Is it ever OK to put lime in beer?
This week as the Ravens play the San Diego Chargers close to the Mexican border, I spin a bottle of Miller Chill, a light beer flavored with salt and lime. The folks from Miller say this beer follows the “Chelada” style of drinking beer in Mexico in which a beer is poured over ice and flavored with a squirt of lime and a dash of salt.
Originally I was going to try to find a craft beer brewed in the city of each opponent of the Ravens. That proved to be a logistical nightmare. So like many Ravens fans, this fall I have lowered my expectations.
There is not a lot of body in Miller Chill, nor are there many grace notes, but it is refreshing. I have always liked salt and lime, but not in my beer. They seem to overpower the beer. The spinning green bottle of Miller Chill, by the way, predicts a Chargers win.
What do you think about putting a slice of lime, or other fruit, in beer? Is it always a sin? Or it is occasionally OK?
Comments
A Blue Moon on draft is not complete without an orange slice. A lemon in a Hefeweizen can be pretty good as well.
Posted by: Steve | November 23, 2007 8:37 AM
Don't fruit the beer.
I haven't had Chill, but a lime in a Corona on a hot summer day is acceptable. Any other time, and it just seems weird. I'd rather go for a good fruit-based microbrew instead, like Pete's Wicked Strawberry.
Posted by: Brian | November 23, 2007 8:55 AM
For San Diego, I'd suggest either Stone Brewing or Green Flash Brewing. Either Ruination or Arrogant B##stard from Stone would seem to be appropriate for this Ravens season. For the love of all that is holy, not Miller Chill. Ugh.
Posted by: Ken | November 23, 2007 9:23 AM
If it's a San Diego craft brew you're looking for then you can't go wrong with Green Flash (http://www.greenflashbrew.com). Their Westy Coast IPA is fantastic, and will treat you a lot better than Miller Chill. The Wine Source in Hampden and The Wine Underground in Roland Park both usually carry it.
As far as fruit in your beer, why not? If you think dropping an apple in a Budweiser makes it taste better then, hey, get after it.
ns
Posted by: the loss column | November 23, 2007 10:06 AM
I'm typically not a fan of fruit in beer, or any fruity beer at that. As I say that, however, lime in Shinerbock is always nice. Try it! I had my first Shinerbock in Houston about 8 years ago or so (at the time it could only be found in Texas), and was delighted to find that they began exporting it to this side of the States several years ago. Now my refrigerator isn't complete without a six pack of the stuff sitting on the bottom shelf.
Posted by: Nelson | November 23, 2007 10:35 AM
I've never been comfortable putting fruit in my beer. Even when I'm drinking Corona or Blue Moon I drink them straight. I prefer a beer's natural taste, even if it may be tailored for fruit to be added.
Posted by: Mike | November 23, 2007 11:19 AM
I love many beers, so is it so wrong to have a Miller Chill now and then or a Michelob Honey Lager (used to be my boating beer)? It IS a beer! Sometimes you just need something A LOT less heavy and A LOT less alchohol. I love Cap. City's Fuel and Dogfish World Wide Stout, but you can't drink that everyday. Well I guess you can... Like you said, occasionally the mood will strike for something "refreshing."
Posted by: Kim Moore | November 23, 2007 11:26 AM
Miller Chill is flat awful. It is as if Gatorade decided to make a crappy beer.
Posted by: JTK | November 23, 2007 3:07 PM
Miller Chill?!?!? Talk about taking one for the team! (I think the "silver bullet" is Coors?) Bleaaagh! I think it would be relevant to point out that on Craigslist on Wednesday someone attempted to give away--that's right, GIVE AWAY--20 CASES of the stuff. No word on if he had takers.
I second the suggestions of Green Flash or Stone for a "San Diego" beer.
As for fruit in beer, obviously the most popular combination is Corona and lime. I usually remark that said technique is the only way to get any flavor out of said beer, and I think anyone reading this blog will feel the same way. On the other hand, even casting aside the discussion of fruit-brewed beers such as Belgian krieks and framboises or other examples such as local Oxford Raspberry Wheat, there are other examples of fruit added to beers to be found, much more palatable than lime in an industrial lager. The most popular include orange or lemon slices/wedges in a good German-style hefeweizen (and one time in Arizona I had Oak Creek Brewing serve a slice of blood orange with their spectacular hefe--a heavenly combination); a wedge of orange in a Belgian witbier; and raspberry syrup added atop a freshly-poured Berliner weisse (wheat).
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | November 23, 2007 3:37 PM
I think limes go great in Mexican beer! There are also many great beer styles that use fruit. I was annoyed by Miller's ad that says "don't fruit the beer". It was an obvious attack on Mexican beers to market share, but I think it was misguided. I add orange to Blue Moon. I think it tastes great!
Posted by: DJ | November 23, 2007 8:47 PM
The point of craft beer is to try new flavors and experiment with new ingredients. If not, we would all be stuck with the major brewers' lousy beer.
If adding fruit adds an element that makes things interesting, why not? That just makes it more fun to have craft beer.
The Miller's Chill is admittedly pretty good--for a major brewer. It's nice to finally have a stash of decent "cheap beer" for when you have many guests over.
Posted by: Bolt | November 24, 2007 1:04 AM
Germans float lemon slices in weizen, I've always been served Blue Moon with an orange slice--sublime!--and a lime wedge always perks up Corona or Sol. So what's the problem?
Posted by: Dottie | November 27, 2007 2:16 PM