Summer doesn't officially end until September 22, and with the current heat in Bend, that is patently obvious. For the second year in a row, five breweries in the so-called Brewers District — the Empire Avenue corridor east of Highway 97 — will have a radler on tap on Saturday, September 14 from 1-7 p.m. A "radler" is a beer cocktail that's half beer, half soft drink, and wholly delicious. As legend has it, the word came from a German pub that created it for cyclists who showed up en masse, but the pub was low on beer, so the publican concocted it to slake their collective thirsts (and, presumably, not be drawn and quartered by a mob of angry Germans on two wheels). "Radler" is, in fact, German for cyclist.
Established on the second Saturday of September (by Grand Craft Beer, my own beer events outfit) both in hopes of avoiding a possible heat dome as well as to have elbow room once the area's much-loved, much-needed tourists depart after Labor Day, revelers are encouraged to pedal 'round the Brewers District to all five local breweries participating: Van Henion Brewing (63067 Plateau Drive), Bridge 99 Brewing (63063 Layton Ave), Oblivion Brewing (63027 Plateau Drive, Suite 4), Craft Kitchen and Brewery (62988 Layton Ave, Suite 103), and 10 Barrel East (62950 NE 18th St.). Alas, Bend's newest brewery that you hopefully read about in last week's issue, Terranaut, is not yet open to the public. The entire route is under 2 miles by bicycle. Walkers, presumably, are also welcome.
Among the featured radlers, each set at $6 per pint, is Craft's Hops & Heights Pale Ale with a choice of lemon-lime soda or lemonade, Oblivion's Oblivious Blonde mixed with grapefruit juice and Van Henion's Helles lager blended with lemonade. Beyond the a la carte pints, there is no charge for admission or participation, and some of the locations will host markets and/or bike shops for bicycle gear and repairs.
"Our take on the radler," says Dana Henion, one of Van Henion's three owner/brewers, "is on the traditional end. We did not brew a specific beer for the event and infuse it with lemon puree or other adjuncts. Like last year, we will take our Helles," Van Henion's lightest beer on tap and, uncoincidentally, the word helles is German for light, "and mix it with organic lemonade. Both Helles and lemonade will be on tap. We love radlers at Van Henion because they make the perfect beverage to enjoy while still having a productive day. And to boot, it's even more refreshing than a traditional 'lawnmower' beer. The summer is coming to a close soon, so this fest is the perfect send off."
It's worth noting that the traditional German brewing method, which is Van Henion's North Star for its brewing program, is bound by an actual law called the Reinheitsgebot, known as the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, that mandates beer can only be made from barley malt, hops, yeast and water, but the law doesn't apply to a stein, maß, boot, or pint of a beer "mixed drink" such as radlers, which remain popular across Germany and Austria as well as England, where the drink is known as a shandy.
Bridge 99's Brianna Metzler, who is excited to helm the tasting room for the fest's second go-round, says "We have such a great community of regulars in our neighborhood, but it was so great seeing mostly new faces riding up to our pub last year, and we're looking forward to another strong showing on Saturday. Anything that involves bikes and beers really is in Bend's wheelhouse, if you'll pardon the pun."
