We have the Bloody Mary, Mexico has the Chelada. The Mexican cocktail is a combo of beer, lime juice, salt and tomato juice. If you want to get serious, you can add a hint of hot sauce or Worcestershire like the pros. The Chelada is the go-to beer cocktail of Mexico, enjoyed widely by most of its people. So who gave Modelo Especial permission to strip the drink of its authenticity and put it in a can to sell it?
Modelo Especial Chelada debuted this week as the latest canned beer cocktail on our radar. Served in 24 oz. cans, Modelo Chelada is an “authentic” blend of Modelo lager and tomato, salt and lime flavors. Known as a “cerveza preparada,” the beer cocktail mirrors the flavor of the classic Mexican beverage, but does it taste like it?
We haven’t tried it yet so we can’t jump to any taste conclusions but we can’t imagine cracking open a can and drinking a Chelada like we sip on Bloody Mary’s at Sunday brunch.
Canned or not, we’re equal parts intrigued and disgusted. We would consider getting one just so we can more accurately describe the weirdness of the flavors. By the end of the month, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and the city of Chicago will see Modelo Especial Chelada on their store shelves. The rest of you will have to wait until January to pick up a can.
What’s your take on the tomato flavored beer cocktail? Would you drink a Chelada out of a can?