The Road To the Radler

The Road To the Radler: Great Divide’s Long History of Cycling

Every spring in Colorado, the snow starts to melt and ski season comes to an end. Bikes begin to come down off walls, out of garages and back onto the road. Suddenly, cycling season is in full swing. It’s that time of year where spring is in the air and summer is so close you can almost taste it. When you just can’t get enough of cruising in the sunshine and drinking refreshing brews on a patio with your crew. As an ode that magical feeling you can only find on your bike, we’re releasing the Roadie Grapefruit Radler.

HISTORY ON THE BIKE

The brewery’s history in cycling goes back before Great Divide was even a twinkle in founder, Brian Dunn’s eye. Dunn himself has a long history on the bike. He first discovered cycling while living in France as a child. Here, he spent his weekends riding through the French mountainside with his father and brother. His love for biking was re-invigorated after college when he was exposed to the racing side of the sport. Finding camaraderie alongside his collegiate ski teammates, he began racing after graduation. From then on out, the bike was part of his everyday life.

Cycling is something Brian continues to share with everyone around him, including his twin sons. Like their dad, they share a passion for the bike. Both twins have become avid cyclists themselves and have raced all around the world. But Brian hasn’t just shared his love for cycling with his family. He’s also instilled his passion for the sport throughout the brewery from the very beginning. Great Divide has been a part of the Colorado cycling community throughout the years with the creation of the Great Divide Bike Team, annual participation from employees in the Bike MS race, and donating profits from our Tap Room Giving Program to organizations like Bike Denver and the Bicycle Racing Association of CO. Each year the brewery looks for new ways to support the Colorado cycling community.

THE BOULDURANGO

The brewery, and Brian himself, have also participated in the BoulDurango for the last few years. Over the course of 6 days, some of the most tenured Colorado craft brewery owners and employees ride the grueling 426 miles from Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder, CO to Ska Brewing Co. in Durango. Together they ride over mountain passes and cruise across Colorado plains. All the while sharing their experiences, perspectives, and insights on the brewing industry and stopping for cold brews along the way.

Brian has taken his passion, tenacity and the never-give-up-mentality he learned on the bike and brought that with him into the brewhouse. It’s this mindset that has set Great Divide apart from the beginning. It’s this tenacity that has brought about the bold and courageous beers behind the brand. And it’s that same mentality that drove Brian to experiment with something wildly different from anything the brewery has ever done before to develop the Roadie Radler. After almost a year in development and with a huge amount of effort from the production team, they achieved their goal for this Colorado Radler.

AN ODE TO CYCLISTS

Named both for the road biking cyclist (roadie) and the German word for cycling (radler), the Roadie Grapefruit Radler was inspired by Great Divide’s roots in the cycling community. With artwork that was designed to create an image of the Colorado cycling community, this radler is a nod to cyclists everywhere. Unlike traditional radlers which add finished soda to the beer, Great Divide’s take on the style uses an obscene amount of grapefruit puree and omits the soda. This easy-drinking ale pours a hazy sunrise gold and is bursting with citrus aroma. So, whether you are riding over grueling mountain passes or just out for a quick pedal, the Roadie Radler is the perfect brew for any summertime cruise.

Find some Roadie Grapefruit Radler near you!