Chelada, Anheuser-Busch’s new Clamato and beer beverage, isn’t really new at all. A variation of a beverage called Michelada, it belongs to a genre of drinks known in Spanish as cerveza preparada, which means prepared beer—a drink category that’s been around since at least the 1940’s in Mexico.
One version of Chelada’s origins is that it was invented by General Augusto Michel, from San Luis Potosí in central Mexico who used to add spicy sauces to his beer. Another is that it’s
Simply short for “Mi Chela Helada”, which means “my cold beer.”
Either way, Chelada is clearly one of the hottest new products to hit the beverage marketplace in a long time, and a perfect example of a consumer-driven collaboration between a manufacturer and retailers.
Anheuser Busch research revealed that 60% of all Clamato is purchased with the intention of using it as a mixer. Non-Latinos who want to give the drink a try should know that for best taste results, they should gently rotate the chilled can once before pouring it into a traditional goblet-style glass over ice and garnishing with a slice of lime or celery stalk.? Salting the rim of the glass or adding a dash of hot sauce to the beer allows further customization.
