THE RADLER STORY
Poured by
Elles Melenhorst
What’s in the name?
Mixing beer with other flavors may not have such a long history on the Macedonian beer market, but it cannot be denied that the long hot summers provide the perfect setting for a refreshing summer beer cocktail. Products obtained by mixing beer with flavors have long been called shandies or radlers in other countries such as the UK and Germany. Namely, in the UK, the more preferable name is ‘shandy’, where beer is mostly mixed with lemonade or a lemon lime soda, though at times they can also include ginger ale, apple or orange. Radlers, as known in Germany, usually refer to more citrus type flavors, such as lemon, and grapefruits.
In 1922, Franz Xaver Kugler, a Bavarian tavern owner created Radler more out of a necessity than due to the demand. His daily beer supply in his establishment was running rather low. His tavern was visited mostly by cyclists and in order to maintain and satisfy his thirsty consumers, he started mixing beer with lemonade. By doing so, he managed to solve two problems at once: He kept his customers satisfied with a refreshing beer and he was able to use his lemonade that nobody was really keen on. Kugler called his invention ‘Radlermass’ (Radler meaning cyclist in German). His invention became the foundation of what we today call ‘Radler.’
Setting the scene
However, it was not until 90 years later that Radler became such a success and HEINEKEN has been the driver of one of the biggest innovations in the beer industry. Within the HEINEKEN Company, over 50 markets have already launched a radler flavor. The introduction of Radlers has occurred at a time when consumers were looking for more diverse products. The beer market has always been seen as a traditional crafts industry, where brewers have long stayed with the traditional recipes, some of which were unchanged for centuries. However, brewers realized that in order to inspire consumers further and maintain their preferences, it seemed that flavor innovations had to be the next thing.
In addition, consumers have become more health-conscious. Wellness, naturalness and conscious consumption of products have ragged consumers over the past decade. HEINEKEN particularly tapped into these trends and developed an authentic radler story that is truly built on a natural product. In a nutshell, Radler is a refreshing mix of 40% high quality local beer and 60% lemonade made from natural citrus juice. It does not contain any artificial additives and has a natural cloudy look with around 2% alcohol.
The natural benefits of radlers, together with the double refreshment of beer and lemon, also open up new drinking occasions that go beyond the stereotypical summer beaches. Think about after sports activities, mid-week lunches or just when you are in need of a pure refreshment. Radlers also offer an alternative for those not (yet) so familiar to beer, female drinker and the non-beer drinker during typical beer moments such as get-togethers and barbeques.
Creating our own Radler story
At Pivara Skopje, SKOPSKO Radler Lemon was introduced in 2012 and Pivara was the first to introduce such an innovation on the Macedonian market. Our Radler contains 2% alcohol and offers the double refreshment of beer with lemon. Although, I somehow try to stick to my health-conscious lifestyle, I am happy that SKOPSKO Radler is an all-natural option, which along with the SKOPSKO natural beer base, contains lemonade, made from a natural lemon juice. Our Radler does not contain any sweeteners, colorants or preservatives.
SKOPSKO Ralder is currently in third place in terms of innovations scores at Pivara Skopje. It would not be authentic to claim that Skopsko Radler is the biggest innovation story in our brewery in terms of sales. Nevertheless, this line extension truly has the potential to claim a leading innovation role on our beer market. It recruits new beer consumers for the brand and satisfies those consumers in search of a new product and flavor innovations. SKOPSKO Radler is brand extension of the biggest beer brand in Macedonia that contributes to the overall positive story of beer. So, the next time you choose your beer, try a SKOPSKO Radler and enjoy!
