Get to know the beer and lemon combo that’s making a comeback, thanks to Stone & Wood.
Here’s a bold and refreshing call: we reckon 2025 is the year that beer mixers get their due. We’re talking about drinks like the Michelada (a Bloody Mary-ish blend of beer, clamato juice and the regular seasonings), the Black and Tan (a layered drink of dark and pale beers), the Snakebite (that’s lager and cider) and the Black Velvet (that’s Guinness and sparkling wine, traditionally). These are all beer mixers that have been popular in the past that, right now, simply don’t touch enough taste buds.
If we wanted to make our prediction a little bolder still (and we do), one beer mixer in particular is ready for its time in the sun: a blend of beer and lemonade (or lemon soda) called the radler. And with a brand-spanking new version courtesy of the beer legends at Stone & Wood, we’re ready to call it – 2025 is the year the radler rides back into town.
A radler is a combo of beer and citrus – usually either a little lemon soda, lemonade or fresh lemon juice. It’s zesty, usually low in alcohol and made for fun in the sun. It’s a key part of that overlooked beer mixer category we were just talking about and, while we reckon it’s about ready to soft launch into our summer rotation, it’s not a new invention – radlers have been around for more than a century.
The story goes that, in the 1920s, Munich tavern owner Franz Xaver Kugler found himself inundated with cyclists enjoying the summer sun. Struck by a boost in business but lacking in beer, Franz cut his supply with a lemony soft drink and the Radlermass (meaning ‘cyclist litre’) was born.
Even if this sunny origin story isn’t true (it definitely falls into the realm of folklore at this point), the radler has become a firm part of summer beer-drinking plans across Europe. In other parts of the world, you might hear it called a ‘shandy’ – but hey, a rose by any other name, right?
An old-school radler often went like this: half beer, half lemon soda. They wouldn’t even stir it – just pour one, pour the other, and drink. If they wanted it zestier or sweeter? More lemonade. Drier and more beer-like? Heavier on the beer.
Traditionally, they’d use a light-bodied beer like a pilsner or pale lager (helles is the OG), but it wasn't unheard of to use a wheat beer. Some purists might take offence to going off-piste with a pale ale or something else but, honestly, each to their own.
As far as mixed drinks go, radlers are about as easy as it gets, but there’s still something to be said for leaving it to the pros. And when it comes to delicious beer, few can top our mates at Stone & Wood, which is why their new ready-to-drink Citrus Radler is an answer to our prayers.
You probably know Stone & Wood for their Pacific Ale, which has become one of the most iconic craft beers in Australia (and a personal favourite), but the Byron Bay brewery has plenty more than just one beer going for it. Firstly, there’s all their other beers, which are damn excellent. Secondly, “Protect our planet, it’s the only one with beer!” is a motto you’ll often hear around their brewery. As a certified B Corp, they’re committed to treading lightly with their brewing practices and give $1 per 100L sold to their local community non-profit INGRAINED. Beyond aiming to use beer as a force for good, they pride themselves on making beer that’s simply good to drink. And now, they’re bringing that attitude to their take on radler.
Radlers, like beer mixers in general, have been busy plying their trade in the reserves in recent years, waiting for the call-up to the senior team. They have been wildly trendy in the past – just ask poor old Franz Kugler who, legend has it, served 13,000 cyclists that first summer – and they are definitely back (and here to stay).
With that in mind, here are a few radler-appropriate moments to get you started:
- Sunny afternoons, just as the sun is setting, reading a bloody good book
- Arvo barbecues with all your mates. And who’s that coming from the kitchen with a batch of cold radlers? Nailed it
- Just home from the beach, still with that coating of salt as you watch the sun dip below the horizon
- Anytime you can’t decide between your favourite beer or hard lemonade. Por qué no los dos, y’know?
