Review: Coors Light Cheez-Its Don't Taste Like Cheap Beer, And That's A Good Thing

At one point in time, beer was just beer, something people consumed after work or poured on one's head to celebrate some momentous achievement. Then, one day someone decided that we can use beer in cooking. Now, the ideas for mixing the flavors of beer into food are becoming grander, more ambitious, and, in some cases, downright strange. We've been treated to Chunky soup and chili spiked with PBR, and, more recently, Miller Lite tall boys have gotten their juices loose within a canister of Pringles. 

Cheez-Its loves a good flavor, but, its next one is perhaps a bridge too far — Cheez-It Coors Light Beer Cheese. In a press release, Matt Carpenter, Vice President of Marketing, Coors Family of Brands, said, "Fans already love reaching for a cold Coors Light when they're snacking on game day, so finding a way to bring our crisp, refreshing beer flavors to life in a real-deal beer cheese flavored snack just made sense."

We wonder, do these Cheez-Its actually taste like beer? And, is this something we want to snack on? You probably have your own questions too, and The Takeout took out many handfuls of these Cheez-It Coors Light Beer Cheese to hopefully shed some light on this curious collaboration. Now all can be revealed in this cheesy, and perhaps sudsy, chew & review.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The fine folks at Cheez-It sent yours truly a single box of its no Coors Light Beer Cheese crackers. I took these babies across state lines, and down to the great state of Maryland, where I was congregating with people with fine taste buds for an annual crab feast, and figured it would be fun if we all tried and shared our opinions on this new flavor. I also purchased my own can of Coors Light for comparison purposes.

While I took into consideration everyone's sharp opinions on this very important matter, ultimately this chew and review is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. I also factored in my previous experiences with Cheez-Its, Coors Light, beer cheese, boozy snacks, and overall impressions of this new snack item. The deciding criteria considered for this review were flavor, presentation, texture, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, and, ultimately, whether this is something worth your time and dime.

The Cheez-It Coors Light Beer Cheese box certainly stood out a shelf, but a small sentence in black was perhaps an ominous sign of things to come: Does not contain alcohol. I ripped open the packaging, dug my nose in, and took a simple whiff. It seemed to have a bit of spice to it, perhaps some notes of chili pepper or paprika, although, when I put a handful directly to my nose, it didn't have a discernible smell. These Cheez-It crackers sport the usual body — a pillowy one-inch square with a center hole, and scalloped edges. The Coors Light ones seem to have a bit more sun-burnt orange hue than the standard flavor, with a few darkened specks of visible seasonings, and they are very dusty to the touch.

My first taste delivered no drink memories flooding forward of the ubiquitous American brew. To me, it had an extra cheesy taste, perhaps in the vein of a sharp, smoked cheddar. I passed around the bowl for others to try, and there were an array of first impressions. One said it had a hint of Coors before quickly fading away, another claimed it had a hoppiness to it, while a third eater noted it gave off an effervescent feeling. Another taste tester claimed there was a strange sweetness in its aftertaste, while one Cheez-It expert likened them more to the brand's Extra Toasty line. 

For this taste test, I made sure I had a tall boy can of Coors Light on hand. I didn't want to be influenced by the beer's flavor profile itself, so I waited until after my initial crunchy munches to have a sip. I'm not a big fan of American light beers, but I will say, out of all of them, "the silver bullet" is one of the better choices. It certainly delivers a light body of liquid, with a crispness, as well as a finishing bite. When I then returned to these branded Cheez-Its, none of that remotely translated. 

Yes, I know they're not supposed to be beer flavored, and be more reminiscent of beer cheese, but if the Coors logo and snowy mountains were absent from this box of Cheez-Its, your mouth and brain wouldn't ever reach for any such sudsy association. Overall, they were certainly better than those beer-flavored Pringles, however, I'd be down to try a Coors Light that tastes like a Cheez-It.

I am no certified Cheez-It expert, but did once try and rank 12 flavors. If Cheez-It Coors Light Beer Cheese was a part of that Herculean feat, I think it would have easily finished as a top-third favorite. It has all the standard great things about a Cheez-It, and then kicks things up a notch with its quality and yummy, sharp, and smoky cheese attributes.

Cheez-It Coors Light Beer Cheese crackers can be purchased nationwide from select retailers, both in stores and online. They are available, while supplies last, for an unspecified limited time only. Since these contain no alcohol, they are safe for all-ages to enjoy. Snack responsibly.

They are available in two sizes — 12.4-ounce boxes and 3-ounce packages. The suggested retail price for the 12.4-ounce box is $4.99, although prices may vary by location. Based on the best by date imprinted on the box, unopened, these should stay nice and crunchy for at least nine months.

As mentioned before, there is no drip of alcohol found within a single cracker of Cheez-It Coors Light Beer Cheese. What is under the hood is enriched flour, vegetable oil, cheese made with skim milk, and other such familiar ingredients such as salt, paprika, onion powder, buttermilk, cheddar cheese, natural flavor, garlic powder, red pepper, yeast, paprika extract color, and whey. It contains common allergens, like milk, soy, and wheat.

A single serving size is about 26 crackers. That's good for 150 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 250 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 3 grams of protein, 20 milligrams of calcium, 1.7 milligrams of iron, and 30 milligrams of potassium. The crackers are cholesterol-free and contain no added sugars.