Once a relatively unknown category that you may have come across on your summer holidays in Germany or Spain, radlers have been making a splash in the UK beer market, appealing to a growing audience of casual drinkers and those seeking lighter, more refreshing alternatives to traditional beers and ciders. Let’s take a look at this emerging category and why we think radlers are uniquely positioned for success in the UK.

What are radlers?

The radler owes its creation to a 1920s German innkeeper named Franz Kugler. As the story goes, a large group of cyclists riding through the Bavarian countryside arrived at his tavern, exhausted in desperate need of a beer. Kugler realised he did not have enough beer to serve the cyclists and needed a quick solution. To stretch his beer supply, he added sparkling lemonade to his kegs. Franz coined his drink “Radler,” the German word for “cyclist.” 

Today, beer (often a lager, pilsner or wheat beer) is predominantly mixed with citrus-based soft drinks, such as homemade lemonade, lime or grapefruit soda, although thanks to the likes of Schöfferhofer, we’ve also seen new flavours including pineapple, watermelon and prickly pear (my personal favourite!) enter the UK market. 

A growing appetite for lighter, lower-ABV drinks

As the moderation movement gains momentum, we are witnessing growing numbers of consumers seeking beverages that offer the same great taste and quality, without the high ABV. Typically registering somewhere in the range of 2 to 4.5% ABV, radlers deliver upon the need for lower-alcohol, sessionable drinks that don’t sacrifice quality or flavour. 

Innovation and experimentation within beer

The craft beer boom in the UK has played a crucial role in introducing and popularising fruit-forward beers. Whether it’s a blood orange IPA, a raspberry sour, or a plum porter, the diversity of options available today is far greater than it was a decade ago. As a nation, we’re becoming more familiar with and open to experimenting within the weird and wonderful world of beer. Whether you’re a beer connoisseur in search of the latest trend to try, or a total novice looking for an accessible induction into beer, radlers are certainly worth a try. 

A perfect fit for summer and social drinking

Being refreshing, fruity and light, radlers are a natural fit for warm-weather drinking. We often turn to a fruity cider or crisp, cold beer on a hot summer’s day, but I can’t think of a better choice for a beer garden on a hot summer’s afternoon, a music festival or summer barbecue than a radler. They offer a great alternative to the not-so-sessionable traditional beers or fruity ciders that often become a little too sweet or sickly after a couple.  

Increased availability

There has been a notable increased presence of radlers in major supermarkets, beer shops, pubs and bars over the past couple of years. Damm, the renowned Spanish beer company, recently appointed a new UK Managing Director, responsible for growing their wider portfolio in the UK market. This includes Damm Lemon, their take on a radler (or Clara, as it is better known in The Mediterranean), first produced in 2001. Damm Lemon is now widely available in supermarkets across the UK and is pushing distribution across the on-trade. Radlers from Paulaner, Stiegl, Schöfferhofer, Moritz, Früh and Rothaus are also increasingly visible across our on and off-trade, offering consumers plenty of choice and opportunities to trial.

Recognising the growing demand, larger breweries have expanded their offerings to include fruit-infused options, such Camden’s Lager Top and Fosters’ Proper Shandy, while independent UK brewers continue to innovate in the radler space, with Pressure Drop’s Lemon Difficult and Track Brewery’s Espuna Lemon Radler among my favourites. 

Looking forward 

With changing drinking habits, an appetite for experimentation, and an ever-expanding range of flavours and brands, the future looks bright for radlers in the UK.  As brewers continue to innovate and distribute on our shores, we can expect to see increasing numbers of consumers turning to these refreshing, sessionable beverages. So next time you’re at the pub or browsing the beer aisle, why not give one a try?