DIY Radlers & Big Cuts For the Grill
Check out these creative meat-and-radler combos, literally made for each other!
Honey-Garlic-Glazed Pork “Prime Rib”
The contrast of bittersweet grapefruit juice and tropical fruit hop notes in the IPA works like a second sauce on the sweet and savoury pork.
IPA & Pink Grapefruit Radler
IPAs, like Bellwoods Roman Candle or Amsterdam Boneshaker, are bursting with the flavours of grapefruit and citrus due to their judicious use of American hops. Adding pink grapefruit juice turns this up to 11, creating something tastier than the sum of its parts. A versatile pairing across the board, this radler is especially good with sweet-and-sour combinations, with a pleasing bitterness that cuts through the richness of fattier meats with ease.
Smoky Red Chili Turkey Wings
A refreshing combination of fruity watermelon and spritzy weissbier is the perfect foil to cut through spicy, smoky turkey wings.
Weissbier & Watermelon Radler
German-style weissbier, like Side Launch Wheat or Hacker Pschorr Weisse Bier, is a refreshing, wheat-based ale, defined by its lively carbonation and its unique yeast, which lends a spicy, fruity, bubble gum character to the beer. The addition of watermelon juice accentuates the fruitiness. Perfect to enjoy on its own outside on a sunny day, it also makes a quenching foil for spicy and salty foods.
Pickle-Brined Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
Fresh orange juice combined with the lemony notes present in the beer
act like a squeeze of citrus on charred briny chicken.
Tripel & Orange Radler
Belgian tripel, like Chimay White Cap, is a Trappist ale showing pear and citrus notes, and a dry, spicy, yeasty finish. The aromatic and textural similarities to Champagne can be uncanny. When married with fresh orange juice, it makes for a moreish, Mimosa-like sipper, at home beside lighter grilled meats and egg-based brunch dishes. Strong golden ales, such Duvel, are similar in style, slightly stronger in alcohol and a little lower in fruitiness; they work just as well.
Slow-Cooked Coffee-Rubbed Beef Shank
Offset by a touch of sweetness, the roasted flavours of this shank find
synergy with the similar notes in the radler.
Stout, Cold Brew & Pomegranate Radler
Richer stouts, like St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout or Sri Lankan Sinha Stout, boast natural coffee flavours that come from the dark roasted malts used in their brewing. The addition of cold brew underlines these qualities, while the firm acidity and dark sweetness of pomegranate juice weave their way into the mix seamlessly. It’s a very good match with long-roasted red meats or even dark chocolate desserts.
Radlers 101
Like its British cousin, the shandy, a radler is a simple and refreshing mix of beer, often golden lager, and citrus-flavoured soda. Dating back to an especially sunny day in June 1922, the story goes that an innkeeper called Franz Kugler in the small town of Deisenhofen, outside Munich, created a drink called “Radlermass” (literally “cyclist litre” in German) when his establishment became unexpectedly busy with a large group of cyclists. Thinking on his feet when he noticed his dwindling stock of beer, he decided to stretch his supply by blending it 50-50 with a lemon soda he could never seem to get rid of, and the rest is history.
