Budweiser Chelada

I can see this is getting pretty lousy ratings - so don’t throw things at me, please, but I liked it, and consider it to be one of Anheuser Busch’s best products. It is based on a Mexican way of enjoying beer. I have tried lagers before with hot sauce and lime and salt, without enjoying them very much, but the addition of clam juice and tomato makes it a lot better. The salmon-coral color gives it a look like soda pop or guava juice, and the head disappers immediately. There is a hint of tomato in the mainstream lager aroma. This is a salty, tomato dominated beverage that seems more like a Bloody Mary than a beer, but the flavor is surprisingly good - tomato sweetness and citrus plus a little hot sauce mixed with mild lager. The aftertaste is spicy with a touch of fish. This makes a nice change of pace brew.

Actually I do not drink A-B products, however I found this rather tastey one hot day when I had nothing else in my beer fridge (my neighbor’s cleaned me out). I love the taste of tomato, lime, and clam juice so this beer is not too bad although light.

When I was young I used to mix bad beer with tomato juice, and it seemed OK. But this seems like something different. Is it the lime? Really vile tasting stuff, this is, and poured a yucky pink with no head. Mouthfeel is medium, and the flavor is of tomato and lime, with no sense of being beer. Very salty and kind of makes you sick to your stomach.

THOUGHTS: It didn’t really seem like beer at all. I can’t see why you would put lime and tomato together. Beer could go with either, but all three together are pretty bad. Also, carbonation and tomato juice don’t mix well. Why couldn’t this have been in a 8 oz. can instead of a 24 oz. one. Drinking this is like vomiting in reverse by the end of the can. You almost need a chaser to drink this one. By the way it also burns the belly. TECHNICAL: Can. Poured a muddy salmon color that was sort of like ruby red grapefruit juice but with more orange. It had a small to average, fizzy, pink head that fully diminished and left virtually no lacing, but there was residue left on the glass all the way down. The aroma was mostly tomato soup, underlying lime, salt and a slight bit of vomit. The initial flavor was light to moderately sweet, moderate to heavily acidic and very salty; while the finish was lightly sweet and acidic, and salty with an average duration. There was tomato soup up front then lemon-lime seltzer in the back. The spicy tongue burning aspect of the beer may have just been all the salt. The medium to full body was soupy with very fizzy carbonation and a spicy, salty and light astringent finish.

First of all, I love the fact that they not only created Budweiser Chelada, but for our dieting friends they also offer Bud Light Chelada... THANKS, ANHEUSER BUSCH! This pour is disgusting--pinkinsh orange. Not that I’ve experienced it, but I couldn’t help think of bloody urine. Why did I buy this again? Because I’m a glutton for punishment, and it was there. And I had $2.50 (yeah, $2.50... pricey Bud!). Aroma of rotten vegetables, particularly tomatoes. A hint of vomit. If you can manage not to smell it, the taste is relatively unoffensive--tomatoes and rusty nails-- but the mouthfeel is borderline gag inducing. This wasn’t even fun on a dare.

Disgusting overall - Budweiser can keep this product. Red in color with the smell and taste of Clamato juice. Was not impressed with this product and, hopefully, Budweiser will take this off the market. I’m not a big Budweiser fan, but Budweiser can do better...

24 oz. can. Pours a watery orange-red color with no head. Aroma of tomato almost made me vomit. I was hesitant to drink, but had to give it a whirl. I’m not a big tomato juice fan, not a big Budweiser fan, and not a fan of this beer. Another reason not to fruit your beer.

Drank side by side with BL Chelada. Was redder than the other one. Aroma of tomato soup and Budweiser. Ridiculously better than BL Chelada, but that is not saying much. Ha!