Miller Lite's Beercoal Returning, But You Have To Act Fast

In the beginning, there was beer can chicken. (Beginning of what, you may ask? The rather niche field of grilling with beer, but that made for a less dramatic intro.) Standing a chicken up on a grill with a beer can shoved up its butt not only allows it to cook on all sides but may also impart an essence de bière. Purdue (the chicken people) even produced a beer infused with chicken-friendly seasonings such as pepper, rosemary, and thyme specifically meant for beer can cooking. The latest evolution of beer-grilling involves brew-infused charcoal, specifically the Miller Lite product known as Beercoal.

Beercoal, which first came out in time for grilling season in 2022, is back in a 2.0 version from Kingsford. We're not sure yet how Miller Lite's new product stacks up against the original, as it's only just come out, but if you want to try it for yourself, it can be purchased online from the Milwakee-based brewer's website for $11.99 a bag. You'll need to be 21 or up to buy it, even though the charcoal isn't made with beer (and you're unlikely to be eating the chunks), but rules are rules). If last year is anything to go by, you may need to act fast. Miller says that last year's product sold out in minutes.

Assuming Beercoal is still available by the time you read this, should you drop 12 bucks plus shipping and handling to try a bag? (As per the website, you'll only be able to buy one.) As we mentioned earlier, we haven't been able to try out this latest iteration, but we can attempt to extrapolate from last year's product. One lucky YouTuber who got their barbecue mitts on a bag gave it a thumbs-up. They found the chicken they grilled over these coals was quite tasty and seemed to have "a little hint" of Miller Lite flavor.

If you can't grab a bag of Beercoal before this year's batch sells out, don't get too upset. Another YouTuber used 2022's product to grill burgers and was less than impressed by the flavor. They detected "a different kind of taste" but did not detect much Miller Lite flavor. While they did not regret the "fun" impulse buy, they said it was not a purchase they'd be inclined to repeat. A cheaper and most likely more effective way to imbue your chicken with beer flavor is to marinate it in the stuff or perhaps try a dry rub made with brewer's yeast instead.