It's BBW Eve

Today, I was introduced to something new, something I never even knew existed: Radler. Stiegl Radler, to be exact. Radler is a German-style beer (typically a hefeweizen or ale) that is a half and half mix of beer and lemonade or orange or grapefruit soda. The Stiegl Radler I tried today was a grapefruit Radler, and you could definitely taste the tartness and the zing of the grapefruit. It's light and refreshing, and only 2.5% alcohol.

Radler, in German, means cyclist. As the story goes, an enterprising innkeeper dealt with the unexpected arrival of thousands of touring cyclists by stretching out his beer supply - - with soda!

Tomorrow is the first day of the third annual Bellingham Beer Week. BBW was created as a way to celebrate and promote craft beer in Bellingham, WA and beyond, and to recognize our local craft beer producers, retailers - and consumers! All five Bellingham craft breweries—Chuckanut, Boundary Bay, Kulshan, Aslan, and Wander—plus many regional breweries, numerous beer bars, beer stores, restaurants, and other businesses will be hosting beer-related events throughout the city. I'm sure my blip friend Pilipo, a true beer aficionado, will have a busy week ahead of him.