Ready for Radler

After several snow-filled false starts, it seems that the early days of summer might finally have arrived in Alberta, with the first week of May seeing temperatures climb into the low twenties. Throwing caution to the wind, I headed directly for the nearest sunny patio to perform my annual changing of the beer style, putting away the dark and malty beers of winter for the pale and refreshing beers of summer.
Unlike the dark Stouts and Porters that are a staple of my winter imbibing habits, patio drinking is all about the lighter and less malty brews, which makes Radler the perfect patio beer.
For those not familiar, Radler is the German term for a beer mixed 50/50 with soda or fruit juices, most commonly lemonade or grapefruit.
The term was first coined by a Bavarian innkeeper in 1922, who had craftily sponsored the construction of a bicycling trail through the forest to his pub, located 12 miles outside of Munich.
Business boomed almost immediately, with thousands of cyclists descending on his pub each weekend, parched after their long ride, and very nearly drank the pub dry.
Fearing the loss of revenue from running entirely out of beer, the clever innkeeper realized he had thousands of bottles of clear lemon soda in his storerooms, which were virtually unsellable to the beer-loving Bavarians.
Thinking quickly, he mixed the lemonade with beer in a 50/50 ratio, and proudly announced it as a special cyclist-friendly beer that would let them drink to their heart’s content, but not fall off their bicycles on the way home.
The beer was naturally named Radler, after the German word for cyclist, and a new style of beer was born. Popularity grew rapidly, and every German drinking establishment soon had their own version of a Radler, usually made up onsite by the bartenders as they were pouring pitchers.
Today, the Radler market is dominated by an Austrian megabrewery called Stiegl, and the tallboy cans of Stiegl Radler have been a common sight on the patios of Alberta for the last several years.
Made from half Stiegl Goldbräu and half grapefruit juice, it weighs in at a mere 2.5% ABV, and the tart citrus finish makes it particularly thirst-quenching on a hot day, especially if you happened to ride your bicycle to the pub.
As you might expect, once a new beer craze hits the market, imitators quickly jump on the bandwagon, offering their own spin on the Radler style.
The first Canadian megabrewer to produce their own Radler was Rickards (owned by Molson), in the form of their Rickards Radler, which is remarkably similar to Stiegl Radler, down to the same tallboy can and blend of grapefruit juice.
As an unrepentant beer snob, I eschew most of the output of the megabreweries, and my Radler habits will be no exception.
Fortunately, there are several crafty Alberta brewers producing seasonal Radlers, including Valley Brewing from Drumheller, Hub Town Brewing in Okotoks, Trolley 5 in Calgary, and many others.
My personal favourite is from Brauerie Fahr in Diamond Valley, the new municipality formed from the merger of Black Diamond and Turner Valley back in 2023, also home to the most authentic German brewery this side of Munich!
This small brewery in Diamond Valley is named for its owner, who grew up in a small German village, and moved to Alberta a dozen years ago to complete a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Calgary.
While his schooling was originally intended to focus on industrial processing, the beer lovers of Alberta rejoiced when he decided to open a craft brewery in 2015, putting those engineering skills to good use in designing and constructing a brewery in Diamond Valley, about an hour southwest of Chestermere.
All the beers are exceptionally well-made German styles, with the Radler being no exception. I like to drink the Fahr Radler on its own, or throw caution to the wind and mix it with the Fahr Hefeweizen. Look for them at your local booze merchant or on a sunny patio near you!