Woo-hoo! It's time for one of our favorite nights of the year in the ATL! The Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade is taking over the westside on Saturday and it's an event you don't want to miss! Our Hop City location in the West End will be staying open late to celebrate the festivities. Get your lantern making finished, figure out your transportation to the area and join us for an amazing evening of illuminated artistry and community fun!
If you need the ultimate refreshment while creating your own luminary masterpiece or something to sip while waltzing in the parade, look no further than the delightful world of Shandy and Radler beers!
Both have their origins in Germany and share a similar concept of combining beer with a non-alcoholic beverage. The term "shandy" is derived from the British term "shandygaff," which referred to a mixture of beer and ginger beer or lemonade. Over time, variations of shandy have emerged, with different regions and countries putting their own twist on the drink, which can include fruit juices, flavored sodas, or even herbal infusions.
Radler, meaning "cyclist" in German, has a more specific origin tale. The story goes that in the early 20th century a Bavarian innkeeper named Franz Xaver Kugler found himself with an unexpectedly large number of cyclists visiting his establishment during a multi day cycling trip in the area. In order to stretch his beer supply, he decided to mix it with a citrus-flavored lemon soda, thus creating a refreshing beverage that could quench the cyclists' thirst without compromising on quantity.
The beer-to-soda/lemonade/juice ratio in a Shandy and Radler can vary, but it is generally around 50:50, making these beverages a lighter, lower alcohol and more thirst-quenching option than beer alone. Below are several currently in stock on our Hop City shelves. Look for more to arrive over the next few weeks just in time for the sizzling summer season!
Stiegl Radler - Grapefruit (2.0%) - Austria's largest privately owned brewery, Stiegl, makes three different flavors of Radler, all of which are wonderfully refreshing. The grapefruit version is a blend of real juice and lager, and a perfect combination of tartness and carbonation. $11.99 / 16oz 4-pack; available at Krog, West End & Fayetteville
Parish Extra Sauce (7.0%); Imperial lemonade Shandy - Extra Sauce packs a bit more punch than most Shandys and consists of a mixture of Meyer lemon puree on a sturdy pilsner base. Parish never fails to deliver great beer, and this one is no different. $17.99 / 16oz 4-pack; available at Krog & West End
Schofferhofer Grapefruit (2.5%) - Radeburger Gruppe was the first to combine Hefeweizen beer and grapefruit juice and it's one of our favorites in the style. Super tasty and a low ABV so you can enjoy it all day long. $10.99 / 16oz 4-pack; available at Krog & West End
Jack's Abby Blood Orange Wheat (4.0%) - lager complemented by orange and wheat notes. Subtle and easy-drinking. $12.99 / 12oz 6-pack; available at Krog & West End
Shiner Ruby Redbird (4.0%) - this Shandy made by the folks in Shiner, TX mixes Ruby Red grapefruit from the Rio Grande Valley with lager and a bold kick of ginger for a crushable drink anytime of the year. $11.99 / 12oz 6-pack; available at Krog, West End & Fayettevlle
Athletic Brewing Ripe Pursuit (<0.5%) - Looking for a non-alcoholic option? Athletic Brewing just released Ripe Pursuit, a lemon Radler with just the right amount of tartness and sweetness on a wheat base; $10.99 / 12oz 6-pack; available at Krog & West End
NEW STUFF!
HOPS
- Creature Comforts: DDH Nectaron Tropicalia (6%)
- Creature Comforts: Galactic Space Circus (6.8%)
- Fremont: Head Full of Dynomite (6.8%)
- Tripping Animals: Eleven (6%)
SOUR
- Untitled Art: Blueberry Lemon Cream Sour (5.5%)
- Untitled Art/Moksa: Apricot Pineapple Sour (5.5%)
- RAR Brewing: Out of Order Captain Barry (4.5%)
- RAR Brewing: Out of Order Leprechaun Bait (4.5%)
- RAR Brewing: Out of Order I Say Boo to You (4.5%)
- RAR Brewing: Out of Order Stone Aged Rocks (4.5%)
- The Brewing Projekt: Chomp Chomp Blackberry Cheesecake (6.7%)
- The Brewing Projekt: Puff Tart Passionberry Peach (5.6%)
- The Brewing Projekt: Puff Tart XL (8%)
- Tripping Animals: Willie The Astronaut (6%)
- Tripping Animals: High-Sea Punch (6%)
LIGHT
- Green Bench/Cohesion/Halfway Crooks/Monday Night/Schilling/Three’s: Bus Beer (4.4%)
- Pontoon: Viva La Otter (5%)
- Pontoon: Tropical Circumstances (6%)
- Parish: Extra Sauce (7%)
- Tripping Animals: Cooler Than A Polar Bears Toenails (5%)
- Tripping Animals: Dolce Far Niente (5%)
DARK
- Fremont: Brew 7000 (13.9%)
- Fremont: From The Vault (13.5%)
