Saturday, July 4, 2009
Chow Drink of the Day
Posted by Dan Savage on Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 1:25 PM
Radler is german for bicycle and it's also the name of a drink that's the goddamned most refreshing thing you can possibly order on a day like today. A Radler is a little less than two thirds lager and little more than one third soda pop—sprite or some other lemon-lime soda—and it's called a Radler because you can knock a few back and still be sober enough to bike home. That's the theory, anyway. But order a Radler in a beer garden in Munich—where I had my first—and it comes in enormous glass stein that has just as much beer in it as a non-Radler but with room for the soda pop. I had 'em make me a Radler at Smith yesterday after radlering (?) up the hill and it was absolutely, positively perfect. Now I'm launching a campaign to get 'em on the menu. It's not a cocktail, just a beer, and it's doesn't require a degree in mixology to pour one. It's really simple and really delicious and, hey, you're not getting enough corn syrup in your diet as-is, right?
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1
The German word for bicycle is 'Fahrrad'. But yes, Radler is a reference to something pertaining to bikes. It's a bit southern; in my hometown of Hamburg it's called an 'Alsterwasser', or simply 'Alster', named after the large lake in the center of town.
When you're sweating your ass off in the humid summer while hiking, nothing beats the sugar/light-alcoholic hit of a big cold Radler/Alster.
When you're sweating your ass off in the humid summer while hiking, nothing beats the sugar/light-alcoholic hit of a big cold Radler/Alster.
3
It sounds pretty disgusting, actually, but then I'm not a fan of lager-type beers anyway. Anything that would make them even lighter wouldn't ring my bell.
4
I'm pretty sure beer mixed with other stuff is still called a cocktail.
A beer cocktail popular in Provence in France is called a"Tango." It's simply lager with a splash of grenadine. It's totally disgusting, but some of my friends like it.
A beer cocktail popular in Provence in France is called a"Tango." It's simply lager with a splash of grenadine. It's totally disgusting, but some of my friends like it.
6
Radler actually means "bicyclist." The term originated in late 19th-century Bavaria/Austria, apparently as a unit of measure of beer for bicyclist-friendly pubs (Radlermass = liter of beer for a bicyclist). I guess the bicyclists were thirsty.
Some people insist that a Radler differs from an Alster based on the color or type of soda pop used in the drink, and/or the type of beer. For instance, an Alster pretty much has to be made with a Pilsner, but a Radler could be made with any light beer or, on request, a darker beer.
Some people insist that a Radler differs from an Alster based on the color or type of soda pop used in the drink, and/or the type of beer. For instance, an Alster pretty much has to be made with a Pilsner, but a Radler could be made with any light beer or, on request, a darker beer.
7
My friends came back from Munich loving radlers. They would mix lager with lemonade, half and half.
9
A "shandy." I like the sound of that better.
I'm going to go with calling it what the Europeans do, as #2 pointed out.
At the risk of sounding conspiratorial, I suspect Dan Savage is trying to coin a new term and then see if it catches on.
WHO calls it that? Just some dude you met? Some blog? A new urban dictionary web wiki?
Answer for yourself or allow the Brits to hold sway.
I'm going to go with calling it what the Europeans do, as #2 pointed out.
At the risk of sounding conspiratorial, I suspect Dan Savage is trying to coin a new term and then see if it catches on.
WHO calls it that? Just some dude you met? Some blog? A new urban dictionary web wiki?
Answer for yourself or allow the Brits to hold sway.
12
#6 schooled me...
But certainly there must be a name for this that does NOT require the use of a bicycle?
But certainly there must be a name for this that does NOT require the use of a bicycle?
13
They are good! Do you have one of those giant glass steins? We have a few here, that survived the trip home.
14
In Mexico, they have a similar idea with beer. Mix a beer with lime juice, ice, and salt the rim, and you have a "michelada." Some also add Clamato, a popular kind of tomato juice cocktail in Mexico. With or without Clamato, muchelada's really hit the spot on a 100 degree day.
16
Isn't this more-or-less the same as the now-defunct 1990s drink Zima? Are you trying to bring it back?
18
Shandy!!!
This is what my mother and Auntie's drank when I was a kid in Australia (we stole it from the Brits).
I'm passing it onto my friends, who think that it's disgusting until they actually drink it.
This is what my mother and Auntie's drank when I was a kid in Australia (we stole it from the Brits).
I'm passing it onto my friends, who think that it's disgusting until they actually drink it.
19
I can't believe that you're pushing a German drink on the 4th of July. You must hate freedom, Dan.
22
Well, any risk of it being disgusting would have manifested and you would have told us. Maybe I'll try one. Maybe I'll pop into Smith for the first time in forever and see what happens when I ask them to make me one ;P Jermaine might have to smack me
23
Stout and Coke was popular in Jena when I was last there--so much so that it came premixed in a can. It was surprisingly not bad.
24
Not a shandy, never a shandy.
And, yes, I was aware that the Brits—our detested colonial overlords—had a similar drink. Or a version with a name that sounds like it could be your aging maiden's aunt nickname. But I wasn't going to give a nod to the Brits today, of all days. And I didn't have one until I went to Munich and they do 'em better in Bavaria.
And, yes, I was aware that the Brits—our detested colonial overlords—had a similar drink. Or a version with a name that sounds like it could be your aging maiden's aunt nickname. But I wasn't going to give a nod to the Brits today, of all days. And I didn't have one until I went to Munich and they do 'em better in Bavaria.
