Portland-based Hopworks Urban Brewery is one of the most bicycle-oriented businesses you’ll find anywhere (they’re also the BikePortland advertising partner that brings you the Weekend Event Guide). Now they’ve just upped the ante even further.
Their latest beer, Organic Totally Radler, features a tandem on the can along with the words “Keep on Biking.” The new Radler — a 2.6% ABV lager blended with lemon soda that HUB calls, a “low-alcohol drink that keeps you cool” — fits in well with the other bikey things HUB is known for, like their BikeBar pub on North Williams Avenue, their Hopworksfiets beer bike, and the annual Handmade Bike & Beer Festival they host and sponsor.
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local mountain bike race in 2009.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
To give this new beer the launch it deserves, HUB is hosting the Radler Ride on June 22nd. The ride will start at the BikeBar (3947 N Williams) and roll out to the Portland International Raceway to watch some mountain bike racing and enjoy a few samples, then will loop back to BikeBar, “for a Totally Radler party.” (Meet at 5:00pm, ride at 5:30, party starts at 8:00 pm.)
I suppose the HUB folks know this, but Radler has two meanings. The standard one means ‘someone who bikes’ and the less common Southern German and Austrian usage denotes a drink mixed out of 1/2 beer and 1/2 fizzy lemonade.
From the article “The new Radler — a 2.6% ABV lager blended with lemon soda”
I saw that. But figured a little etymology and history would be helpful.
To make it ever raderer, they should play Rad during the party.
So what are they doing on Powell Blvd, one of the most unfriendly streets in the city for bikes and pedestrians to even just cross? It says a lot about a business whether they set up shop in an accessible area or not, especially if they sell alcohol.
If you notice the SE location, its for shipping and production. The last time I checked, trucks were still used for interstate shipping. I ride there all the time, just on the sidewalk however.
Pop quiz:
Where is this event taking place?
I agree. Getting to HUB from the north is miserable. That said, their location puts them in a prime position to advocate infrastructure improvements on Powell. I’d love to hear that they’re actively lobbying ODOT and the mayor for improvements.
And then once you get there, it’s full of kids running around, the food is fine but not standout, and the beer other than DOA is nothing to write home about. I like the bikey decor though.
Eli, you obviously don’t know Jack about Christian, his family or what hes done in this community with his employees and his locations and his company.
I know this is heresy, but I’m kind of uncomfortable with the close association between alcohol and bike-riding. Is it too “nanny-state” to wish for at least some disclaimer about drinking responsibly and not engaging in RUI?
2.6% beer, pretty much the disclaimer you’re looking for.
“Is it too “nanny-state” to wish for at least some disclaimer about drinking responsibly and not engaging in RUI?”
..
Yes, yes it is.
RAD!
This is awesome. I love a good raddler on a hot summer day. Nice work Hopworks!
Also known as ‘Shandy’ in the UK and not generally associated with quality supping.
Also known as as ‘Miller Lemonade’ in my house, where quality beer is not for mixing with juice.
And in Hamburg it’s an “Alsterwasser”. (Alster is a river along Hamburg)
Just checking, it seems that there’s a lot of names for this beer-mix-drink.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biermischgetränk
I got hooked on Radlers riding through the Bavaria, Austria and Slovenia where the drink is popular, but not highly regarded.
As pointed out, radler refers to a cyclist. In Bavaria, a standard liter serving of beir was thought to be to much for someone on a bicycle, so beir was mixed with lemonade.
I liked the radler made with grapefruit better.
Drinking and riding seems to be a favorite pass time here in the Pork.