Should I get NFL Sunday Ticket? I really don’t want to. You may be wondering what that has to do with Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Naturtruss, but fear not, all will become apparent shortly. You see, I like to watch football on Sundays, New England Patriots football to be specific. Problem is I live in Canton, Georgia, and only about half of the 16 regular season Patriots games are on TV here. The aforementioned NFL Sunday Ticket is one solution, but at about $350 a season the price is prohibitively high.
If you do the math, that’s about $44 a game, and in my wisdom, I recognize that that $44 would be much better spent on beer and wings while watching those games at Taco Mac. That presents another problem, though: many of those non-televised games are at 1PM, which is earlier in the day really than I like to start drinking. That’s where Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Naturtruss comes in. At just 2% alcohol by volume, it’s a refreshing treat with less than half the alcohol of most beers.
Of course, the reason for this is that Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Naturtruss isn’t really a beer at all, it’s a radler, a mix of lager and grapefruit juice/soda. Radlers are popular in Germany when a lower alcohol beverage is in order, perhaps at a Fussball game or after a bike ride or run. An avid runner myself, I find such drinks to be refreshing after a long workout.
Stiegl says of Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Naturtruss:
The Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit is a mix of Stiegl-Goldbräu and fruit juice that is invariably natural and has no artificial sweeteners added to it. The grapefruit juice lends this a naturally cloudy appearance and a tangy fruit flavor, creating a succulent and fruity taste sensation with a refreshing finish.
Despite its low alcohol content, Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Naturtruss is on the pricey side: I paid $6 for a 20-ounce mug at Taco Mac for what is essentially 60% soda and 40% Stiegl Goldbrau Lager. It runs $9.99 here for a 4-pack of half liter cans.
My mug of Stiegl Radler Grapefruit Naturtruss arrived a cloudy orange color with a thick foamy head and lots of grapefruit and orange citrus in the nose. Taking a sip, I got big juicy grapefruit juice in the palate with only hints of crisp lager underneath. The grapefruit juice dominates into the slightly sweet, tart finish and although this is more soda tasting than beer tasting, the lager helps dry this out a bit and makes it very refreshing indeed.
Judged as a radler, I’d give this average marks, and the high price takes it down a peg too. You could make something similar with a pilsner beer and Fresca mix if you cared too for a lot less money. Still and all, this is a convenient and tasty treat to have around, and for that reason I would definitely buy it again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft