The chelada, a Mexican concoction of beer with lime and salt (add in Worcestershire and hot sauce for a Michelada) is the unlikely source of this year’s Miller versus Anheuser-Busch battle. Miller released its green-bottled chelada, Chill, a few months ago, and it “has reached fad status very quickly,” as Jason Alström of BeerAdvocate magazine recently observed under the headline “Miller Chill: A Beer for People Who Don’t Like Beer.”
“It actually tastes like a really bad diet soda,” he concluded. That’s a good business model, apparently: The beer’s already outselling brands like Rolling Rock and Blue Moon in supermarkets, and Miller says sales are well ahead of expectations.
So it isn’t a surprise to see that Anheuser-Busch has its own south-of-the-border concept: 24-ounce tall boys of Budweiser or Bud Light with lime, salt, and Clamato, the tomato-juice-and-clam-broth drink. (Fighting to win back sales lost to craft beer and wine, A-B is adding a preposterous 60 new items this year, which will double its total product line.)
The Bud-Clamato hasn’t been rolled out nationally yet—only Texas and California have it—but beer writer Lew Bryson found a sample surprisingly delicious: “Sure as hell had a lot more flavor than a Bud Light, wasn’t cloying or yucky, and the spices were firm but not overpowering. Best of all, you can obviously doctor it as you see fit, and I’m thinking a good dose of freshly ground pepper might work wonders, and maybe a little horseradish.”
A very realistic member of the BeerAdvocate website calls it the “Best Bud I ever had” and offers a key chelada travel tip: “It’s what I do on airplanes—can of Heineken and a can of Mr. and Mrs. T’s.”
Clamato gets such a bad rap in the U.S. market. It admittedly doesn’t sound appealing, but Clamato makes a *great* mixer. I prefer “Ceasars” (vodka + clamato) to the traditional Bloody Mary (vodka + tomato juice). And, mixed with beer, it’s about the best “hair o’ the dog” drink out there…
Just goes to show, what was once old is new again. I’m “about” 49, and was taught in my early drinking years that beer and tomato juice was a great pick me up for the morning after. It’s been a favorite of mine ( and until now, not many others from what I’ve seen) ever since. About the only thing it needs is a little pepper from time to time, depending on the times had the night before.