Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (2024)

How to mix a Radler Bier – the refreshing thirst quencher of Bavaria.

Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (1)

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Read on for a few relevant facts (1 min)

What is a Radler Beer?

A Radler is a Bavarian beer mixed drink which consists of half German lightlager (originally Munich Helles) and half sparkling lemonade (Zitronenlimonade). It is always served very cold and has a balanced taste with tart citrus undertones.

Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (2)

What is in a Radler? Radler Beer Ingredients

The traditional Radler is mixed with Munich Hellesand Zitronenlimonade. Munich Helles is a sweeter German lager originally created in response to the growing popularity of Czech Pilsner. Zitronenlimonade is a lemon flavored soda popular in Germany. A Radler is therefore low in alcohol (helles ABV is in the vicinity of 5%) and very refreshing.

For this post I used a German Pils and a sparkling lemonade I got at Trader Joe’s. The lemonade was a bit on the sweet side which is why I decided to go with the pilsner and its confident Noble hops bitterness instead of a helles.

TIP: If you don’t want your Radler to taste too sweet, I’d recommend using the San Pellegrino brand lemon soda. It tastes tarter and harder, very close to actual Zitronenlimonade. Or use a bitterer North German style pilsner to offset a sweeter sparkling lemonade.

What is the alcohol by volume of German Beer Lemonade?

If you use a 1:1 ratio of lager to sparkling lemonade the ABV if half of that of the beer used. So a 5.2% ABV beer will translate to a beer lemonade with 2.6% ABV.

Radler Historical Background

If you are into recreational cycling or beer you have already heard of the epic German low alcohol thirst quencher.Radler stands for cyclist in a dialect of German spoken in the South.

The name came about because a lot of recreational cyclists enjoyed the lager and sparkling lemonade combination. Those were riders who took on a picturesque but strenuous day trip ride to Deisenhofen, a small town outside of Munich. Once there, they were all thirsty and an entrepreneurial local inn operator mixed the drink to cater to them.

Those riders were able to make it back to Munich without incidents after enjoying a few drinks. The Radler became a veritable low alcohol refreshment icon.

Its popularity quickly transcended the boundaries of Bavaria and spread throughout Germany. Today in the North of the country the same co*cktail is known as Alsterwasser. It is mixed with a German style Pils lager, which in North Germany happens to be a bit stronger and more bitter than the maltier, balanced Munich Helles.

How to Make a Radler

  • To make a German beer lemonade fill a glass about half way with ice cold sparkling lemonade, then top with ice cold German lager (Munich Helles or Pilsner).

Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (3)

  • If you are so inclined – garnish with a lemon slice and add an ice cube or two. (Psst – neither one is traditional so stick to the two ice cold beverage ingredients if traditional is your intention).

NOTE:Typically (as in 99% of the time) there are no froufrou garnishes associated with a radler. But not always. Once while in Freiburg I was served a fancy version – adorned with a sprig of rosemary. Pretty good – the fragrance of rosemary does add an extra aromatic dimension as you bring the glass towards your nose.

Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (4)

Radler versus Shandy

Some people call the Radler beer a shandy, but strictly speaking a shandy is of British origin and is made with bitter (an ale, not a lager).

The mixer for a shandy is of disputed nature – historical records reveal the combination of ginger beer and bitter (aka Shandygaff). Today a lemon/lemon-lime flavored British carbonated soft drink known as clear lemonade or even Sprite /7UP are added to bitter, whereas the traditional Bavarian drink is all about the Zitronenlimonade.

Serving a Radler

A radler is served either in a Willi Becher beer glass (as seen in the pictures) or a stein/masskrug.

Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (5)

If you enjoy a crisp lager with a squeeze of lime or lemon, you will enjoy a Radler. It’s just a little bit sweeter and so easy to drink that even if you down a glassa few faster than you would a beer, you will not instantly feel like the world is spinning.

In fact, one of the tips Oktoberfest veterans frequently share with first time attendees is to make their first mass a radlermass, then eat something and then attack a proper Festbier mass.

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Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (6)

Radler Beer Recipe

Yield: 2 co*cktails

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

The classic Bavarian beer co*cktail, the Radler is a refreshing thirst-quenching summer time elixir. Here is how simple it is to make.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz chilled German lager, classic is Munich Helles, but a Pilsner works great too
  • 12 oz chilled sparkling lemonade
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced thinly for garnish (optional)
  • 1-2 rosemary sprigs for garnish, optional
  • a couple of ice cubes for added sparkle, optional

Instructions

  1. Fill two glasses with 6 oz of sparkling lemonade each.
  2. Top with 6 oz of lager.
  3. Garnish with lemon and rosemary and drop an ice cube or two (optional step, not traditional).

Notes

In the North of Germany a radler is known as Alsterwasser. It is typically mixed with a stronger and bitterer lager than the South German Munich Helles. (German Pils lagers get stronger and bitterer as one travels from South to North).

