Review: Great Divide Brewing Company’s Roadie Grapefruit Radler
(2017) Many years ago, season ticket holders sporadically invited me to the local professional hockey games. It was an exciting time for me to be in the presence of NHL players both for the Philadelphia Flyers and their visitors. The first game I went to the goalie, Mark LaForest, had two assists. When my dad pointed it out, I missed the rarity due to ignorance. One other memory is the older lady who sat behind me with what I can only assume was a homemade booster device for exciting times. She had knitted a hockey player around a can of some sort. The can was possibly filled with coins. I remember the cacophony each time a big hit happened or the Flyers scored. Considering the Flyers lost only once the first few years I saw them, I heard her cheering aid often. I guess she had season tickets, too, and in the same place.
One of the aspects about cycling is its reach beyond the bike. Rides have to start and end somewhere. In my experience group rides usually start at bike shops or coffee shops. The ease of access certainly helps attendance, as does the surrounding businesses for pre- or post-ride socials. If a bike shop is a neighbor with a coffee shop, I’m sure both businesses thrive. There’s even a bike shop in Trappe, PA, called Bikesport, who is neighbors with a Dairy Queen and a beer distributor. Imagine the indecisiveness after a hard ride.
It was an unseasonable heat wave that pushed me in the direction of the perfect finish to a ride. But I need to admit my purchase was certainly swayed by the presence of a silhouetted road cyclist with an affirming name of “Roadie.” Great Divide Brewing Company, the same who bring you Yeti Imperial Stout among others, has brought the perfect post-ride refreshment. The name Roadie Radler is basically saying road cycling twice. Radler is the German word for cyclist. This easygoing beer saunters in at 4.2%, which means it refreshes more than buzzes. This is important if the ride was hard or hot or both. The grapefruit puree tingles the taste buds, especially after a couple hours of sucking down warm water out of the water bottles. It also helps that Great Divide are huge members of the cycling community in Denver, Colorado.
This is certainly something riders can enjoy after the hard rides or races as the season progresses. Since this ale is a seasonal and only available April to July, stocking up now is the best advice. Furthermore, how could anyone go wrong with something that is to be paired with a BLT? This could also provide that little incentive to sprint for the town line at the end of the ride.
Like the woman who sat behind me at those Flyers games, using a can to celebrate the high moments of cycling is a good way to continue the sense of community and camaraderie. Should the suggestion of having a Great Divide Roadie Grapefruit Radler as the finishing libation ever occur, take a few moments to enjoy it, the night, and the friendships courtesy of cycling. Just make sure it’s done responsibly, though.