25
@9 like @1, a "European" mentioned, in Germany we call it Radler or Alster depending on you live.
26
At the bar I worked in in Austria, they served Radlers (made with Almdudler of course). Oh yes, and if you are feeling like a real freak you can order a "Diesel" which is half beer half coke. Or even better a "rotarot" which is half red wine, half coke.
I liked to get Radlers when I went out with my boyfriend and his friends, as I learned the hard way (after many difficult months) that I can't keep up with austrian men in the booze department. Nope, not at all.
I liked to get Radlers when I went out with my boyfriend and his friends, as I learned the hard way (after many difficult months) that I can't keep up with austrian men in the booze department. Nope, not at all.
27
@9 - in Munich, they are known as Radler's. In fact, even here in Berlin, where they are not as popular as in the south of Germany, you can ask for a Radler and the bar tender will know what you want
28
In western Germany it's an Alster Wasser. In southern it's a Radler. In Berlin-East it's a Potsdamer.
29
Dan, anything you can do to help Smith perpetuate its genius is good with me.
And as long as we're on this topic, summers have usually included a trip to Berlin, where the locals enjoy a Berliner Kindl (a sour, acidic Weisse) with a shot of woodruff (Waldmeister) or raspberry (Himbeere) syrup. The former is green, the latter red, and you are usually asked "mit rot oder grün" when ordering. God it's good...
And as long as we're on this topic, summers have usually included a trip to Berlin, where the locals enjoy a Berliner Kindl (a sour, acidic Weisse) with a shot of woodruff (Waldmeister) or raspberry (Himbeere) syrup. The former is green, the latter red, and you are usually asked "mit rot oder grün" when ordering. God it's good...
31
@4 when I was in france as a teen i would drink 'monacos'', which was beer with lemon-lime pop and grenadine. good intro to alcohol when you're 17 and a total wuss, but i would not drink it now, good god.
32
I'm pretty sure Smith won't add this to their menu unless you add a fried egg and a slice of hog head.
34
maybe it's because i'm a purist, but i find adding anything to beer to be sacriligeous!
germans also add:
cherry juice to hefeweizen (kirschweizen)
coke to hefeweizen (colaweizen)
banana to hefeweizen (bananaweizen)
radler's were really popular in suedbaden when i lived there
germans also add:
cherry juice to hefeweizen (kirschweizen)
coke to hefeweizen (colaweizen)
banana to hefeweizen (bananaweizen)
radler's were really popular in suedbaden when i lived there
35
It's a shandy, it's been a shandy since at least the fifties, and if it makes you feel better we call them that in Australia and it is considered to be just about the most bogan drink there is for a lady (other than a bundy and coke or a west coast cooler, of course).
36
@29: I always describe Berliner Weisse as "you order it as red or green, and it tastes like red or green." I have fond memories of them. Especially on the one time I took a boat down the Spree. August in Berlin!
And I thought "shandies" were specifically with lemonade. Radler/Alsters are with soda. Also, I'm pretty sure that Germans can call them whatever they like, no matter what the English say.
Isn't red wine and Coke a Spanish thing?
And I thought "shandies" were specifically with lemonade. Radler/Alsters are with soda. Also, I'm pretty sure that Germans can call them whatever they like, no matter what the English say.
Isn't red wine and Coke a Spanish thing?
39
I lived in Munich for 8 years and that meant MANY evenings at MANY Oktoberfests. The only way to keep up with them (and go to work the next morning) was to drink Radlers...liters of them. Some tents had Radlers on the menu...others not, but you could always buy a large Sprite in a bottle from some vendor & make your own.
41
I loved drinking bier-colas (?) when I went to Germany on my concert-band tours in college! Tried bringing the custom back to the states, but U.S. beer doesn't really hold the same swagger.
43
@14 Micheladas usually also have hot sauce and occasionally Worchesterchire sauce. Great hangover treatment.
44
those damn Germans, they think of *everything*, don't they?!?
i mean, 'we'. can i count me in if i'm just a mutt like most everyone else?
i mean, 'we'. can i count me in if i'm just a mutt like most everyone else?
45
Red wine and coke isn't just for spaniards. The Hungarians call it borosh-cola (bor being magyar for wine). It hits the spot on a hot summer night, and although there is a lot of excellent hungarian wine, mixing with coke is a pretty good way to salvage, er, not so excellent wine. The Hungarians also have a "frooch" which is white wine and soda water. Also a nice hot summer night kind of thing.
46
Shandy is half-and-half, not two-third-and-one-third.
Still basically the same thing though. They're a bunch pint.
Still basically the same thing though. They're a bunch pint.
47
If you think "shandy" is bad, consider what the Swiss call this beverage: Panaché.
Goodness, all this sharing has worn me out. Time to hit the beer garden. Aaaah, it's good to live in Munich...
Goodness, all this sharing has worn me out. Time to hit the beer garden. Aaaah, it's good to live in Munich...
50
You can get Radler in bottles at Aldi, but it's made with lemonade, not soda, if I recall correctly.
51
Spain also has a version of this. It's called a Clara and is common in tapas bars all over the country. Txori has them on their menu. I went with my lady friend and introduced her to them. She loved it. I have also introduced a buddy of mine to the shandy. He is quite taken with it as well.
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