Craft Beer

Hard tea is a popular drink, but it isn’t without its critics. Some find the bigger brands to be too sweet and it has a reputation for being less refined than other alcoholic beverages. Despite its popularity, it receives less attention from drinkers.

Owl's Brew Radler Tea + Craft Beer Cans

Owl’s Brew Radler Tea + Craft Beer Cans

However, there is room for this to change as big beer steps into the ring. Easy Tea, MillerCoors’s hard tea offering, is being sold in stores throughout the Northeast. It is less sweet than its competitors and is being marketed toward people in search of a more refined hard tea alternative to beer.

But if artisanal brands are more your thing, the Owl’s Brew Radler should be on your radar. Owl’s Brew co-founders Maria Littlefield and Jennie Ripps have been known for their tea-based cocktail mixers. But now they are rolling out Radlers. Owl’s Brew is a blend of fresh-brewed organic tea infused with real fruits and botanicals and mixed with craft beer. They’ll be combining their own products with craft beer to create a product aimed at discerning customers. While the emphasis is on tea, the duo is trying to stay away from the sweeter aspects of most alcoholic teas and focus on a more natural flavor.

Though the brand is young, there is a great deal of power behind it. They’re being backed by ZX Ventures, a more experimental capital team from Anheuser-Busch InBev. This partnership will allow further reach as they develop and put out their products.

Owl’s Brew has three Radler varieties in the works for their rollout

  • The Blondie – A wheat beer with lemon, lime, and black tea.
  • (That’s My) JAM – An amber ale with hibiscus, strawberry, and black tea. (Coming in September)
  • Short and Stout – Chocolate stout with pineapple and coconut chai. (Planned winter seasonal)

Owl’s Brew mixers are currently available in a number of upscale retailers, including Whole Foods. Radlers will be joining them in the same markets.

What do you think about the trend of alternative alcoholic beverages, like alcoholic tea and hard seltzer? Let us know in the comments below!

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