Name: Cherry Michelada
Brewery: Thorn Brewing
Style: Fruited Michelada
ABV: 4% ABV
The first time I had a Michelada was five years ago, sitting in the sun-soaked bleachers of a San Diego Padres game. Though I can’t if we were winning or losing, I do that first taste — those bold flavors of tomato, beer and tajin all mixed together was a refreshing reprieve from the summer heat.
I haven’t had many Micheladas since then, so when I discovered Thorn Brewing’s canned offering, I knew I had to give it a go.
For its Fruited Michelada, Thorn paired its Barrio Lager with the traditional tomato juice, along with another fruit: cherry. The result is a plum-colored, bold brew. The flavor seemed to flip with each taste: tomato-forward one sip, cherry-centric the next. While it confused my brain, my tongue didn’t complain.
About halfway through, I felt a little bit of a burn in the back of my throat — kinda like when you pour a little too much extra hot salsa on your California burrito. And that’s a fair comparison, considering there is actual hot sauce in this drink.
Other ingredients? Lime juice — which balances out the spice nicely — plus ocean clam juice, worcestershire sauce and ponzu. (As a non-seafood eater, I would have been happier not knowing about the clam juice, but there’s no fishy taste.)
According to the label, Thorn added “seasonal fruit,” so I’m curious if they’re considering other fruits for future versions of the series. Oh, and that label also instructs you to “tilt can lightly to mix” — a note I didn’t see until I opened the can — so that may affect your tasting experience.
Now that baseball is back, I could definitely see myself enjoying one of these bad boys at the stadium. But until Petco Park takes note, I’ll happily settle for a trip to Thorn Brewing.