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 237Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 23mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

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Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering (2024)

FAQs

Radler Recipe (Bavarian Beer & Lemonade co*cktail) - Craft Beering? ›

A Radler was originally 2 parts beer (usually a lager or another type of lighter beer) mixed with 1 part lemonade or a lemon-lime soda. Of course, curious brewers eventually began experimenting with other juices and sodas, and in our case, fruity teas, to find new delicious blends.

What kind of beer is in a Radler? ›

A Radler was originally 2 parts beer (usually a lager or another type of lighter beer) mixed with 1 part lemonade or a lemon-lime soda. Of course, curious brewers eventually began experimenting with other juices and sodas, and in our case, fruity teas, to find new delicious blends.

What is a Radler in Germany? ›

Generally, the term 'Radler' or 'Radler beer' refers to a wide range of drinks that blend German beer (often lager or wheat beer) with citrus fruit soda (a custom mix of lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit) or just traditional lemonade.

Do you pour lemonade or beer first in a shandy? ›

The British shandy pours equal parts of beer and lemon-lime soda. You can also pour equal parts lemonade and soda after filling the glass halfway with beer.

What is beer mixed with lemonade called? ›

A shandy is nothing more than a mixed drink of beer and lemonade. It is a popular way to dress up the average glass of beer, particularly in the summer, and is sometimes called a shandygraff or radler. The average shandy uses equal parts of beer and lemonade, though these proportions can vary.

Can you get Radler beer in the US? ›

And every summer seems to bring a wave of new craft radlers here in the U.S. But while some are delicious, many can be overly tart or saccharine. Here are good radlers to try.

What is the percentage of alcohol in Radler beer? ›

Star Radler is a refreshing blend of Star Lager beer & Natural Fruit juice flavours containing only 2% Alcohol. It is that unique choice for consumers who want some excitement in taste beyond regular beer.

What is a Radler in English? ›

Radler. Radler (German: [ˈʁaːdlɐ], German for "cyclist") has a long history in German-speaking regions. It commonly consists of a 50:50 mixture of beer and a lemon-flavoured soft drink.

What's another name for Radler? ›

' Shandy has some dubious alternative meanings, too. Where Brits drink shandy, Germans drink radler. And the emerging ranges of American and European craft shandies are also more commonly calling the mix a radler.

What is a Radler beer in English? ›

In its simplest form, a radler beer is a Bavarian beer mixture consisting of 50% German light lager and 50% sparkling lemonade. The traditional radler is mixed with Munich Helles and Zitronenlim... Radlers have their roots in cycling folklore, in fact radler means cyclist in a southern German dialect.

What is beer and co*ke called? ›

Presenting the Diesel, a 50/50 mix of Beer and Coca-Cola. Although it's never quite taken off in the States; Europe absolutely loves the Shandy (beer/lemonade mix) and the Radler (beer/lemon soda).

What is shandy called in America? ›

So what is a shandy or radler? Think of it as a “beer co*cktail,” the most basic version being a mixture of beer and lemonade or lemon-lime soda.

What is the difference between a radler and a shandy? ›

It's about the citrus that is used. Shandies, if following the traditional rules of those that were not rich, should only have lemonade, lemon soda, or something in the lemon family, added to the beer. Radlers, on the other hand, can use any type of citrus or fruits. But both need to be at least 50 percent beer.

What is a beer with milk called? ›

Milk stout (also called sweet stout or cream stout) is a stout containing lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Because lactose cannot be fermented by beer yeast, it adds sweetness and perceived body to the finished beer. In the BJCP style guide, the milk stout is classified as "16A.

Can I mix beer with Sprite? ›

directions. Pour well chilled beer into tumbler. Gently pour in well chilled Sprite. NOTE: since the ingredients portions are equal, you could make this as small or as large as you like!

What is a beer with vodka called? ›

A U-boot is a beer co*cktail that is made by placing a shot of vodka into a glass of beer, typically a lager. It is popular in Germany, Poland, North Macedonia, and Flanders. In Germany, the liquor korn is sometimes used instead, while in Flanders and the Netherlands, jonge jenever is preferred.

What's the difference between a Radler and a shandy? ›

It's about the citrus that is used. Shandies, if following the traditional rules of those that were not rich, should only have lemonade, lemon soda, or something in the lemon family, added to the beer. Radlers, on the other hand, can use any type of citrus or fruits. But both need to be at least 50 percent beer.

What kind of beer is Stiegl Radler? ›

Real grapefruit juice gives this deliciously refreshing Radler (a blend of lager and real fruit juice) its amber natural cloudiness and pleasant tangy taste. The refreshingly fruity taste makes Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit a wonderful thirst quencher.

Do radlers have less alcohol? ›

The Radlers we drink on the terrace today also contain less alcohol than most other beers, usually between 2% and 3%. But at Sinalcoholshop, we also have very tasty Radlers without alcohol. Browse our range of alcohol-free Radler beers at your leisure and order your favourite today!

What is the difference between lager and Radler? ›

Is beer also called Radler? A radler is a 50–50 mix of lemonade and beer, usually a pale beer such as a lager. It was said to originate in Germany when a large group of cyclists out for a summer ride stopped into a pub.

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