Death & Taxes Raspberry Radler

Happy fifth anniversary to my wonderful spouse! You challenge me, impress me, and inspire me everyday.

When I spotted the cool 473mL cans of Death & Taxes Raspberry Radler on the shelf at my local store, I immediately bought two--one for myself, because I love raspberries, and one for the Bitter Wife, because she's the Radler Queen.

Brewed in Gravenhurst, Ontario, by Sawdust City Brewing Co., this 4.3% alcohol brew is made raspberry purée and a very light ale. The beer has a hazy pinkish gold hue and pours with a fluffy off-white head.

Bitter Wife: Smells like beer--not as juicy as expected, and with only a faint raspberry note. The flavour tastes as though there are real berries in it--like raspberry juice. Like they've taken a lager and poured raspberry juice into it--but the tastes don't blend very well. It tastes as though there are two separate components. Drinkable, but it could use some additional boldness, crispness, and tartness. They're not really taking full advantage of raspberry. It's not a radler for people who like radlers craft beer. It's not flavour-focused. If you think of it as a beer, there is an appealing fruity edge, like a bear wearing a funny hat, but pointless as a radler.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Stout Man: Unlike the missus, I found Death & Taxes to have a fairly assertive, sweet raspberry jam nose. There is a very thin mouthfeel that is not nearly as crisp and fizzy as I wanted and expected. The taste is mild, but has a nice, slight tinge of berry sweetness. Bitterness is nearly non-existent in this one, and there isn't abundant tartness either.

For me, D&T was a bit of a flop. It had some nice elements, including a refreshing quality, great strength for a radler, and a very pleasant scent, but overall it was too thin to hold my interest. It has a vitamin water quality that underwhelmed. I might have felt differently if it were 30 degrees out and I was sitting on a patio, but in my living room in early September, it didn't make a lot of waves.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Waterloo Grapefruit Radler

From Kitchener, Ontario comes the Waterloo Grapefruit Radler, built by the Waterloo Brewing Co. It contains a slight 3.1% alcohol and comes in a 473mL can that looks more like an "alco-pop" than a beer.

The Grapefruit Radler is a pale golden brew with an almost whitish tint and a hazy look. It poured with a fluffy white head that faded to practically nothing before I had time to snap a photo. The can indicates that this stuff contains concentrated grapefruit juice as well as concentrated grape juice and high fructose corn syrup.  Yum.


There's a hefty grapefruit aroma that walks the line between sweet and tart, but frequently stumbles over to the sweet side. As it smells, so does it taste: juicy. There aren't many "beer" elements in this drink. I suspect that a very pale, light lager is the base, but it provides little more than a carbonation platform.


Radlers have been big this summer, so I've tried a few and made a couple of my own. This one proved rather disappointing. Thin and light with little beer bounce. Waterloo also has a Lemonade Lager, that I liked much better.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

Stiegl Radler Grapefruit

Stiegl Radler Grapefruit immediately caught my eye when I walked into the liquor store on a hot June day. I think it was a combination of its snazzy 500mL Gingham-patterned can and its grapefruit focus that drew me in.  I had to have it immediately.

The product of Stieglbrauerei Zu Salzburg, Stiegl Radler Grapefruit hails from Salzburg, Austria. It's a mix of 50% beer (presumably Stiegl's popular pale lager) and 50% fruit juice. It's very, VERY mild, clocking in at a liver-gladdening 2.5% alcohol. It pours a cloudy pale yellow colour, topped with a white head that fades quickly.

There is a tart grapefruit aroma with only a faint whisper of beer to it. It tastes very much like a grapefruit soda--it's fizzy and has that same blend of tartness and sugariness. The pale lager base is way in the background. It's really only a juice platform and an alcohol delivery device. I wouldn't complain if there was a bit more lager heft to this stuff.

The Grapefruit Radler is compellingly refreshing. It's alcoholicly anemic (which is a bit of a complaint), but it has a great fruit flavour. It would probably be really nice over ice. After a hot day in the sun, this stuff will really hit the spot, plus it should appeal to people who don't normally drink beer. This stuff was certainly a big hit with the wife.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Radlermass Lemonade Lager

This curious specimen comes from the Waterloo Brewing Co. of Waterloo, Ontario. According to the label, this beery concoction that blends lemon soda and brewski originated in a German tavern, when the innkeeper was running low on beer just as his establishment was overrun with a fleet of cyclists. I have no idea whether this is a true story, but I like it.

Radlermass is sold in 473mL cans. It contains 4.8% alcohol. A clear, yellow-gold colour, Radlermass is heavily carbonated and topped with a layer of white head. It looks just like a conventional pale lager.  However, one sniff and you realize that an average lager this is not--the aroma is fiercely lemony. A beer taste is plainly present, but it is easily dominated by a strong lemon flavour--one that is quite sweet rather than tart.

The Radlermass Lemonade Lager has a quirky flavour. It's undeniably refreshing, and I suspect it would be dynamite on a hot day. It wasn't my favourite, but it's most certainly worth a try.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.