Meet Lofi: The UK's First Radler Brand

We make radlers.

A light, refreshing blend of beer and real fruit soda. Popular in Germany for over a hundred years. Never really done properly in the UK.

So we did it.

What's a radler?

Not a shandy. Not a flavoured beer. Something more considered than both.

The story goes that the radler was invented in 1922 by a Bavarian innkeeper named Franz Kugler. He had thousands of cyclists turn up and not enough lager beer. His fix: cut it 50/50 with lemonade. The cyclists loved it. He named the drink after them, radler is German for cyclist.

Photo courtesy of Kugler Alm

That's still the template. Half beer, half fruit soda. Proper balance. Made with intention, not mixed behind a bar with synthetic lemonade from a soda gun.

It's a style that's been popular in Germany and Austria ever since. In the UK, it never quite landed outside of craft and continental beer fans. Most people have yet to try one.

Why we started Lofi

Jack kept drinking radlers in Berlin during his uni days, and couldn't find anything like them back home. The imports were fine, but often mass produced and with artificial additions. The UK fruit beer options were full of artificial flavourings, sweeteners, and stabilisers - things that have no business being in a can. Pub shandy's were good in a pinch, particularly a bitter shandy (iykyk), but were nothing in terms of quality and fruit forward flavour. 

We wanted something cleaner. Real fruit. Good beer. Nothing nasty. Turns out that's a harder thing to find than it should be.

Lofi is the UK's first dedicated radler brand. We blend proper wheat beer with real fruit soda. No artificial flavours, sweeteners, or preservatives. Where we can, we focus on wonderful UK grown fruit. Two flavours to start: Raspberry and Red Grapefruit.

That's it. One style, done properly, endless potential variations.

Some of Jacks early recipe testing

Our very first taste of Lofi out the can - look at that colour! 

The two

Raspberry. 2.5%. Wheat beer and Herefordshire raspberry soda, 50/50. Juicy, refreshing, a nod to fruit-picking summers. Just beer and jammy raspberries.

Red Grapefruit. 2.5%. The same wheat beer, this time with South African red grapefruit soda. Bittersweet, dry finish, a bit of citrus bite. Good on its own. Excellent Paloma style with tequila.

The timing

Fruit-led beer is one of the fastest growing styles in the UK right now. Low-ABV drinking isn't a phase, it's where the market is heading. But most low-ABV options feel like something's been taken away.

Radler doesn't work like that. It was always 2.5%. It was designed this way. Full flavour, easy ABV, something you actually want to drink.

The UK just hasn't had a brand built around it. Until now.

Who we are

Jack and Jess. Founded in the UK. Certified Buy Women Built. Bringing a new approach to a category that's needed one for a while.

Stocked through Dayla Drinks, Biercraft, and Pig's Ears. Trade enquiries: trade@lofiproductions.co.uk

Pick up the can.