Radler

[Misplaced_Canuck]

It is lemon based soda, but rarely is it as sweet as 7up or Sprite.

Had to go to a source, and called on my German friend. According to him, it's a lemon-based soda, and it's less sweet than 7up. More in the likes of San Pellegrino Limonade. The one used in Germany for Radler is clear, therefore wouldn't be considered a "lemonade" by American standard.

I think the generally accepted definition of lemonade in the US & Canada is: a non-carbonated, sweetened, lemon-based drink, that it not clear (a bit murky) and usually contains pulp.

MC

 

[patthebrewer]

Most places in Germany just use lemonade if you ask for a Radler. I lived there for 4 years, courtesy of Uncle Sam, out on the "economy" in a little town called LorzWeiler a few minutes drive outside of Mainz and that's definitely how I remember it. Although there are MANY variations of the same drink....for instance Altwasser is Usually Pils with orange juice. In Bavaria there is a drink called a Russ, meaning Russian, which is a mix of the very popular Wiess bier, and Limon soda. Which might be what your referring to. So your not "technically" wrong you just can't simplify it and say that it is just a soda Radler.....it's much more complex than that.

And No...... ask for lemonade in The UK and you will not get soda...Been there dozens of times to visit relatives.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

And No...... ask for lemonade in The UK and you will not get soda...Been there dozens of times to visit relatives.

They must know you're American

As per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonade :

In the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, lemonade is a commercially-produced, lemon-flavored, carbonated, sweetened soft drink (similar to lemon-lime sodas in North America without the lime). Although lemonade is usually non-alcoholic, in recent years alcoholic versions of lemonade (called "hard lemonade") have become popular in various countries.

MC

 

[smyrnaquince]

We use Sierra Mist.

 

[HopSong]

Radlers sound like a waste of a good pilsner beer.

Always nay sayers in the house

Don't knock it till you try it on a hot summer day. Good lawnmower beer

 

[patthebrewer]

Always nay sayers in the house

Don't knock it till you try it on a hot summer day. Good lawnmower beer

Amen to that!!

 

[NTexBrewer]

I have done the following.

Mixed 1/2 crystal light half beer at bottling. Carbed fine, tasted great.

Made a shandy where I brewed a low alcohol 2.5% beer and added lemon juice at flameout. Added lemon zest to primary. At bottling back sweetened with lactose. Not bad but if I do it again will probably use Splenda.

Made a ginger beer. To carbonate and back sweeten mixed 50-50 ginger beer and diet sprite. Carbonation was low but still good.






Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[NTexBrewer]

Here is what I would do. On the brew day have some store bought Helles and sugar free lemonade and sugar free lemon soda. Have your friend mix his own radlers to see which he likes best whether it is Lemonade and beer at 50/50 or Lemon Soda and beer at 25/75, etc. etc.

If he wants more lemon flavor you can always make the lemonade stronger with using more mix. You can do small tasting say 1oz of beer, 1oz of lemonade and scale up.

Then when you are ready to bottle add priming sugar to beer as normal. Then however many Radlers you are making add the lemonade/soda to the bottles. Top off with beer and it will still carbonate fine.

If you end up using something like a lemon soda maybe let it go flat before bottling.

If you do a 50/50 mix then use 1.25 gallons of beer and 1.25 gallons of lemonade to make your friend a case of beer. You will still have over a case of beer for yourself.

Go for it. Take lots of notes. Experiment.


Note to use Sugar Free (Sweetened with Splenda, Aspartame, etc.) so that you are not adding additional fermentables. I'm pretty sure that Stevia is not fermentable if you prefer a natural sweetener.

*** Just Realized that this was an old thread revived. Maybe still help someone ****