Judging a Beer Cocktail Competition

Beer is the ideal cocktail ingredient. It offers a wide array of taste profiles, ranging from acidic and citrussy to fruity and sweet, and it is also generally full-flavoured while maintaining a relatively low alcohol content.

Despite this versatility though, it is rarely used in mixology. And if beer cocktails are hard to find in bars across the UK, mixology competitions focused exclusively on beer drinks are even rarer.

The Stiegl Summer of Radler Cocktail Competition is the exception to the rule. Organised by Euroboozer, the UK importer of leading independent Austrian brewery Stiegl, the contest celebrated its fifth iteration this year. 

The Summer of Radler format involves UK bartenders creating a cocktail recipe featuring one of the brand’s two fruit beers: the refreshingly zesty and aromatic Grapefruit Radler (2% abv) or the sweeter, fruitier Raspberry Radler (also 2% abv).

This year, after an initial selection, Euroboozer offered its social media followers the opportunity to narrow down the entries to the five finalists, who competed live at Bar Américain at Brasserie Zedel in London last week.

I was delighted to be invited to judge the final, alongside an excellent panel of fellow judges: Florian Schmidhuber, Head of Export at Stiegl Brauerei; Minas Kotoulas, Group Head of Bars at The Wolseley Hospitality Group; and Marta Tokarz, Head of Beverage and Bar Operations at Cubitt House.

The five finalist cocktail recipes (full details below) were expertly recreated by the bartenders at Bar Américain based on precise instructions from the entrants.

Each cocktail was made on the spot and evaluated immediately to ensure freshness, before moving on to the next one.

For each, we assessed appearance, aroma, taste, finish, ease of replication (in a bar, not at home), and how well they showcased the beer. Finally, we also rated each cocktail based on overall enjoyment.

All the finalist recipes were delicious creations, however the judges, myself included, tended to agree that some were not particularly suited for traditional bar service – though I can see them doing well at a poolside bar. Meanwhile, another one lacked balance, being a little too sweet.

Ultimately, it was a relatively straightforward decision to name Costel Toma’s Franz Huemer Spritz from Boundary London as the winner of this year’s edition of the Stiegl Summer of Radler Cocktail Competition.

The winning drink mixed Stiegl Grapefruit Radler with Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, Akashi-Tai Ginjo Yuzushu saké, mango puree, and jasmine syrup. It was simple yet elegant in presentation, and absolutely perfect as a fruity, zesty, and lower-abv alternative to a regular wine-based Spritz.

It really was an excellent creation so it didn’t take me long to eventually replicate the recipe for my own enjoyment at home. I had been searching for a good beer cocktail recipe, and this one fits perfectly with the summer weather. 

Congratulations to the winner, and I'm very much looking forward to the next edition.

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Stiegl Beer Cocktails – The Finalists

Franz Heumer Spritz, by Costel Toma at Boundary London

Ingredients

75ml Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

45ml Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin

20ml Akashi-Tai Ginjo Yuzushu

25ml Mango Puree

22.5ml Jasmine Syrup

Edible flowers to garnish

Method

Shake all ingredients except the Stiegl Grapefruit Radler, then pour into a wine glass with cubes of ice. Top up with the beer. Garnish.

Pinky Perspective, by Alp Dzhindzhan at The Delaunay

Ingredients

30ml Havana Club 3

15ml Monin Hibiscus Syrup

15ml Italicus

25ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice

150ml Stigl Grapefruit Radler

Grapefruit twist and cherry to garnish

Method

Add the rum, Italicus and lemon juice to a shaker. Shake, double strain into a 14oz glass with ice. Top with the beer, garnish.

Forbidden Fruit, by Carlo Williams at New Century MCR

Ingredients

125ml Stiegl Raspberry Radler

25ml Gin

25ml Lillet Rose

25ml Lime Juice

35ml Monin Jabuticaba

12.5ml Monin Falernum

3 Raspberries and a mint sprig to garnish

Method

Chill a gin glass before use.

Add the gin, Lillet Rose, lime juice, Monin Jabuticaba and Falernum to a Boston shaker. Add cubed ice, shake until chilled and diluted. Double strain into the chilled gin glass. Add cubed ice and top with the beer. Garnish.

Late Checkout, by Christopher Bevitt at The Delaunay

Ingredients

35ml Rose aperitif

15 Kirsch

2 dashes of Rhubarb Bitters

20ml Elderflower cordial

25ml Lime juice

125ml Stiegl Radler Raspberry

Minto top and cherry to garnish

Method

Build all ingredients apart from the beer in a glass filled with ice. Top with the beer and garnish.

Looking Glass, by Valter Ntetsi at The Delaunay

Ingredients

35ml Citrus Vodka

15ml Campari

4 Basil leaves

20ml Lemon juice

125ml Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

Method

Build all ingredients in a glass filled with cubed ice and top with the beer. Garnish.

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Photography by Jacopo Mazzeo