Boulevard’s rad new radler

It’s not quite a beer, but it’s damn good. Boulevard’s Cranberry Orange Radler is something new and delicious to drink this fall.

History

The word “radler” is translated from German to “cyclist.”

Early in the 20th century, there was a bicycle trail just outside of Munich, in southern Germany. The trail ran through the forest and ended at an inn. The Inn was so busy one day in June that the innkeeper was running low on beer. In a panic, the innkeeper started mixing lemonade with his lager, in order to stretch it. Thus, the “radlermass”(cycltist liter) was born.

The style has been almost nonexistent in the U.S. until boulevard popularized the style with the Lemon Ginger Radler, and now they’re evolving the style with a holiday variant that is mixed with cranberry and orange juices.

Tasting

I’m far from a German cyclist, but that hasn’t stopped me from knocking back a few of these radlers since its release in mid-October.

Somewhere between a shandy and a low-alcohol cocktail, this quasi-beer pours a dark rose color. The cranberry and orange is immediately noticeable in the nose. A lot of carbonation and high head retention make it take me a full minute to get the whole can in a 12-ounce tulip glass.

This is one beer you need to buy in a six-pack, because it’s so easy-drinking and palatable. I, personally, can’t keep my non-beer-drinking girlfriend away from this radler.

When compared to the Unfiltered Wheat that Boulevard is known for, it’s unrecognizable. There barely is any wheat flavor, just a lot of juicy cranberry and orange – just like it says on the label.

It drinks like a cranberry Sprite, bubbly and sweet. Its minuscule 4.05% alcohol content makes the alcohol taste nonexistent, but still clocking in at a higher ABV than your grocery store Bud Light.

This beer is something incredibly surprising, and I’ll be buying it as long as it’s available.