Miller Chill vs. Bud Chelada Smackdown

As a little side note to our City of Heroes LAN Party, I finally got to try that new Budweiser Chelada beverage that Anheuser-Busch introduced over the summer.


100% hoppy, tomatoey, clammy goodness.

The drink takes Budweiser or Bud Light and mixes it with lime, salt and Clamato, which in itself is a combination of clam juice and tomato juice. Before you say how wrong that sounds, keep in mind that I always enjoy trying new drinks even if they are a little scary sounding (remember Pepsi Ice Cucumber).

It all started when I headed to a nearby liquor store to pick up a new beer I had heard about, Miller Chill. It's described as a "Chelada Style" beer, meaning that it is brewed with salt and lime juice. As it later turned out, Miller Chill is kind of boring tasting (hardly worth mentioning in this blog). But while I was looking for Miller Chill in the store, I ended up finding something much more interesting: The Budweiser Chelada.


The new Miller Chill was a little tame.

Any alcoholic beverage with a shellfish warning on the label was something I had to try. So I picked up two cans (one each of the Budweiser and Bud Light varieties). I would have tried it right then and there, but the problem is that it only comes in 24-ounce cans, which is a little too much for me to drink in one sitting. I needed someone to share it with, and Tim wasn't volunteering.

Fortunately, at the LAN party, Shelley said she would try it with me. So I pulled it out of the fridge, gently tipped it over to make sure it didn't settle, and poured two tall glasses. I thought Shelley would like it since she was Canadian (most Bloody Marys in Canada are made with Clamato instead of regular tomato juice for some inexplicable reason).


Warning: Contains shellfish/clams.

As it turned out, she liked it more than me. It's hard for me to describe the taste. It was sweeter than I wanted it to be. I would have liked it if it were a little more salty and spicy. I didn't hate it. But I didn't love it either. I did end up drinking three quarters of it before I finally gave up and moved onto something else.

We still have another can in the fridge (Bud Light variety) if anyone wants to try it!