LA Is Now Home to the World’s First Marijuana Michelada

Sip, sip, pass. The world's first medicated michelada has arrived in Los Angeles.

Known as the Dabchelada, it may have just revolutionized the world of crossfading as we all know it. And with a generous 200 milligrams of shatter—a weed concentrate—per serving, gone are the days of getting drunk and faded the old-fashioned way: by taking a sip of beer and alternating it with a puff of a jay, bong, or hollowed-out apple. Oh, what a time to be alive.

It is a beverage category that could have been created only in Los Angeles, considering both the recent glut of bottled michelada mixes on the market (including the michelada mix that created a full-blown michelada mobile) and the upcoming ballot measure in November to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the Golden State. However, no one had thought about medicating a michelada until now. As of today, it's the only medicated michelada in the world.

We reached out Armando Rodriguez, the 35-year-old visionary behind the libation, to find out what exactly inspired him to create such a groundbreaking drink. And to find out whether the Styrofoam cup's slogan—"EVERY SIP IS LIKE TAKING A HIT"— is true or not.

MUNCHIES: Hi, Armando. How are you doing today? Armando Rodriguez: I'm doing real good. I just finished doing the High Times Cannabis Cup & Carnival in San Bernardino over the weekend, so I can't complain.

How was that? It was dope. We killed it out there. We sold over 500 cups of our Dabchelada and a little less of our Dabritas, which is our line of cannabis-infused margarita slushies. We salt the rim of our Dabritas with our medicated chile salt, so it is double-medicated. Everybody was pretty much buying two of them at a time.

Where can our readers buy these magical beverages of yours? As of right now, you can buy our Dabcheladas and medicated salt at dispensaries around Los Angeles and Orange County, and you can only buy our Dabritas at shows since you need a slushy machine. Eventually I will bottle that mix and then install slushy machines at local dispensaries, too.

How long have you been in the edibles industry? I've been involved in this industry for two years now. I've had a production and marketing company and I build all the structures for California's Finest and a bunch of other independent growers.

What inspired you to create the Dabchelada? I used to do the marketing for one of the original michelada companies around here. We would always do all of the marijuana shows and one day I said, "Fuck it, I'm going to turn this cup into an edible." Everybody was smoking and drinking all the time at these shows already, but some people didn't like the bitter combination of flavors that came because of the smoke and beer. I then thought, Why not infuse beer with weed? I then asked the michelada company that I worked for if they were OK with me doing it, and they were cool.

How did you develop your recipe? It is a handmade recipe that we bought from a chemist. We started the process back in February and we wanted to make sure that the recipe was perfect. It must have taken a good dozen times until we finally found the best recipe.

Why do you use shatter instead of shake or real herb in your product? I have to cook the weed into a sugar base because nobody wants little pieces of bud in your food or drink. Also, because when I use shatter, I don't waste much weed. I use a King Neptune OG strain.

Is the high more intense because you use a weed extract instead of herb? A lot of people like it. They say that it relaxes them better but also gets them hyped up more and gets them in the mood to party. I have not received one negative comment yet; everything has been positive. I've got a lot of artists like Kurupt, Sean Kingston, Paul Wall, DJ Quik, and Suga Free who love it, too.

What beer do you recommend using for your Dabchelada? I like it with a Modelo, Tecate, or a Bud Light. You can drink it with anything, really. It is good with an orange juice or any kind of fruit juice. It is pretty smooth. I've tried with a Hefeweizen and it was good. I've heard people tell me that it is good with energy drinks and fruit-flavored sodas like Jarritos.

What kind of dishes would you recommend to pair with your Dabchelada? Well, I also have my medicated chile salt shakers for sale. They are travel-sized so you can take it with you anywhere you go. People have told me that the Dabchelada tastes good when paired with a steak seasoned with my medicated salt. I've also had people tag me on photos where they use the salt on fruit and ice cream. Everybody loves it. Personally, I drink my Dabchelada with tacos and barbecue seasoned with my medicated salt.

How many Dabcheladas have you had in one sitting yourself? I've had quite a bit, since you have to drink your own product when you are at shows. I have one during every meeting, too. One time I drank four to five in one sitting. I was in Arizona for the Low Rider Supershow and—I'm not going to lie—I was on a whole other level that day. I remember adding more medicated salt to each of the cups, too. I woke up the next day still high but in a good mood with no hangover.

Thank you for speaking with me.