whole lemonade debacle cleared up, what kind of beer should you use?? Well, this depends. In Bavaria You collect your glass, rinse it out, and then there’s someone standing in front of a massive barrel of helles, and you give them your glass, and they fill it with beer,” says Dredge. “But before that, there’s the tap of lemonade. So you can put in as much or as little lemonade as you like.”It might be surprising to hear that the United States has a national day in honour of a primarily German beer. It is less surprising when you consider the history of German communities in the US and the fact that many drinking traditions in the country originate from Germany.

In Bavaria, the southeastern state of Germany, as well as in the countryside of Austria, a mix of 50% Weißbier and 50% lemon soda is called a "Russ". There are three different theories about the origin of this name: [8]Radlers, as explained above, are a two-part drink, with one part being beer and the other being a mix of either grapefruit, lemonade or a sprite. As such, the taste is something completely unique in the alcohol business and the main goal of the drink is to be refreshing and lite. In the canned department, Dredge swears by Stiegl Radler, which, for whatever reason, is “almost getting a cult following in the UK,” even though the beer is neither rare nor expensive. In Bavaria, where the Radler Lemon Beer originates from, a classic Radler is going to be made with a Helles beer.So, I am going to argue that if you want an authentic Radler, then a Helles is the way to go.