# Beer and tomato juice? Huh? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216 "2003-10-18T17:56:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/1 "2003-10-18T17:56:32Z")
Recently, my wife and I moved from Toronto to Calgary (and yes, one of these days, I’ll update my location in my SDMB profile). We’re settling onto our new home without too many problems, and exploring the neighbourhood. On one of our explorations, we found a sports bar that I’ve returned to a few times, especially since it was some time before our TV was unpacked and connected, and I’ve wanted to see some TV sports. Anyway, I’ve noticed that a number of people in the sports bar order a small container of tomato juice to go with their beer. They pour the beer into a glass, then dump the juice into the beer, and drink it. For all the pubs and bars I’ve been to in my life, I’ve never seen this, or indeed, even heard of it. But they seem to quite like it. So, who has tried this beer-and-tomato-juice concoction? What’s it like? What’s it called? And should I give it a try someday? ---
**Author:** ![LabRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@LabRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LabRat)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/2 "2003-10-18T18:04:05Z")
My wife tried this recently. She made a noise like a cat coughing up a fur ball. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/3 "2003-10-18T18:29:46Z")
My wife, who is from Alberta, does the same thing, except she uses Clamato juice. She quite likes it. Personally, I’d rather lick a cat. ---
**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/4 "2003-10-18T18:35:05Z")
I’ve heard of people doing it in the Maritimes… never tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/5 "2003-10-18T19:52:53Z")
Where I come from, we call such a mixture a _Redeye_. (We also point and laugh.) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/6 "2003-10-18T20:41:11Z")
I’ve had it. It’s much better than it should be. In the summertime, it actually makes the beer taste colder. Clearly, it’s something that should only be done to cheap American beers of the Bud/Coors/Miller ilk. I believe it was first concocted in the St. Louis area. They call it “red beer” down there. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/7 "2003-10-18T20:58:08Z")
We used to drink it like that the morning after the night before. Sort of a poor man’s bloody mary. With a little chili powder and cumin, it went from a “redeye” to an “ojo rojo”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/8 "2003-10-18T21:00:05Z")
[Michelada](http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/aug/010815.michelada.html) This is a basic recipe…but you can add tomato juice. ---
**Author:** ![quothz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/da6949/32.png) [@quothz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quothz)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/9 "2003-10-18T21:02:55Z")
For a redeye, you also need a raw egg. It’s just a red beer otherwise. Me, I like Corona with spicy V-8. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Kakkerlak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@Kakkerlak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakkerlak)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/10 "2003-10-18T21:05:05Z")
I only saw this in north and central Ontario, and sometimes in NS and NB. Never in BC or anywhere on the prairies. I started to like it- it may have prevented some hangovers- but lost the taste once I returned to the Northwest US and began drinking Rogue and McMenamins again. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/11 "2003-10-18T22:24:18Z")
I’d say this is pretty prevalent across Canada though more common in smaller centres than in larger cities. One effect it has is to extend the beer supply and thus makes it ideal for camping and boating trips. ---
**Author:** ![Geoduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@Geoduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geoduck)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/12 "2003-10-19T00:21:45Z")
In the Olympic peninsula, the alchoholic loggers call it a red beer. They usually have it Sunday morning to help temper the effects of a massive hangover. ---
**Author:** ![Girlbysea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Girlbysea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girlbysea)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/13 "2003-10-19T01:49:28Z")
Being from a Navy town, I learned this long ago. Loved it !! Still do!! ---
**Author:** ![labmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@labmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labmonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/14 "2003-10-19T11:34:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*Where I come from, we call such a mixture a _Redeye_. > > (We also point and laugh.) \*\* Here,here. It’s usually touted as a hangover cure in _da UP eh._ ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/15 "2003-10-19T12:16:40Z")
Grew up drinking beer here in Denver, and we called it red beer, too. I don’t drink so much beer anymore, but I remember really liking it. I’ve seen it used as a hangover drink as well. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/16 "2003-10-19T12:50:12Z")
Doesn’t sound good. I like bloody mary’s. But I like my beer to be beer. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/17 "2003-10-19T14:57:11Z")
I’ve seen this a lot in MN and WI. As far as I can tell, it’s not just for hangovers anymore. I agree that this is for your watery, American beers in which it actually improves the taste, what little there is to start with. My take is that if you have to add something to improve the taste of the beer you might want to just try a better beer. I tend to skip the beer and go for a nice Gin and Tonic… in a hot tub. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/18 "2003-10-19T16:11:03Z")
A friend who just did a stint bartending in Las Vegas reports a popular Canadian drink is the Ceasar, which is vodka and Clamato. (Perhaps they just really dig tomato juice up there?) The worst thing I think I’ve ever seen in my life was a billboard in a latino section of town advertising “Clamato y tequila!” ::shudder:: I almost had to pull over and rest my head on the steering wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/19 "2003-10-19T16:57:30Z")
True enough, **voguevixen** , the Caesar is popular here. Almost too popular, in fact, since there are many servers who think that when you order a Bloody Mary, you really meant a Bloody Caesar. They mean well, I suppose, but as one whose system just cannot handle clam juice, I wish they wouldn’t assume I meant something other than what I asked for. There have been so many errors made this way that I’ve stopped ordering Marys up here now; I’ll make one myself at home if I really have a hankering for one. Oh well. Back to the beer and tomato juice. I had no idea that it was so popular and in so many places and with so many variations. Thanks for the advice, all; it looks as if I’ll have to try this someday. Perhaps at home first, so I know I’m getting tomato juice, and _not_ Clamato by well-intentioned mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216/20 "2003-10-20T02:41:44Z")
My sweetie likes it. He calls it tomato beer, and uses V8 juice. I tried it _once_. Thanks, but no, although all in all, I’d rather drink it than lick a cat’s butt. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-tomato-juice-huh/208216.md?page=2)