Is Lubbock’s Signature Chilton Finally ‘Breaking Out’?

It's a right of passage. A young Lubbockite goes out of town, visits a bar, and attempts to order their favorite drink- the salty, bright, refreshing and perfect cocktail.

"I'll have a Chilton, please."

And they are answered with a blank stare.

Because the cocktail that should be everywhere is nowhere but its point of origin: Lubbock, Texas. It makes me sad for the rest of the world, and especially sad for folks who are looking for a deliciously dry and quite low carb/ low calorie cocktail.

It's so good that Texas Monthly did an entire piece on it. The Chilton should have gone to great heights from there, but somehow it still didn't catch on.

[It's a] simple and citrusy adult beverage that every Lubbockite, every Texas Tech alumnus, most every resident of the vast South Plains, and a scant few others have been imbibing for as long as they can remember.

But the Chilton may finally be breaking out. An excellent brewery in McKinney, Texas started selling a Chilton seltzer in a can. Tupps Brewery is known for their excellent IPAs (try their hazy Juice Pack) and for exciting seltzer flavors.

I don't know what combination of science and alchemy came together to make it work, but Tupp's version of the Chilton tastes really good and really close to a fresh, handmade cocktail. I tried it for the first time recently, and let me tell you, it paired perfectly with a rack of smoked beef ribs.

Tupp's Chilton are available to purchase in Lubbock, but also all around Dallas. That's right, our beloved has made it to the metroplex. Who knows where it'll go from there? I just hope it saves some poor out-of-town Lubbock kid some embarrassment, not to mention the homesickness.